When you think about the DNA of Black television, you can't skip over the mid-seventies. It was a weird, experimental, and incredibly vibrant time. ABC took a gamble in 1974 with a show set in a Washington, D.C. barber shop, and honestly, the That's My Momma cast ended up creating a blueprint for the neighborhood sitcoms we still watch today.
It wasn't just about the jokes. It was the vibe.
The show centered on Clifton Curtis, a guy trying to run his late father's business while his mother, "Momma" Eloise Curtis, hovered over every single decision he made. If you grew up in a household where "Mother knows best" wasn't a suggestion but a law of physics, this show felt less like a sitcom and more like a documentary.
The Man at the Center: Clifton Davis as the Smooth Barber
Clifton Davis played Clifton Curtis. He was the anchor. Before he was the suave Reverend Rueben Gregory on Amen, Davis was the face of Oscar's Barber Shop. He brought this specific kind of 70s cool that felt attainable. He wasn't a caricature; he was a hard-working guy just trying to keep his shop afloat while his momma constantly tried to marry him off to every "nice girl" in the District of Columbia.
Davis wasn't just an actor, though. A lot of people forget he wrote "Never Can Say Goodbye" for the Jackson 5. That level of talent gave him a stage presence that made the character of Clifton feel more layered than your average sitcom lead. He had to play the straight man to a room full of wild personalities, which is way harder than it looks.
The Real Powerhouse: Theresa Merritt
Theresa Merritt was Eloise "Momma" Curtis. She was the heart of the That's My Momma cast, and without her, the show would have folded in three weeks.
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Merritt brought a Broadway-caliber gravity to the role. She had this way of delivering a line that felt like a hug and a reprimand at the same time. While the show was often criticized for leaning into stereotypes—a common complaint about 70s "Black-cast" shows like Good Times or The Jeffersons—Merritt fought to make Eloise a woman of substance. She wasn't just a nagging mother; she was a matriarch holding a family and a community together.
The Barber Shop Regulars and the Comedy Engine
You can't have a barber shop show without the hangers-on. This is where the show really found its rhythm.
- Theodore Wilson as Earl Chambers: Earl was the postman. In every neighborhood, there’s that one person who knows everyone's business because they literally see their mail. Wilson was a comedic genius who later showed up in almost every major Black sitcom of the era.
- Teddy Wilson and Joan Pringle: Pringle played Tracy, Clifton’s sister. She brought a grounded, younger perspective that balanced out Momma’s more old-school traditionalism.
- The "Wild" Ones: You had Junior (played by Ted Lange) and Wildcat (played by Jester Hairston).
Let’s talk about Ted Lange for a second. Before he was Isaac the bartender on The Love Boat, he was Junior on That's My Momma. He had this high-energy, physical comedy style that provided the perfect contrast to Clifton Davis’s more reserved delivery.
And then there’s Jester Hairston. If you don't know the name, you definitely know the face. He played Wildcat. Hairston was a legend in real life—a composer, songwriter, and actor who lived to be 99. Seeing him in the That's My Momma cast was like seeing a piece of Black Hollywood royalty every week. He was the "old head" in the shop long before that was a common trope.
Why the Show Was Polarizing
It’s easy to look back with rose-colored glasses, but That's My Momma had its detractors. The mid-70s were a time of intense scrutiny for Black media. Groups like the NAACP were often wary of shows that they felt portrayed Black life as a series of "shucking and jiving" moments.
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Some critics felt the "Momma" character was too close to the "Mammy" archetype. However, if you actually watch the episodes, Eloise Curtis has a lot of agency. She's a property owner. She's a business influencer. She’s the boss. The nuance was there, even if the laugh track was sometimes too loud.
The show only ran for two seasons, from 1974 to 1975. Why? It was a mix of things. Ratings were okay but not stellar. There was also a lot of behind-the-scenes shuffling. Fun fact: the show actually changed its "Momma" in the pilot! Lynne Hamilton played her in the very first version before Theresa Merritt took over for the series. That kind of instability can sometimes hurt a show's momentum.
The Cultural Footprint
Even though it didn't have the decade-long run of MASH*, the impact of the That's My Momma cast is everywhere.
Think about Barbershop the movie. Think about The Steve Harvey Show. Think about any series where the local business is the town square for gossip and wisdom. That all started here. It was one of the first times a TV show focused on the "working-class Black entrepreneur" as a primary setting. It wasn't just about a family in an apartment; it was about a man in his place of work.
Real-World Connections:
- The Amen Connection: Both Clifton Davis and Jester Hairston would reunite years later on the hit show Amen. The chemistry they built in the barber shop clearly translated to the church pews.
- The Love Boat Launchpad: Ted Lange’s career skyrocketed after this. He became a global icon as Isaac Washington.
- The Musical Legacy: Because of Clifton Davis’s musical background, the show often felt more "rhythmic" than other sitcoms. The theme song itself is a total 70s funk earworm.
What Happened to the Cast?
Life after the shop was varied. Theresa Merritt continued to be a force in acting, appearing in films like The Wiz (as Aunt Em!) and Billy Madison before she passed away in 1998. She left a massive legacy in both theater and film.
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Clifton Davis took a break from the limelight to pursue his faith, becoming a licensed minister and earning a Master of Divinity. He never stopped acting entirely, but his focus shifted, which makes his performance as a "moral center" in his later roles feel so authentic. He’s still active today, often appearing in Broadway productions and guest spots on major network dramas.
Key Insights for Fans and Historians
If you're looking to revisit the show or understand its place in history, keep these points in mind:
- Watch the background: The set design for Oscar's Barber Shop was incredibly detailed for the time. It captured the transition from the 60s to the 70s perfectly.
- Listen to the dialogue: Notice how the characters talk about D.C. It wasn't just a generic city; they made specific references to the neighborhood that made it feel "lived in."
- The Guest Stars: Keep an eye out for guest appearances. You’ll see young actors who went on to become household names, often getting their first break in the barber shop chairs.
The show wasn't perfect. It was a product of its time—complete with the fashion, the slang, and the sometimes-clunky sitcom tropes of the era. But the That's My Momma cast did something special. They showed a Black family that was thriving, arguing, laughing, and building a legacy.
Moving Beyond the Screen
To really appreciate what this cast did, you have to look at the landscape of 1974. There weren't a dozen channels for Black content. There was no streaming. There was just the "Big Three" networks. For this cast to hold a prime-time slot on ABC was a victory in itself.
If you want to dive deeper into this era of television:
- Seek out the rare DVD collections or streaming "throwback" channels like Antenna TV or Pluto TV, which occasionally cycle through these classics.
- Compare the "Momma" archetype here to Florida Evans in Good Times. You’ll notice Merritt plays Eloise with a bit more biting wit and financial independence.
- Research the work of Jester Hairston. His contribution to American music and film transcends this one sitcom, and his life story is actually more fascinating than any script.
Understanding the history of the That's My Momma cast isn't just a nostalgia trip. It’s a look at the foundation of modern comedy. Every time you see a group of guys sitting around a barber shop on screen, talking trash and giving life advice, you're seeing the ghost of Clifton Curtis and the guys at Oscar’s. It’s a legacy of community, one haircut at a time.