No Problem! was a Channel 4

Channel 4

Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

 sitcom which ran from 1983 to 1985, created by the Black Theatre Co-operative. The show was written by Farrukh Dhondy and Mustapha Matura. 27 episodes were broadcast of the programme which focused on a family of Jamaican heritage, the Powells, living in a council house in Willesden Green, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. It was voted Britain's 100th best sitcom in a poll carried out by the BBC.

No Problem! was the first sitcom to be broadcast on Britain's new Channel 4

Channel 4

Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

 TV station. It was also the first comedy series to specifically address the lifestyle of the British black community. The show's producers made a conscious decision to focus on comedy rather than "race issues", which drew some criticism. Writing for the BFI

British Film Institute

The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...

 website "ScreenOnline", critic Mark Duguid wrote:

The 1980s saw television moving with the times and beginning to respond, albeit awkwardly, to calls for greater sophistication in black representations. No Problem! (ITV, 1983-85) drew its cast and creators from the Black Theatre Co-operative, and concerned the teenage and twentysomething Powell kids, left to fend for themselves in a Willesden council house after their parents have returned to Jamaica. But the accent was on comedy, not politics, and the show quickly alienated some black activists, who objected to the narrow roles allotted to its female characters, to its casual jokes at the expense of Asians (ironic given its Asian co-writers, Farukh Dhondy and Mustapha Matura), and even to the scenario itself, which, in the words of cultural critic Paul Gilroy

Paul Gilroy

-Biography:Born in the East End of London to Guyanese and English parents , he was educated at University College School and obtained his bachelor's degree at Sussex University in 1978. He moved from there to Birmingham University where he completed his Ph.D...

, put "voluntary repatriation at the heart of the situation".

Cast

Bellamy	Victor Romero Evans
Beast	Malcolm Frederick
Sensimilia	Judith Jacob Judith Jacob Judith Jacob , is a British actress best known for her role as the health visitor Carmel Roberts in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role she played from 1986 to 1989. During her stint in Albert Square, her character suffered from severe marital abuse and her husband's attempted murder and eventual...
Angel	Janet Kay Janet Kay Janet Kay is a British singer of Jamaican parentage best known for her lovers rock songs of the late 1970s - "Silly Games" and a cover of Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You". She has also had roles as a theatre and television actress...
Susannah	Sarah Lam Sarah Lam Sarah Lam is a British-Chinese actress, noted for her television roles.She played Susannah in the sitcom No Problem!, Linda Mo in Angels, Anna Lee in Howards' Way and Caroline Choi in Brookside....
Terri	Shope Shodeinde
Toshiba	Chris Tummings
Melba	Angela Wynter Angela Wynter Angela Wynter is a British actress. She is probably most famous for playing the character of Yolande Trueman in the soap opera EastEnders first appearing on 16 October 2003 to her last appearance on 3 October 2008. She based the character on her late sister Merlene and played a similar character...

External links

Guide to Comedy

• No Problem! - Episode Guide
• No Problem - Series 1 - Episode 1 - Part 1 - from Janet Kay's official Youtube channel
• No Problem - Series 1 - Episode 1 - Part 2
• No Problem - Series 1 - Episode 1 - Part 3