February 5, 2018 by getTV Staff
It’s no exaggeration to say that Flip Wilson was TV’s first African American superstar. In an era when people of color were under-represented in primetime, the New Jersey native (born Clerow Wilson) headlined one of network television’s most popular programs. His Emmy-winning NBC variety show was the second-highest rated series between 1970 and 1972. And Wilson, as producer, walked a fine line between exposing performers of color to a wider audience and delivering a show that appealed to a traditional variety show demographic.
