In his autobiography, Lear wrote that three members of the Black Panther Party came to his office at CBS, complaining about Good Times: Every time you see a Black man on the tube, he is dirt poor, wears shit clothes, cant afford nothing. [1][4], The show focuses on George and Louise Jefferson, a prosperous African-American couple who have been able to move from Queens to Manhattan owing to the success of George's dry-cleaning chain, Jefferson Cleaners. During the January 11, 1975 episode of All in the Family, titled "The Jeffersons Move Up", Edith Bunker gave a tearful good-bye to her neighbor Louise Jefferson as her husband George, their son Lionel, and she moved from a working-class section of Queens, New York, into the luxurious Colby East, a fictitious high-rise apartment complex on East 63rd Street in Manhattan. [12] Isabel Sanford (Louise Jefferson), who heard about the cancellation through her cousin who read it in the tabloids, has publicly stated that she found the cancellation with no proper finale to be disrespectful on the network's part. WebThe Jeffersons: Created by Norman Lear, Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, Bernard West. But, if you love Carroll OConnors Archie, its a gift that we got to see more of him (even if the show isnt as good). But Gibbs knew how quickly fortunes turned in Hollywood. Television historians know that while the character of George Jefferson was introduced on All in the Family in 1971, he didn't actually show up on screen until 1973. Most of the cast usually didn't respond, but George almost always gave in. The Jeffersons spawned the television show Checking In. This show followed the Jeffersons maid Florence Johnston as she worked at a hotel in Manhattan. The show was a spinoff from "All in the Family." 7 Spin-offs, In Chronological Order Checking In premiered on CBS on April 9, 1981, and lasted for only four episodes in the Thursday, 8:00p.m. EST timeslot. Checking Infound Florence as executive housekeeper at a New York City Hotel. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Over the course of its 11-year run, the series was almost always one of the most-watched on television. WebThe Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. The influential sitcom was controversial when it first aired on 50 years ago on Jan. 12, 1971, and it went on to confront numerous issues that hadnt previously been portrayed on television. As discussed by critic Robert E. Crafton, an insurance settlement allowed George to quit his job and launch his first dry-cleaning business, which in turn allowed the Jeffersons to move from Harlem to Queens (becoming Archie Bunker's neighbors in the process), and finally to make the move to Manhattan. Happy Daysalso had five spin-offs between 1976 and 1979. MeTV points out that it was the first situation comedy on prime time television to depict a transgender characterGeorge's old Navy pal Eddie, revealed to now be Edie. A nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants. Marla Gibbs portrayed the role of Florence Johnston, the Jeffersons' back-talking, tough, wisecracking, and devoutly religious housekeeper. At least, he did until Hemsley became availableStewart's last appearance as Henry was Hemsley's first appearance as George. The Bunkers and their neighbors, the Jeffersons,developed relationships with other characters, many of whom got spin-offs of their own. A sitcom world must be a good one for a spin-off to spawn another spin-off! The show was a spinoff from "All in the Family." [8][21] Lionel and Jenny experienced marital issues as evidenced in a two-part season 8 episode "The Separation", and divorced in the final season two-parter "Sayonara".[8]. In his autobiography, Even This I Get to Experience, Lear wrote that a relatively small group of agitators, especially when convinced God is on their side, can move corporate America to quake with fear and make decisions in total disregard of the Constitution.. The series' eighth season was the first African-American sitcom in years (since Sanford and Son) to peak in the top 5 (the series' eighth season debuted at No. If you loveAll In The Familyand its iconic characters, the concept alone is problematic. The episode, the eighth of the series, centers on Louise, her son Lionel, and her husband George moving next door to Archie and Edith Bunker in the working-class section of Queens. The Jeffersons' Left Lasting Television Legacy Your subscription to our list has been confirmed. 