''Townsend Television'' is an American

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...

starring Robert Townsend who also served as the series’ executive producer. The series featured an ensemble cast including

John Witherspoon John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense real ...

, Barry Diamond and

Paula Jai Parker Paula Jai Parker (born August 19, 1969) is an American actress. She is best known for her supporting roles in the films ''Friday'' (1995), '' Sprung'' (1997), '' Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' (1998), ''Phone Booth'' (2002), ''Hustle & Flow'' (2005), ...

and aired on

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

from September 12, 1993 to December 26, 1993.

Overview

Each episode featured stand-up comedy from Robert Townsend. There are also musical numbers and comedy sketches, including spoofs of movies and commercials, performed by the regulars and guests.

Regulars

* Robert Townsend *

* Barry Diamond *

Roxanne Beckford Roxanne Beckford-Hoge (born November 17, 1969) is a Jamaican-born American actress. Career She has acted in numerous television series and played minor roles in films, including ''Bewitched'' (2005) '' Something's Gotta Give'' (2003), and '' ...

* Darrel Heath * Lester Barrie *

Biz Markie Marcel Theo Hall (April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021), known professionally as Biz Markie, was an American rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ, and record producer who gained prominence during hip hop's golden age. He was particularly recognized for ...

* The Paul Jackson Orchestra * The Russel Clark Dancers

References

1990s American sketch comedy television series 1993 American television series debuts 1993 American television series endings American English-language television shows Fox Broadcasting Company original programming {{US-comedy-tv-prog-stub