Flip Wilson was an African American comedian and actor. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show. The series earned Wilson a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards. In January 1972, Time magazine featured Wilson's image on their cover and named him "TV's first black superstar".
| Birth name | Clerow Wilson, Jr. |
|---|---|
| Born | December 8, 1933 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | November 25, 1998 (aged 64) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, film |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1963–1997 |
| Spouse | Lavenia Patricia "Peaches" Wilson nee Dean (m. 1957; div. 1967) Tuanchai MacKenzie (m. 1979; div. 1984) |
Flip Wilson During its first two seasons, its Nielsen ratings made it the nation's second most watched show.
The Flip Wilson Show is an hour long variety show that aired in the U.S. on NBC from September 17, 1970 to June 27, 1974. The show starred American comedian Flip Wilson; the program was one of the first American television programs starring a black person in the title role to become highly successful with a white audience. Specifically, it was the first successful network variety series starring an African American.
Ratings
1970-1971: #2
1971-1972: #2
1972-1973: #12
1973-1974: Not in Top 30
The Flip Wilson Show
The show consisted of many skits over an hour. It also broke new ground in American television by using a 'Theatre-in-the-Round' stage format, with the audience seated on all sides of a circular performance area (with some seats located behind the sketch sets on occasion).
Wilson was most famous for creating the role of Geraldine Jones, a sassy, modern woman who had a boyfriend named Killer (who, when not in prison, was at the pool hall). Flip also created the role of Reverend Leroy, who was the minister of the Church of What's Happening Now!. New parishioners were wary of coming to the church as it was hinted that Reverend Leroy was a con artist. Wilson popularized such catchphrases as "What you see is what you get", and "The devil made me do it!".
Geraldine Jones was a huge part of The Flip Wilson Show and was played by Wilson wearing women's clothing. Some of "Geraldine's" most famous quotes are, "The devil made me buy this dress!, Don't you touch me, honey, you don't know me that well!, You devil, you!" and "What you see is what you get!" Comedian
