227 TV Series (1985): 19 Shocking Facts You Totally Missed

227: 19 wild facts you never knew The show was never supposed to air until 1986. CBS cancelled The Jeffersons after 11 seasons, freed up Marla Gibbs a year early, and NBC compressed 18 months of development into a few frantic months. ABC had already passed on the show entirely. The title came from creator Christine Houston's real childhood address in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. She wrote the original play on a dare from classmates while attending college at 42. Christine Houston became the first African-American woman to receive a created-by credit for a prime-time series. Sandra Clark was written as a temporary character who would disappear after a few episodes. Audiences demanded her back. Jackie Harry won an Emmy and then dropped her last name entirely for seven years. Regina King was 14 with no professional experience when she was cast as Brenda. Her mother insisted she keep attending public school. She went on to win four Emmys and an Oscar. Marla Gibbs held onto her United Airlines night shift job for two full years after landing The Jeffersons because she didn't trust the role to last. She co-wrote and performed the theme song herself. Kevin Peter Hall, who played the Predator in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, played Rose's gentle romantic love interest. He and Elena Reed fell in love on set, married in real life, and had the wedding written into the show. Hall died from AIDS in 1991 at 35. Reed died from breast cancer in 2002. Countess Vaughn landed her role after mentioning the show as her favorite on Star Search. Producers saw it live and called her in to audition. And the bonus: the creator's real name appears nowhere in the show. Christine Houston removed herself entirely when producers changed her work, and every episode credits a pseudonym, C.J. Banks, who never existed. ⏱ Timestamps in the chapters below 👇 Comment which fact blew your mind