>> The cast of the popular 80’s sitcom 2 to 7 is together again
for the first time since the show went off the air 20 years
ago, here’s a quick look out.
2 to 7 premiered in 1985 and prove just like the song says
that there’s no place like home.
It did so by showing off the colorful personalities inside
this Washington DC apartment building number 2 to 7 where
the gossip on the front stoop between best friends was often
just as hot as the coffee.
the o’briens got a crack in the man, you know
just some of the this is actually what I can tell you
one thing they going for the gold.
>> But audiences tuned in to NBC on Saturday night to watch
for more than just talk they connected with this loving
working class family that happened to be black housewife
Teri Jenkins rule, the roost.
>> You just finished your homework, the Mary Lester is
>> while construction worker and supportive husband, Lester
brought home, the bacon mayor.
>> And no I don’t always see it when I should put it.
>> This date.
Their teen daughter Brenda was an honor student raised to
respect her parents but often took after mom by speak your
mind it’s minute.
>> I’m not sure I don’t I still want me.
>> Among the other tenants rose Holloway the constant voice of
reason then listen to America knows what he’s talking about
the cranky and caring nosy neighbor Pearl with her
grandson, Calvin.
>> I’m crazy, but I just am I think ahead.
>> And who could forget Sandra Clark look at this all read the
and single Tenet who always knew how to vent
the sitcom spoke to every family matter from finances to
friendship to teenage dating.
>> You have to love some time it was so fans.
>> And that’s what made it related to the show ended in
1990 but since then there’s been no place like 2 to 7.
I mean place job
and here they are the cast of 2 to 7 Golden Globe and Emmy
nominee. Marla Gibbs who played Mary Jenkins Regina King played
there’s going to grab that jacket I want to end her role
as senator Carr, how Williams played Lester Jenkins and
Curtis Baldwin portrays cow the job, good morning, ladies.
So I said it went off the air 20 years ago, you cool off went
mahut.
>> Haha.
>> So what does it feel like you all back together get on TV
great great any time we can get together with that TV family
with very happy, yeah, and you know did not to to bring this
number we want to pay little tribute to the one member who
couldn’t be here because she passed only now tell tell us
about her.
>> Soon it’s too it’s so great that pitching you see it.
Those are birthday and we had a price for it she looks so great
to play she was on the other side of it. She doesn’t.
>> Later you see it you just passed a few months. Yeah,
so we miss or I you know this show back back in the day,
you know there was a this was a show about a family. That just
happened to be black it why do you think this show resonated
so much with people.
>> Because at that we represented a lot of people
across the board in the in the country.
They felt they related to us
because you know companies were always situation down there is
a lot of people going through those situations so they made
>> And how this was a show that actually started out as a play
it.
your. What was it like transit leaving the show from play to
TV. Well. It is good because we had all of fighting for for the
love of big not be a black woman along trying to raise a
family to have a caring hardworking husband, this is a
nuclear family. Yeah, very much so. And we’ll check you you
exploded on the show, I mean with was were you playing to
type or did you have researched.
>> That’s just try to be funny. I can tell you this because she
was at the old she was up all the auditions about 400 of them
and I want to be something different so. I had my my
friends was dousing the from high school and I’m a Wes and
most of all I just want to get all the got that looking at
this all started coming together in the Great Lakes
great Brandon Tartikoff he was there as well and is that the
more that has to do so.
And I’m sure you had to be coaxed out of your shell haha
because some of the Jena who is our star. Yeah, we adore and
I’m where I want to come to tears because she’s so
wonderful, I mean that this was a wonderful then she was a kid,
but now she’s just great actress and was so proud of you
call us.
>> We do and my great friend of come full circle with I mean
you know I just get up way we are like this. I’m so much does
a B and then a little miss the cause is the first time we’ve
all been together and just to hear you say that means so much
but I learned so much just from being around them where I am
today. Yeah, the foundation started on the show I learned
the importance of being a professional and Jack was
talking about staying out
>> some persons and the courses that I I lines and that’s how
they you know things that were going on in their personal
lives. I never was privy to those things never brought him
to work found out about him as an adult was like what the.
>> Haha and Curtis you you want to publicly you want to thank
are low because she took a chance and I certainly do.
I love to see that my mom.
>> He’s an incredible incredible inspiration for my
life is have a crossroads in the community whacking go and
stay away from negative. They did find some positives to
be involved in it.
This makes an incredible person in my life, you know real,
>> Haha I love you it’s it’s it’s fortunate up for an actor
to be associate with one great role you have been fortunate to
to to wean nooyi as Florence for 11 seasons. Your first to
you on the Jefferson to incredible family, you know
what what is that like being part of 2 iconic characters
pertain to a comic character this fantastic.
I can’t get the Jefferson care scene.
They can’t get to 2 to 7 cast. I was so fortunate for 1,
1, the forecast to another. I’m sorry go ahead and we were
just like them or all of us. The in doing a show like this
you I would assume have to become fairly close. But like
any family. I’m sure sometimes you get on each other’s and we
get on each other’s nerves. Yeah, but how.
>> Flicker 1000 with all these ladies who second time ago that
in my career that that it happened have been in the
series. Well, the only guy you know that 5, 6, ladies all
around me so. Oh yeah that’s don’t don’t call me the makeup
Cumber look up to my room
>> haha.
>> With one foot wall of the matter from reports of whom are
all my love them all for. So it’s like you have 4 wives
or haha talk to me about about Pearl. Helen Marten Pearl
>> saying some Helen isms before we can not only one but
the stand that the but is there.
>> Haha she dies at the hospital and that the doctor
>> Don’t want to help you going to be fine, he said oh yeah,
said.
what the helm of doing in here.
>> No one ever knew how to how and why here.
>> And she admitted to 94, but wow you know it show like that
why don’t you think we have shows like this on the air
anymore we’re not the ones to ask
>> haha
>> You would check it you you portrayed such such a a
memorable character was that it was set in a sense a double
edged sword in that it was a great character, but yet you
could get pigeonholed doing something like I have to pitch
and roll and
>> I was telling you about this in the green room that that and
I think the Murchison the law and order that it bothers me,
you know some of the mattress and I can and you get typecast
but she said forget that she said you become something great
to somebody and about a dozen this doesn’t stop it and and I
have to you know get that I look I don’t like it when you
saw that with that because I didn’t mean to do that and I
just meant to be funny, you know, but she was fun.
>> Yeah. And she was so haha you make the transition from
the charge that to to bona fide actor star, you know breaking
out especially in the way.
>> Do you look back at what you learned here on 2 to 7, I have
to be able to put that that into motion and what you’ve
>> Definitely I feel like when we was actually happening we
done.
were doing the show I was realizing, I did not realize
the training ground that I was on that in all the Jules that I
was getting from everybody around me and then you know as
an adult them like he and I see some time to see kids on
sentiment and we would never been able to do that haha yeah,
where I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have just as strong