The two-part season opener for Maude in 1973 dealt with the alcoholism of her husband Walter (Bill Macy). Florence Johnson returned toThe JeffersonsafterChecking Inended. Maudealso introducedJohn Amosas Floridas husband Henry later changed to James and established their marital dynamic in preparation for the spinoff. Today were heading back to Manhattan, to revisit our favorite family, The Jeffersons. [2] Lionel, played by Mike Evans, first appeared in "Meet the Bunkers", the premiere episode of All in the Family.[2]. The Jeffersons(19751984 253 episodes plus pilot onAll In The Family). The Black experience wasn't portrayed muchor at allon television prior to the 1970s. Checking Infound Florence as executive housekeeper at a New York City Hotel. The show was a spinoff from "All in the Family." WebIn 1975, George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens. [7], In its first season (197475), the show ranked at number four, surpassed by its parent series All in the Family (which landed at number one for the fifth year in a row). 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Edith's death in the context of the spin-offmade Archie a widow, and though he missed Edith terribly, he continued on with his pub and focused on taking care of Edith's young relative, Stephanie Mills (Danielle Brisebois). Over the course of its 11-year run, the series was almost always one of the most-watched on television. As noted by Ebony, while it's easy to view George Jefferson as a "Black Archie Bunker," that's not accurate. Gibbs then returned to her regular role on The Jeffersons and it was explained that the St. Frederick Hotel had burned down. George is an obstreperous, often rude guy who thinks his wealth should get him anywhere he wants to go. With the series' cultural relevance and fandom, it'sno surprise All in the Family,TheJeffersons, andGood Timeswere also revived for a live performance special in 2019. But as Variety reports, this didn't satisfy everybody. 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." Norman Lear's 1975 spinoff of All in the Family remains a unique show. It only 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. Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. ", "How 'All in the Family' Spawned the Most Spinoffs of Any Sitcom", "All in the Family Season 5, Episode 16 The Jeffersons Move Up", "Actor Paul Benedict, 70, Leaves the Stage", "Zara Cully: Known for Role as 'Mother Jefferson' on the Jeffersons", "Ned Wertimer, character actor known as 'The Jeffersons' doorman, dies at 89", "The Jeffersons Season 10 Episode 16: My Guy, George", https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/78-OCR/1978-05-01-BC-OCR-Page-0036.pdf, https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/79-OCR/BC-1979-06-18-OCR-Page-0056.pdf#search=%22rounding%20up%20the%20ratings%22, "The Norman Lear Experience: His Shows, His Honesty and One Thing He Wanted to Do", "Mill Creek Entertainment Signs Deals With Sony Pictures Home Entertainment To Expand Their Distribution Partnership", "Mill Creek's Re-Releases for Next Month Get Great DVD Package Art", "The Jeffersons CORRECT DATE, Packaging for 'The Complete Series: The Deee-luxe Edition', "Great Extras Revealed for 'The Complete Series: The Deee-luxe Edition', "The Jeffersons Shout! And as The New York Daily news reports, it was the first time in American television history that an interracial marriage was depicted in a regular series with the characters of Helen and Tom Willis. Other lost, short-lived classics of the late 70s/early 80s I'd like to see--"It's a Living," about the friends who worked on top of the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown LA; "All's Fair," with Bernadette Peters; "On Our Own," with Bess Armstrong; "Best of the West," an amusing big budget comedy/western series. [2][3] Henry played as George when Louise felt embarrassed that George did not want to be in Archie Bunker's house due to prejudice. Weezy is initially reluctant to hire a housekeeper in the first episode in part because she's had that experience herself. His alcohol problem isn't referenced anymore throughout the series, but it is assumable Charlie overcame it. If you include those inAll In The Familys grand total and you must, because they wouldnt exist otherwise All In The Familybegat 7 shows, 860 episodes, and more than 400 hours of network television. Back in 1975, issues like these were much more shockingas noted by The Hollywood Times, interracial marriage had only become legal throughout the country in 1967! [37] The most common time slot was on Sunday night. Just fifteen months after Hemsley debuted onAll In The Family, George and Wheezy moved on up from Queens to the East Side of Manhattan. Even when shows remain in the popular culture after their cancellation, they're usually relegated to a murky backwater on the cable or streaming menu. Tolbert became a regular guest star throughout the rest of the series. The sitcom featured Burgess Meredith and Jo de Winter, and lasted one season. I remember watching Checking In in the early 80s and even remember the theme song. Dont miss on getTV:Lear got the name Cumberbatch from an early episode of ofAll In The FamilycalledWriting The President(January 19, 1971). As noted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this began to change in the 1970s, especially with the work of Norman Lear. Groundbreaking and performed by some of the most talented actors and actresses of its time, The Jeffersons has remained a cultural touchstone for some very good reasons. The Bunker-Verse! 3. Evans The series was created byMike MilliganandJim Moriarity, both longtime writer/producers onThe Jeffersons. Here's the untold truth of The Jeffersons. ALL IN THE FAMILY 7 Spin-Offs From TVs Most Spun-Off Sitcom, Charlies Angels: 10 Things You May Not Know (or Do You? Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. 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. Web3. The show was a spinoff from "All in the Family." Most television is ephemeral. Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. Mike Evans ("Lionel") left the show after the first season; his replacement was Damon Evans (no relation),[6] who took over the role until halfway through the fourth season. Sherman Hemsley, for example, came out of the revered Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), as did Roxie Roker (Helen Willis). Ratings for the first season were poor, and the network didnt exactly shout about it from the antenna-covered rooftops. Communications Company from 19751982 and by Embassy Television from 19821985. The shows spin-off series continued to break boundaries with discussions of abortion, alcoholism and racism. Mike Evans would leave The Jeffersons to work behind the camera for another show in the All in the Family family tree Good Times. [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. As Black America Web reports, when the show was canceled in 1985 the network didn't even bother to inform the cast. You would be, too, if your neighbor was Archie Bunker. 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. The Jeffersons avoided that by making the titular characters move to a different neighborhood. It was funny and entertaining. Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) was Maude Findlay's maid in Tuckahoe, New York,andGood Timesmovedon to develop Florida's life with her family in Chicago. And Louises brother-in-law Henry (Mel Stewart) appears for the first time in the last episode of season one. Arthur was the only actor seen for the entire half-hour. This show wasnt very successful, however. 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.". But the moment you read the title you heard its iconic theme song in your head, and no matter your age or background you've probably seen an episode or a dozenand maybe not that long ago. Over the course of its 11-year run, the series was almost always one of the most-watched on television. WebIn 1975, George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens. [39], On August 27, 2013, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including The Jeffersons. Archie was used as a device for commentary on important social issues in the 1970s. George's career as a dry-cleaner began in the first season of All in the Family in the third episode "Oh, My Aching Back" (though the character himself did not appear on-camera). But whatHappy Daysdidnt have were spin-offs of spin-offs. By what name was Checking In (1981) officially released in Canada in English? And issues like these were also almost never addressed on televisionuntil The Jeffersons came along. 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. Ja'Net DuBois and Jeff Barry co-wrote The Jeffersons theme song, "Movin' on Up", which was sung by DuBois with a gospel choir. 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. 1. This show wasnt very successful, however. Bunker has no reason to hate Blacks or to view them as inferior. [13] Per an article in the May 8, 1985, Los Angeles Times, the series was cancelled by announcement at the CBS network "upfront" presentation the day before, nearly two months before the airing of the final episode. As he had done with Bea Arthur onAll In The Family, Lear immediately recognized a breakout character and quickly began developing a spinoff for Florida with writersEric Monte(Cooley High) andMike Evans(Lionel onAll In The Family). Florence misunderstands and thinks an elderly salesman is coming on to her, but he's really trying to make a sales pitch. A top 20 show for most of its 11 seasons, The Jeffersons was canceled abruptly without an official series finale. Today were heading back to Manhattan, to revisit our favorite family, The Jeffersons. Lionel is the first Jefferson to be seen onAll in the Family, but his parents become an important part of the show, too. No episode was centered on Mother Jefferson's death, but it was occasionally mentioned that she had died in future episodes. 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 show was a spin-off of The Jeffersons. released season 7 on DVD in Region 1. In the 1984-85 season, CBS aired a forgotten comedy called E/R, starring Elliot Gould. [44] Season 8 was released on August 11, 2015. George is an obstreperous, often rude guy who thinks his wealth should get him anywhere he wants to go. The successful series ran for six seasons and, like its predecessor, dealt with some serious issues during its day. As noted by MeTV, Barry is something of a legendhe co-wrote (with his wife, Ellie Greenwich) a long list of classic songs, including "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Then He Kissed Me," "Be My Baby," "River DeepMountain High," and "Leader of the Pack.". Ned Wertimer played their tip-hungry doorman, Ralph Hart, throughout the series. The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence, who takes a job as cleaning management at a hotel. WebThe Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. It was funny and entertaining. Larry M. Harris won the Emmy for Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series in 1983. [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. 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. In reality, Joey (born 1975) would have only been 19, but Siemaszko was 33. Making George a little ridiculous softened the blow, because it made it clear that no matter how successful he and his family might be, they would always be second-class. After his car was rear-ended by a bus, he filed a civil action and won $5000, enough to open his first store in Queens. Amoscontinued in the role of James until the character's death. ", was added as a bonus feature on The Jeffersons: The Complete Series 33-disc DVD set issued by Shout! The character of George Jefferson was conceived of as a mirror image in some ways of Archie Bunker. [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. You might think this classic situation comedy is a relic of the 1970s, and in some ways you'd be right. The epithets nigger and honky were used occasionally, especially during the earlier seasons.