Lord Have Mercy!
{{other uses|Lord Have Mercy (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox television
| image = LHM11.jpg
| caption =
| alt_name =
| genre = Sitcom
| creator = Vanz Chapman
Frances-Anne Solomon
| director = Frances-Anne Solomon
| developer =
| presenter =
| starring = Arnold Pinnock
Dennis "Sprangalang" Hall
Rachel Price
Leonie Forbes
Shawn Singleton
d'bi young
Russell Peters
Gary Farmer
Louis Negin
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer =
| country = Canada
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 13
| executive_producer = Paul da Silva
| producer = Claire Prieto, Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman
| editor = Judy Singh
| location = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| company = Leda Serene Films
| cinematography =
| camera =
| runtime = 30 minutes
| network = Vision TV
| first_aired = {{start date|2003}}
| last_aired =
| related =
}}
Lord Have Mercy! is a Canadian television sitcom, produced by Leda Serene Films, first shown on Vision TV in 2003. It received further showings in Canada on Toronto One, APTN and Showcase later the same year.{{cite web|url=https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/arts/on-the-eighth-day-a-sitcom/article1336597/|title=On the eighth day, a sitcom|date=March 21, 2009|website=TheGlobeAndMail.com|access-date=January 9, 2018}}
The series, one of the first television productions launched by Vision TV's multicultural television development fund, starred Arnold Pinnock as Dwight Gooding, an ambitious new youth pastor at Mt. Zion, a Caribbean-Canadian church. Other main characters were Dennis "Sprangalang" Hall as head pastor Cuthbert Stevens, Rachel Price as Gooding's wife Desirée, Leonie Forbes as pastoral assistant Hope McCauley, and Shawn Singleton and d'bi young as Hope's grandchildren Kent and Crystal. The cast also included Gary Farmer, Russell Peters and Louis Negin.{{cite web|url=http://jamaicans.com/0203_lordhavemercy/|title=Learn more about "Lord Have Mercy", the new Caribbean TV series premiering this month in Canada as a part of Black History Month.|date=March 26, 2004|website=Jamaicans.com|access-date=January 9, 2018}}
Lord Have Mercy! was created by Vanz Chapman and Frances-Anne Solomon, based on an idea by Paul deSilva. It was produced by Solomon, Chapman and Claire Prieto, and directed by Solomon. Scripts were written by Solomon, Chapman and Ngozi Paul.
The series cost about $2 million to produce and was shot live to tape.
The show was nominated for two Gemini Awards, for Best Comedy Series and for Best Female Performer (Leonie Forbes) and has been screened at the African Disapora Film Festival in New York City.{{cite web |url=http://francesannesolomon.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/LORD-HAVE-MERCY-PRESS-KIT-2-reduced.pdf |title= Press kit |date=2002 |website=francesannesolomon.net |format=PDF|access-date=2019-06-14}}
The series has aired in subsequent years in the Caribbean including runs on Gayelle TV and NCC-TV in Trinidad in 2008{{cite web|url=http://www.trinijunglejuice.com/press_releases/pr2008-lord-have-mercy-hits-trini.html|title=Critically-acclaimed sitcom Lord Have Mercy! starring Trinidadian comedian Dennis 'Sprangalang' Hall hits the airwaves in Trinidad :: Trini Jungle Juice|website=www.TriniJungleJuice.com|access-date=January 9, 2018}} It has also been repeated several times on Jamaican-based Caribbean International Network (CIN-TV), a channel which is carried by cable systems in the New York metropolitan area.
Cast and characters
- Arnold Pinnock as Youth Pastor Dwight Gooding, an ambitious up and coming junior pastor at Mt. Zion Church.
- Dennis "Sprangalang" Hall as Pastor Lloyd Cuthbert Stevens, Mt. Zion's head pastor and patriarch.
- Rachel Price as Desiree, Gooding's wife
- Leonie Forbes as pastoral assistant Sister Hope McCauley
- Shawn Singleton as Kent, Hope's grandson
- d'bi Young (credited on-screen as Debbie Young) as Crystal, Hope's granddaughter
- Gary Farmer as Marty C. Marten, the church's window washer and handyman, who is in love with Sister Hope
- Russell Peters as Ryan Sarma, Gooding's childhood friend.