1. Dont miss on getTV:TwoAll In The Familyepisodes set up the circumstances ofGloria:The Stivics Go West(March 19, 1978) where Mike takes a job as a teacher andCalifornia, Here We Are(December 17, 1978) where Mike and Gloria separate (but reconcile). Checking In The location is the only concrete link fromAll in the Familyto the series, but it's a strong one despite the fact that704 Hauserwas only on the air for five episodes. WhenAll In The Familydebuted in 1971, few people suspected it would be responsible for more spin-offs than any other sitcom in television history. [26] She appeared regularly in the first two seasons, but made sporadic appearances over the next two years, much thinner due to a severe case of pneumonia. Thats not just impressive, its historic. Over the course of its 11-year run, the series was almost always one of the most-watched on television. According to The Washington Post, she'd been working for United Airlines for 11 years when she got the job on The Jeffersonsand she kept working there for two more years, not wanting to give up a good job for an acting role that might disappear at any moment. Normally successful shows are allowed to develop in a specific time slot in order to become an anchor for the network, but for some reason The Jeffersons was moved around constantly, forcing viewers to seek it out and figure out how to re-arrange their viewing schedules to accommodate it. But as Variety reports, this didn't satisfy everybody. For airdates and times, visit theAll In The Familyshow page. Checking In lasted only four episodes, after which Florence returned to The Jeffersons with the story that the hotel had burned down in a fire. Dont miss on getTV:Lear got the name Cumberbatch from an early episode of ofAll In The FamilycalledWriting The President(January 19, 1971). It was a sort-of spin-off of The Jeffersons, as it featured Lynne Moody as Nurse Julie Williams, the niece of George and Louis Jefferson. ", "The Jeffersons 'The Complete 8th Season' Getting a DVD Release this Summer", "Isabel Sanford, Emmy-Winning Actress Who Created "Weezie" Jefferson on TV and Stage, Dead at 86", "See the star-studded 'All in the Family/The Jeffersons' live cast get into character", The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons, The 200th Episode Celebration of All in the Family, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Jeffersons&oldid=1141363779, Television series by Sony Pictures Television, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2022, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles needing additional references from January 2017, All articles needing additional references, Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Ebonie Smith as Jessica Jefferson (season 11), Moriarty, Jay (2020). s noted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as one of the writers on the show, Jay Moriarty, told The Hollywood Times, In a contemporary review by The New York Daily News. Almost as well known, but less controversial was the Nov. 10, 1975, episode of Maude talking to her psychiatrist. Similar to its parent sitcom, All in the Family, the Jeffersons explored controversial issues such as alcoholism, racism, suicide, being transgender, and much more, certainly making it one of the most importantsitcoms of all time. All in the Familyis famous for its prejudiced patriarch, Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor). The shows spin-off series continued to break boundaries with discussions of abortion, alcoholism and racism. Sitcom following a successful African-American couple, George and Louise Weezy Jefferson as they move on up from working-class Queens to a ritzy Manhattan apartment. They live in a public housing project and struggle to get by at times. Stapleton expressed a desire to distance herself from the role of Edith. Communications Company from 19751982 and by Embassy Television from 19821985. The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence, who takes a job as cleaning management at a hotel. DuBois infused the song with her own storyCNN reports that DuBois had always dreamed of moving her mother into a "deluxe apartment" when she achieved success. The patriarch of the Evans family, they noted, had to work several jobs to support his large family, and they noted that Black characters in general were often depicted in cheap clothing and in other negative ways. Lead actors Rolle and John Amos felt a huge responsibility for that. Lionel is the first Jefferson to be seen onAll in the Family, but his parents become an important part of the show, too. WebIn 1975, George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens. Although this backstory wasn't explicitly referenced, it showed up in the writing. Communications Company from 19751982 and by Embassy Television from 19821985. [49] Marla Gibbs reprised her role as Florence Johnston. The Jeffersons As noted by The New York Times, the ostensible reason given was that he was uncomfortable walking into a white man's house, setting up the character as a foil for Archie Bunker's racism. A spin-off of All in the Family. 