Humphrey Barclay became Head of Comedy at LWT in 1977 and supervised various successful series including "No, Honestly", "A Fine Romance" (1981–84). In May 1980 he unveiled "Metal Mickey" as a show "with the appeal of "Star Wars", the Daleks and "Mork and Mindy"" Following criticism at the Edinburgh International Television Festival of what was seen as casual racism the LWT series "Mind Your Language" (1977–79; 1986), Barclay commissioned "No Problem!", transmitted by Channel 4 during 1983–85, the first original black-made sitcom for British TV (an earlier series featuring a black family, "The Fosters" (ITV, 1976–77), had been a remake of a
The Fosters (1976 TV series) incarnations). The series starred Norman Beaton as Samuel Foster, a hard-working man trying to support his family in a South London multi-storey council flat. The Samuel character was based on the fictional character James Evans Sr. (portrayed by John Amos) in "Good Times". Alongside Beaton was Isabelle Lucas, portraying Samuel's wife, Pearl Foster (Florida Evans in the original "Good Times" series, portrayed by Esther Rolle), who gossips with her best friend, Vilma, played by Carmen Munroe. Vilma was originally the character Willona Woods (portrayed by Ja'Net DuBois), who in the American version, gossips with Florida on every one inside (and