History Series / Amen

* MoodSwinger: Everyone notes Thelma's erratic behavior as hers and Reuben's anniversary approaches. Her father notes to friends Amelia and Rolly that her mother was the same way as ''their'' first anniversary came—"She was laughing and giggling on minute and throwing pots and pans at me the next. But at least she had a good excuse. She was pregnant." Their eyes widen as they realize that he may have just pinpointed the reason for Thelma's conduct. Sure enough, it turns out she's expecting.

* EstrangedSoapFamily: Neither Thelma' s grandfather nor Rueben' s mother show up at either of the couple's weddings, despite Ernie reconciling with the former and explicitly inviting him, and the latter appearing only one episode prior during which she tried to take over the wedding planning.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Thelma to Ernie, Ruben, and Ruben's best friend. In another episode, after Ernie loses an election, he gives one to the core cast.

* TheGhost: Deacon Frye lost his wife when Thelma was a young girl. She is often mentioned, but glimpsed only once in a flashback.

* MyBelovedSmother: Reuben's mother, who constantly takes passive-aggressive digs at Thelma and tries to make her feel like she's not good enough for him. Not until Thelma and Reuben finally tell her off does she admit that her son is the only family she has left and that she was afraid of losing him. Ernie counts too, for the way he tends to treat Thelma like a child, to the point where she and Reuben have to throw him out of their honeymoon suite. He then spends their honeymoon calling her every day, bawling his eyes out for an hour, constantly shows up at their apartment uninvited and unannounced,, and is visibly pleased when a fire forces them to move in with him.

* HotForPreacher

* MyBelovedSmother: Reuben's mother, who constantly takes passive-aggressive digs at Thelma and tries to make her feel like she's not good enough for him. Not until Thelma and Reuben finally tell her off does she admit that her son is the only family she has left and that she was afraid of losing him. Ernie counts too, for the way he tends to treat Thelma like a child, to the point where she and Reuben have to throw him out of their honeymoon suite.

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrom: Inga, Cassieta, Jeanette, Lorenzo (the choir director)

* BrotherChuck: Inga, Cassieta, Jeanette, Lorenzo (the choir director)

* ChristmasCake: Thelma. The Hetebrink sisters too.

* NosyNeighbor: Chris would frequently come over to the house and ask questions that were incredibly inappropriate both because of his age and because they were none of his business, resulting in the RunningGag of him being thrown out of the house by whoever he had offended.

* GossipyHens: The Hettabrink Sisters, hands down. Amelia became less of one after Cassieta left the show.

* MyBelovedSmother: Reuben's mother, who constantly takes passive-aggressive digs at Thelma and tries to make her feel like she's not good enough for him. Not until Thelma finally tells her off does she admit that her son is the only family she has left and that she was afraid of losing him. Ernie counts too, for the way he tends to treat Thelma like a child, to the point where she and Reuben have to throw him out of their honeymoon suite.

* ActorAllusion: In one of the show's [[ChristmasEpisode Christmas Episodes]], the choir is bickering over which song to sing for a competition. When someone suggests "Mary's Boy Child", Rolly scoffs at the idea, claiming. "I never cared for that one." That's odd, seeing as how Jester Hairston, Rolly's portrayer, WROTE THE SONG. Later in the episode, he sings it during the competition.

* MayDecemberRomance: Deacon Frye is considerably older than many of his love interests, especially HalleBerry, who prompted Thelma to exclaim, "No wonder he's acting like a teenager--he's DATING ONE!"

* BrotherChuck: Inga, Chris, Clarence, Cassieta, Jeanette, Lorenzo (the choir director)

* CousinOliver: Chris

* CitizenshipMarriage: Deacon Frye fakes a marriage to Inga so she could fool an INS agent and stay in the country. [[spoiler: the INS agent was really a messenger from her attorney's office; he was bringing a letter telling Inga that she received a six-month extension on her visa.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: Helmsley’s character might just as well have been named Deacon [[TheJeffersons George Jefferson]] — their personalities are virtually identical. Also, Rollie’s wife is [[FamilyMatters Mother Winslow]].
** Jester Hairston and Clifton Davis starred in ''That's My Mama,'' a 70's sitcom that took place in the latter's barbershop in Washington, D.C.
** HalleBerry played a love interest of Ernie's in a fifth-season episode.
** Cuba Gooding, Jr appeared as a 19-year old handyman with a [[CakeEater crush on Thelma]].