6. Lear agreed to let OConnor continue the series without him, but under one condition: he couldnt call itAll In The Family. Weezy is initially reluctant to hire a housekeeper in the first episode in part because she's had that experience herself. George owns a profitable dry-cleaning chain, so he and the family move to a nice apartment on the Upper East Side of New York City in a backdoor pilot onAll in the Family. Bunker has no reason to hate Blacks or to view them as inferior. WebThis spinoff from "All in the Family" is about literal upward mobility - African- American couple George and Louise Jefferson move into a swanky high-rise building. Lear said Good Times (created by Mike Evans and Eric Monte) was the first full Black family on television, meaning two parents and more than one kid. The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence, who takes a job as cleaning management at a hotel. Florence Johnston (Marla Gibbs) worked for the Jefferson family on their show, but Checking In focused on her life as the executive housekeeper of the St. Frederick Hotel in New York City. Mike Evans would leave The Jeffersons to work behind the camera for another show in the All in the Family family tree Good Times. "HONKY IN THE HOUSE Writing & Producing The Jeffersons," Antler Publishing, LA, CA, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 18:06. With Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover. To make matters worse, when the show finally debuted on CBS, it was largely ignored by the public. The Jeffersons [15], In 1985, Hemsley and Sanford made a special joint guest appearance in the Canale 5 comedy show Grand Hotel, starring the Italian actors Paolo Villaggio, the comic duo Franco & Ciccio, and Carmen Russo. Every time you see a Black man on the tube, he is dirt poor, wears shit clothes, cant afford nothing," Lear recalled in his autobiography. Produced by Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, the working-class sitcom was set in Queens, New York and was based on a British sitcom calledTill Death Do Us Part. The conversation resonated with Lear, and he began to conceive of The Jeffersons as an effort to show a Black family having real economic success and living the American Dream. Russell) the conservative. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Maudealso introducedJohn Amosas Floridas husband Henry later changed to James and established their marital dynamic in preparation for the spinoff. As the Atlanta Black Star notes, the Panthers told Lear that there were successful Black people in the world whose stories could be compelling and funny. The actors found out through the media reports or when friends contacted them to ask about it. Gibbs says that she worked out an adjusted schedule with United that allowed her enough time to film her scenes and then race into work, where she worked the phones in their reservations office. Over the course of its 11-year run, the series was almost always one of the most-watched on television. Florence was only supposed to be a bit part, but audiences loved her, and the character of Florence was promoted to full-time status. The Jeffersons The Jeffersons spawned the television show Checking In. This show followed the Jeffersons maid Florence Johnston as she worked at a hotel in Manhattan. He used that power to push the envelope, depicting the first transgender character in a situation comedy and the first recurring interracial marriage. But just because Lear could push those characters and storylines onto the screen didn't mean everyone was happy about it. And in one episode when George is told a white worker should be referred to as a "custodian" he remarks that if he was black, he'd be called a "janitor.". It's rare for a television comedy to lead cultural change like this, and it puts The Jeffersons into historical perspective. Jenny and Lionel became a couple, married on December 24, 1976, and later became the parents of a daughter, Jessica (played by Ebonie Smith). Yes, Scream VI Marketing Is Behind the Creepy Ghostface Sightings Causing Scares Across the U.S. David Oyelowo, Taylor Sheridan's 'Bass Reeves' Series at Paramount+ Casts King Richard Star Demi Singleton (EXCLUSIVE), Star Trek: Discovery to End With Season 5, Paramount+ Pushes Premiere to 2024. Paul Benedict arrived as Harry Bentley, an amiable, kind, loyal yet somewhat obtuse British next-door neighbor,[8] who worked as an interpreter at the United Nations. The song was co-written by Ja'Net DuBois, who portrayed Willona on Norman Lear's other show, Good Times, and Jeff Barry. The Jeffersons In some ways, 1975 doesn't seem so long agobut it was truly a different time in more ways than one. Marla Gibbs of The Jeffersons got her own sitcom as Florence, who left her job as a housekeeper to work in a hotel. The Jeffersons spawned the television show Checking In. This show followed the Jeffersons maid Florence Johnston as she worked at a hotel in Manhattan. Unlike Arthur and Rolle, who were spun-off quickly, the Jeffersons were onAll In The Familyfor five