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[[Pat Morita]] starred as Taro Takahashi, a widowed Japanese inventor who is sent with his family (an uncle and sister-in-law) from Tokyo to set up the Chicago branch of his employer, Moyati Industries. He hires scatterbrained and free-spirited American Tina Kelly (Susan Blanchard) as the live-in governess for his children, Sachi (June Angela) and Aki (Gene Profanato). | '''Mr. T and Tina''' was an American sitcom and a spin-off of '''Welcome Back, Kotter''' starring [[Pat Morita]] and Susan Blanchard that aired for five episodes on ABC from September 25 to October 30, 1976. It is one of the first television shows to feature a predominantly Asian-American cast. The series was a ratings flop and was cancelled after only five aired episodes. | ||
[[Pat Morita | Morita]] starred as Taro Takahashi, a widowed Japanese inventor who is sent with his family (an uncle and sister-in-law) from Tokyo to set up the Chicago branch of his employer, Moyati Industries. He hires scatterbrained and free-spirited American Tina Kelly (Susan Blanchard) as the live-in governess for his children, Sachi (June Angela) and Aki (Gene Profanato). | |||
Mr. T.'s inventions included underpants with a built-in transistor radio and the "flash in the can," a coin-operated sunlamp in a restroom. | Mr. T.'s inventions included underpants with a built-in transistor radio and the "flash in the can," a coin-operated sunlamp in a restroom. | ||
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===Trivia=== | |||
Series creator James Komack has previously created Chico and the Man, which for a time was conceived to have a Chicano and Japanese American lead. When that proved difficult, he saved the character for another time. | |||
The first pilot episode was filmed with George Takei in the lead role, but when ABC decided to target a less sophisticated audience at an earlier timeslot, a new pilot was ordered with Pat Morita in the lead. | |||
June Angela and Gene Profanato, the actors portraying the children, were real-life siblings from an Italian father and Japanese mother. After the show was cancelled, they were hired for the successful 1977 Broadway revival of The King & I starring Yul Brynner and Constance Towers. Angela played Tuptim and Profanato played the King's son, Prince Chulalongkorn. | |||
Morita went on to portray the father of a character played by June Angela again (with Cloris Leachman as her mother) in the televised presentation of the play Blind Alleys, which aired in 1985. | |||
[[Category: Television]] | [[Category: Television]] | ||