Christine Houston

Christine Houston (born 1935 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American writer. She is the creator of the popular 1980s sitcom 227, and also worked on other shows including The Jeffersons, and Punky Brewster. Houston is not only a series writer, she also enjoys writing plays, and novels such as Laughing Through The Tears. while pondering what to write her stage play about. She drew from her past of growing up in apartment building 227 in Chicago and began to write her play. Two Twenty Seven immediately became quite popular amongst her peers, and she was asked by the theatre department at KKC to develop the play and have the students perform it. Houston wrote 227 based on her own childhood experiences, specifically surrounding the mother of one of her childhood friends. It encompasses the life that she experienced and one that she held close to her heart.

Houston never thought of herself as a comedic writer, and did not originally expect to write a sitcom. She said "I don't know about being a comedy writer, because I just think everything in life has its funny moments. Everything".

It was after The Jeffersons had come to an end that Houston and Gibbs began to focus more on Two Twenty Seven, and Gibbs decided to spark the attention of three major television networks, NBC, CBS, and ABC.

She is an inspiration to many individuals and students and is acknowledged during Black History Month for her highly esteemed work and transformative power of education. Journalist Brandon Hampton calls Christine Houston "a living legend and a celebrated educator". Proving that she is always looking out for her students, and how to guide them along their paths to a brighter future.