seasons before they got their own show. [16], Louise Jefferson, played by Isabel Sanford, first appeared in the All in the Family episode "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood", which was broadcast on March 2, 1971. While many of the shows connected toAll in the Familydid extraordinarily well,Checking Inonly lasted for four episodes. As withMaudeandGood Times, the main character of the new series was a maid onher previousseries. Mike Evans would leave The Jeffersons to work behind the camera for another show in the All in the Family family tree Good Times. The characters and mood set by All in the Family left a big mark on television history, including these seven spin-offs: The title character, played by Bea Arthur, was a tall, ultra-liberal feminist who drove Archie crazy; she was introduced in as Ediths cousin in two All in the Family episodes in the 1971-72 season. For further instructions click the link below to your TV model. But whatHappy Daysdidnt have were spin-offs of spin-offs. [2] Lionel, played by Mike Evans, first appeared in "Meet the Bunkers", the premiere episode of All in the Family.[2]. A spin-off of All in the Family. A top 20 show for most of its 11 seasons, The Jeffersons was canceled abruptly without an official series finale. Russell) who dated the girl down the block (Maura Tierney). No episode was centered on Mother Jefferson's death, but it was occasionally mentioned that she had died in future episodes. [18] However, the roles were all recast, with Berlinda Tolbert taking over the role of Jenny, veteran actor Franklin Cover playing her father, Tom Willis, whose first name was changed from Louis, as it was in their first All in the Family appearance, and Roxie Roker as her mother, Helen. More importantly, as one of the writers on the show, Jay Moriarty, told The Hollywood Times, Archie Bunker's bigotry is "pure prejudice" while George Jefferson's bigotry is a reaction to that prejudice. Sally Struthers was next to get her own show as Gloria Bunker Stivic, Archie and Edith's daughter. The sitcom featured Burgess Meredith and Jo de Winter, and lasted one season. A top 20 show for most of its 11 seasons, The Jeffersons was canceled abruptly without an official series finale. [11] The cancellation of The Jeffersons cleared the way for Marla Gibbs, who played Florence Johnston on the series, to move on to the NBC sitcom 227 in the fall of 1985, a year earlier than scheduled. Other failed spin-off attempts were Gloria in the 1982-1983 season and 704 Hauser in 1994. Maude becomes yet another person for Archie to disagree with politically. See Amos in the episodeA Visit From Lena Horne(January 12, 1973) and DuBois inSanford And Son And Sister Makes Three(December 1, 1972). Until then, Lear created the character of Henry Jefferson, George's brother. [46] Her victory in 1981 made her the first African-American actress to win an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series,[1][21][47] and the second to win any Emmy Award; Gail Fisher, who played Peggy on the TV show Mannix, preceded her in 1970. 1. Before the 1970s, there hadn't been any TV shows with majority Black casts in decades, and the Black characters that did appear on television were usually not particularly grounded in reality. [40] They subsequently re-released the first two seasons on DVD on May 20, 2014. WebThe Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. Just fifteen months after Hemsley debuted onAll In The Family, George and Wheezy moved on up from Queens to the East Side of Manhattan. Another sparring partner for Archie is neighbor George Jefferson, and the twocriticize one another's race. According to Encyclopedia.com, Hemsley had built a reputation as a powerhouse performer, and Lear had caught his performance in Purlie in New York in 1970 and knew he wanted him for the character of George. Gibbs then returned to her regular role on The Jeffersons and it was explained that the St. Frederick Hotel had burned down. Today were heading back to Manhattan, to revisit our favorite family, The Jeffersons. Web3. The Jeffersons Fun fact: Both Macy and Rodd played different characters onAll In The Familyjust weeks before Lear cast them onMaude. The show was produced by the T.A.T. It's unsurprising then that once The Jeffersons aired, it remained on television for almost a decade.The Jeffersons was a spin-off that took the blueprint provided by All in the Family and made minor changes by making the [21], It returned to the Top 10 in 197980, and at the end of the 198182 season, The Jeffersons finished third overall, only surpassed by fellow CBS series Dallas and 60 Minutes. Sign up for the newsletter to get the latest updates about getTV. Ja'Net DuBois and Jeff Barry co-wrote The Jeffersons theme song, "Movin' on Up", which was sung by DuBois with a gospel choir. Almost as well known, but less controversial was the