- Louis Negin as Pastor White, a Roman Catholic priest and friend of Pastor Cuthbert's.
Episodes
{{Episode table |background=#f7941e |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate=|episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=1
| Title=Honeymoon Done!
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Teleplay by Vanz Chapman & Frances-Anne Solomon, Story by Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|11}}
| ShortSummary=As the up and coming Pastor at Mt. Zion, Gooding is determined to make a few changes, which leads Sister Hope to throw a fit and kick him out.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=2
| Title=Who the Cap Fits
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|12}}
| ShortSummary= Hope is upset after finding a chocolate-flavoured condom in Crystal's possession.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=3
| Title=Tangled Web
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|12}}}
| ShortSummary= Pastor Stevens and Pastor White lie to get out of a church event so they can go to a Toronto Raptors game.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=4
| Title=The Flesh Is Weak (The Mind Is Willing)
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|12}}
| ShortSummary=Crystal develops a crush on Gooding, creating a moral dilemma for the pastor.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=5
| Title=Deranged Marriage
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Teleplay by Vanz Chapman Story by Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|13}}
| ShortSummary=Ryan (Russell Peters) is in love, and winds up staying at the church when he gets thrown out of the house.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=6
| Title=The Choir
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|13}}
| ShortSummary=Tensions develop between Crystal and Des when Crystal starts a youth choir and won't allow Des to be involved.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=7
| Title=Everybody Needs Hope/The Date
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|13}}
| ShortSummary= Desiree plays matchmaker for Hope and Marty
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=8
| Title=Backsliding
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|13}}
| ShortSummary= Kent is eager to help the people of Mount Zion, but he gets discouraged and backslides into old habits.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=9
| Title=The Barrel
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|13}}
| ShortSummary= Gooding wants to send hurricane relief to Jamaica, but Hope refuses to support the idea.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=10
| Title=The Prodigal Pastor
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|14}}
| ShortSummary=Hope's estranged brother (Oliver Samuels) visits Mount Zion, and cons the congregation.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=11
| Title=Immigration Blues
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|14}}
| ShortSummary=Gooding discovers that Des doesn't have any immigration papers.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=12
| Title=Blood is Thicker
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Teleplay by Vanz Chapman, Story by Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|14}}
| ShortSummary=Stevens is asked to resign when Crystal seeks his help in getting an abortion, and Hope leaves Mount Zion.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=13
| Title=Greener Pastures (Retirement)
| DirectedBy=Frances-Anne Solomon
| WrittenBy= Frances-Anne Solomon, Vanz Chapman & Ngozi Paul
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2003|02|14}}
| ShortSummary=Hope leaves and Stevens, feeling out of sorts as a result, declares his plan to retire, but Gooding and Des try to get him to stay while also attempting to get Sister Hope to return.
| LineColor=f7941e
}}
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Portal bar|Television|Canada}}
- {{IMDb title|0406434}}
- [http://www.lordhavemercy.ca/ Lord Have Mercy! website]
- [https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/arts/risky-business/article4126574/?ref=http://www.theglobeandmail.com& Risky Business] review (Globe and Mail, February 8, 2003)
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g50vZBNArA Lord Have Mercy on CIN TV] (video clip from "Blood is Thicker")
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpGupLa_bzs&t=2s LORD HAVE MERCY CLIP MAY 18] (video clip from "Honeymoon Done")
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A9GkT2hTFI&t=8s LORD HAVE MERCY CLIP JUNE 15] (video clip from "Deranged Marriage")
Category:Canadian black sitcoms
Category:2003 Canadian television series debuts
Category:2004 Canadian television series endings
Category:Television shows set in Toronto
Category:Television shows filmed in Toronto
Category:Black Canadian culture in Toronto
Category:2000s Canadian sitcoms
Category:Canadian English-language television shows
Category:Religious comedy television series
Category:Canadian religious television series