''Sugar and Spice'' is an American

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

that aired on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

from March 30, 1990 to May 25, 1990.

Premise

The small town of Ponca City,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, was the setting for this blue collar series about two middle-aged

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

sisters. Loretta and Vickilyn (

Loretta Devine Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of ''Dreamgirls'' (1981), Gloria Mat ...

and

Vickilyn Reynolds Vickilyn Reynolds (born June 2, 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American film and television actress and singer. Formative years Born on June 2, 1955, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Reynolds is a Philadelphia performing arts school grad ...

) had very different personalities. Vickilyn was conservative and quiet, a divorcee making her living with Small World Miniatures, a mail-order business run out of her converted garage. Her gregarious sister Loretta, an aspiring actress with a roving eye for good-looking men, was biding time working as a hostess at Cafe Jacques, where the manager Jacques (

Leslie Jordan Leslie Allen Jordan (April 29, 1955 – October 24, 2022) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and singer. His television roles include Beverley Leslie on ''Will & Grace'' (2001–2006 and 2017–2020), several characters in the ''American ...

) was also seen. Living with them was their teenage niece Toby (LaVerne Anderson), the only child of their late sister, whose good intentions were sometimes derailed when she took bad advice from her best friend Ginger (

Dana Hill Dana Hill (born Dana Lynne Goetz; May 6, 1964 – July 15, 1996) was an American actress. She was known for playing Audrey Griswold in '' National Lampoon's European Vacation'', and also known for her roles in ''Shoot the Moon'' and '' Cross Cre ...

). Bonnie (

Stephanie Hodge Stephanie Hodge (born December 24, 1956) is an American actress and stand-up comedian, known for her roles as Nurse Sandy Miller in the NBC sitcom ''Nurses'' from 1991 to 1993 and Jennie Malloy on the WB sitcom ''Unhappily Ever After'' from 1995 ...

), who had a tempestuous relationship with her trucker husband Cliff (Gerrit Graham), was Vickilyn's assistant at Small World Miniatures. Ralph and Brian (Troy Searcy,

Bumper Robinson Larry Clarence "Bumper" Robinson II is an American actor. He is best known for his voice roles as Damas in ''Jak 3'', Bumblebee and Blitzwing on '' Transformers: Animated'' Rook Blonko and various other characters in '' Ben 10: Omniverse'', and Fa ...

) were schoolmates of Toby's.

Cast

Main

as Vickilyn Fontaine-Clayton *

as Loretta Fontaine * LaVerne Anderson as Toby Reed *

as Ginger *

as Bonnie Buttram

Recurring

as Monsieur Jacques *

Fitz Houston Fitz Houston aka Fitzhugh G. Houston (born June 9, 1953) is an African-American actor, musician, author and pastor. As an actor, he played the part of Principal Gordon in '' Sister, Sister''. He appeared in an episode of '' Sugar and Spice'', als ...

as Deputy

Guest stars

Dorian Harewood Dorian Harewood (born August 6, 1950) is an American actor, best known for playing Jesse Owens in '' The Jesse Owens Story'' (1984), Det. Paul Strobber on '' Strike Force'' (1981–1982), and Rev. Morgan Hamilton in '' 7th Heaven'' (1996–2003 ...

as Marcus *

Michael Talbott Michael Talbott (born February 2, 1955) is an American actor. He portrayed Detective Stanley Switek in the crime drama television series ''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989). Early life Michael was born on February 2, 1955, in Waverly, Iowa, to parents ...

as Joe *

Gerrit Graham Gerrit Graham (born November 27, 1949) is an American stage, television, and film actor as well as a scriptwriter and songwriter. He is best known for his appearances in multiple films by Brian De Palma as well as appearances in two ''Star Trek'' ...

as Cliff *

Rick Fitts Rick Fitts is an American film and television actor. He is known for playing the role of the ruthless businessman Martin Jackson on 120 episodes of the American soap opera television series ''Generations''. Career Fitts guest-starred in numer ...

as Doug * Willie C. Carpenter as Binder *

Elmarie Wendel Elmarie Louise Wendel (November 23, 1928 –July 21, 2018) was an American actress and singer best known as Mamie Dubcek on the NBC sitcom ''3rd Rock from the Sun''. Early life Born on a farm in Howard County, Iowa, one of five siblings, Wend ...

as Bag Lady *

Nicholas Pryor Nicholas David Pryor (born Probst; January 28, 1935 – October 7, 2024) was an American character actor. He appeared in various television series, films, and stage productions. Early life and career Pryor was born Nicholas David Probst in Balt ...

as Mr.Prescott *

Maureen Arthur Maureen Louise Arthur (April 15, 1934 – June 15, 2022) was an American film, television, and stage actress. Life and career Arthur appeared in numerous movies and television programs from the late 1950s through the early 1990s as well as on B ...

as New Yorker

Episodes

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 98915 1990s American black sitcoms 1990 American television series debuts 1990 American television series endings Television shows set in Oklahoma Television series by Sony Pictures Television CBS sitcoms