Nov. 10, 1975, episode of Maude talking to her psychiatrist. Lionel is introduced in the pilot, and is a core cast member for season one. It was a sort-of spin-off of The Jeffersons, as it featured Lynne Moody as Nurse Julie Williams, the niece of George and Louis Jefferson. Sherman Hemsley was nominated for Best Actor in 1984. This article is about the 1981 sitcom. All in the Familyprimarily takes place at the Bunker residence on 704 Hauser Street. The idea of the Jeffersons "moving on up" came after three members of the Black Panthers who were fans of Lear's productions visited Lear's CBS office, raising issues with the creator over the portrayal of Black people on television, including his "Maude" spin-off series "Good Times." Another interesting connection of the sitcom universe is that Mike Evans (who played Lionel Jefferson on All in the FamilyandThe Jeffersons) createdGood Timeswith Eric Monte. Norman Lear created the character of George Jefferson specifically for Hemsley. Florence is caught between Lyle and Elena when they have an argument, but she won't take anyone's side. Thats bullshit.. As noted by BET, The Jeffersons was a consistently high-rated showonly the second sitcom with a majority Black cast to land in the Top Five of the Nielsen Ratings, in fact. WebSpun-off from The Jeffersons (1975) This spin-off of The Jeffersons came out about 8 years before Marla Gibbs' second series, "227." Gloria(19821983 21 episodes plus unaired pilot). She reprised her role several times onArchie Bunker's Placeand then took center stage onGloria, the last series to focus on a member of the Bunker family. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. WebSpun-off from The Jeffersons (1975) This spin-off of The Jeffersons came out about 8 years before Marla Gibbs' second series, "227." It's unsurprising then that once The Jeffersons aired, it remained on television for almost a decade.The Jeffersons was a spin-off that took the blueprint provided by All in the Family and made minor changes by making the On one level, The Jeffersons is just a silly sitcom, and George Jefferson is a very silly character, prone to foolish schemes (like buying a piano he doesn't know how to play only to discover there's no way to fit it through his front door) and loud, boorish outbursts. As New Ravel notes, when his requests for change were ignored he began deliberately flubbing his lines or saying the offensive words too low for the microphones to pick up, forcing the producers to reshoot scenes again and again. Edith and Gloria appeared occasionally at first, then Jean Stapleton wanted to make a clean break and Sally Struthers got her own show. The 12 Most Unexpected Spinoffs in TV History The Jeffersons (19751984 253 episodes plus pilot on All In The Family) Unlike Arthur and Rolle, who were spun-off quickly, the Jeffersons were on All In The Family for five seasons before they got their own show. In fact, the parent show would have been completely different without the Jefferson family in the neighborhood. Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur) first appears as Edith Bunker's cousin in a 1971All in the Familyepisode called "Cousin Maude's Visit." Fox tried out for a role on this show but was turned down. This was perceived as an act of deep disrespect by many of the cast members, and it also meant that one of the most successful and longest-running comedies of all time didn't get to have a proper series finale. Untold Truth Of The Jeffersons Only five of the six taped episodes were aired, in April and May 1994. Florence Johnson returned toThe JeffersonsafterChecking Inended. Web3. Evans Lear originally intended for George to appear in the first season of the series, however, Hemsley was starring in the Broadway musical Purlie at the time, and Lear decided to postpone introduction of the character until Hemsley was available. She appeared in seven episodes in 197677, so watch any of those! All In The Familydirectly spun off five situation comedies between 1972 and 1994. It was funny and entertaining. 7 Spin-offs, In Chronological Order Dont miss on getTV: Everything, but especially the first episodeMeet The Bunkers(airdate January 12, 1971) and the lastToo Good Edith(April 8, 1979). Members of the Black Panther Party set up a meeting with Lear to discuss Good Times. Mike Evans would leave The Jeffersons to work behind the camera for another show in the All in the Family family tree Good Times. This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 13:35. Archie and Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) share their home with their daughter, Gloria (Sally Struthers), and her husband, Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner). In the 1984-85 season, CBS aired a forgotten comedy called E/R, starring Elliot Gould. George Jefferson was, in some ways, a black version of the white anti-hero Archie Bunker.