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: no plans to be released on DVD. However, reruns can be seen daily on TV One, RTV, and Gospel Music Channel.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Thelma to Ernie, Ruben, and Ruben's best friend. In another episode, after Ernie loses an election, he gives one to the core cast.

* YesVirginia: In the ChristmasEpisode "Miracle on 134th Street", Frye must defend a department-store Santa against an assault charge--he punched a man who was ridiculing him. Despite initially thinking that the man is bonkers, Frye comes to believe that he is in fact, truly Santa Claus and decides to use ''this'' as his defense. Sure enough, his identity is proven in court after reading a letter that the prosecutor wrote to him as a young boy. At the end of the movie, Frye receives a train set that he had always wanted,[[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane apparently as a reward for being "good"]].

* TwentyFourHourPartyPeople: The 15 or so people that we've never seen before who attend Thelma's bridal shower.

* [[BigBeautifulWoman BBW]]: The Hettabrink Sisters, Amelia and Cassieta

* HollywoodDateless: Thelma, who despite constantly complaining about her lack of a social life, actually dates a decent amount of men--nearly marrying one-- before getting together with Reverend Gregory.

A pleasant, somewhat forgotten 1980s sitcom on {{NBC}}, one of several of the era to feature all-black casts. It lasted from September, 1986 to May, 1991. A total of 110 episodes in five seasons. Set in an urban Philadelphia church, it starred Sherman Helmsley as Deacon Ernest Frye, an attorney with a considerably lacking sense of ethics, and Clifton Davis as the Rev. Reuben Gregory, a young, naive and idealistic minister. Another cast member was Anna Maria Horsford as Frye's 30-something spinster daughter, Thelma.

* [[BigBeautifulWoman BBW]]: The Hettabrink Sisters, Amelia and Cassieta

* ChildProdigy: Reverend Johnny

* ChristmasEpisode: several during the series run.

* GossipyHens: The Hettabrink Sisters, hands down. Amelia became less of one after Cassieta left the show.
* GrandFinale: The church raises enough money to stay open, and Thelma and Reverend Gregory have their baby boy.

** HalleBerry played a love interest of Ernie's in a fifth-season episode.

* InsatiableNewlyweds: Thelma and Reverend Gregory

** This is mainly because Deacon Frye's grandfather founded the church. Otherwise, he would have been kicked out a long time ago.

* JesusTaboo: Averted. Even though the show lacked serious religious overtones, Jesus/God was mentioned quite a bit by various characters.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: no plans to be released on DVD. However, reruns can be seen daily on TV One, RTV, and Gospel Music Channel.
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Thelma as it relates to her cooking skills.

* PanickyExpectantFather: Reverend Gregory

** As well as ChildProdigy Reverend Johnny (now in his early 30's) who has his own mega church outside of Chicago.

* ScreamingBirth: Thelma

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Thelma to Ernie, Ruben, and Ruben's best friend. In another episode, after Ernie loses an election, he gives one to the core cast.
* WeddingDay: Thelma and Reverend Gregory (twice), Rollie and Leona.
** Thelma also had one in the first season. She left him at the altar.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Thelma took in a foster child named Jeanette, and she appeared in about 4 episodes. Then she was gone with no mention of what happened to her.

** Thelma was a very competent soldier-she made it through basic training-and most likely would have had a decent military career (and a man who didn't need more time to marry her) if marrying the reverend wasn't her all-consuming life's goal.

* TwentyFourHourPartyPeople: The 15 or so people that we've never seen before who attend Thelma's bridal shower.

* HollywoodDateless: Thelma, for all her constant complaining about her lack of a dating life, actually dated--and nearly married--a handful of perfectly decent men before settling down with the Reverend.

* HollywoodDateless: Thelma, who despite constantly complaining about her lack of a social life, actually dates a decent amount of men before getting together with Reverend Gregory.

A pleasant, somewhat forgotten 1980s sitcom on {{NBC}}, one of several of the era to feature all-black casts. It lasted from September, 1986 to May, 1991. A total of 110 episodes in five seasons. Set in an urban Philadelphia church, it starred Sherman Helmsley as Deacon Ernest Frye, an attorney with a considerably lacking sense of ethics, and Clifton Davis as the Rev. Reuben Gregory, a young, naive and idealistic minister. Another cast member was Anna Maria Horsford as Frye's 36-year-old spinster daughter, Thelma.