[2][4]. Florence was only supposed to be a bit part, but audiences loved her, and the character of Florence was promoted to full-time status. A spin-off of All in the Family. In that regard,Good Timesis more like a reboot of Rolle and Amoss characters than a spinoff. Web3. Only five of the six taped episodes were aired, in April and May 1994. He had endured a tortured development process that included two pilots rejected by ABC and multiple recasts. Dont miss on getTV:Both John Amos andJaNet DuBois(neighbor Willona Woods) appeared onSanford And Sonbefore they were cast onGood Times. The Jeffersons spawned the television show Checking In. This show followed the Jeffersons maid Florence Johnston as she worked at a hotel in Manhattan. 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. As noted by The Baltimore Sun, many Black Americans found aspects of the showfrom George Jefferson's "pimp walk" strut to his general foolishnessto be offensive. Lear called the704 Hausercharacters "responsible" and explained they knew what they were talking about in arguments. 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. 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. Many spinoffs tend to set themselves up for comparison by using the same location as the original show. 1. While Florida's husband onMaudewas a firefighter named Henry (John Amos), her husband onGood Timeswas James, a hard worker often taking on multiple jobs to support the family. Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. Fun fact: Both Macy and Rodd played different characters onAll In The Familyjust weeks before Lear cast them onMaude. At least stories featuring Black people were being told, and Black actors were getting significant roles on TV. All in the Familyprimarily takes place at the Bunker residence on 704 Hauser Street. Maude becomes yet another person for Archie to disagree with politically. 6. Florence is caught between Lyle and Elena when they have an argument, but she won't take anyone's side. Thats bullshit.. But Gibbs knew how quickly fortunes turned in Hollywood. Checking In was the first All in the Family spin-off series that was not successful, unlike The Jeffersons, Maude and Maude spin-off Good Times. Marla Gibbs remains best-known to many people as the sarcastic housekeeper, Florence, on The Jeffersons. As noted by The Wall Street Journal, that backstory went back to the Jefferson family's roots in Alabama as sharecroppers, a detail that spoke volumes about George Jefferson's obsession with wealth, status, and the visual signs of both. The list of firsts achieved by The Jeffersons is impressive. The show was produced by the T.A.T. As withMaudeandGood Times, the main character of the new series was a maid onher previousseries. Here are the shows that make up the Archie Bunker Extended Universe a.k.a. [22] One episode featured George requesting Florence to insult him, in order to get to a prospective business partner who was fond of her wisecracks. The Jeffersonsis the next spin-off to come directly fromAll in the Family. 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. 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. As with Maude and Good Times , the main character of the new series was a maid on her previous series. She appeared in seven episodes in 197677, so watch any of those! Variety said it underscored that sitcoms this year are treading more realistic areas than the dramatic series., Also in the second season, Maude decided to have an abortion. All in the Familyis famous for its prejudiced patriarch, Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor). Mike Evans would leave The Jeffersons to work behind the camera for another show in the All in the Family family tree Good Times. 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. 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 As Smithsonian Magazine notes, when Diahann Carroll debuted in 1968's Julia, portraying a Black woman working as a nurse and raising her son as a widow, it was controversial because it avoided any reference to the racial politics of the time and presented what many felt was a "white" character simply played by a Black actress. And the series (which co-starred Oscar nomineeBurgess Meredithas a vet) didnt do much to win anybody over. 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. A spin-off of All in the Family. 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. Roxie Roker was asked during a casting interview if she'd be comfortable with her character having a white husband. They live in a public housing project and struggle to get by at times. But the real reason was more pragmatic: Norman Lear had created the character for Sherman Hemsley, but Hemsley was under contract for the play Purlie and refused to break his contract. Checking In is an American sitcom television series and a spin-off of The Jeffersons that aired for four episodes on CBS from April 9 to April 30, 1981. Ernies wife is played byLynnie Godfreyand Goodies girlfriend who is white and Jewish is played byMaura Tierney. The third episode, "Whose Side Are You On? As reported by New Ravel, network executives weren't happy about taking things that far, and pressured the producers to remove the scene. After a 1972 backdoor pilot onAll in the Family, Maude got a show of her own. It starred Sherman Hemsley and Isobel Sanford, with Marla Gibbs as the Jeffersons maid Florence and Roxie Roker and Franklin Cover as the racially mixed couple upstairs, a real sitcom innovation. 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 Jeffersons had many two-part episodes, either over two consecutive weeks, or aired as an hour-long episode. A spin-off of All in the Family. Eventually this tactic worked, and the writers stopped using the offensive terms. WebSynopsis. [8] The Jeffersons' sixth season peaked at No. George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) doesnt make his debut until season four, because Hemsley was committed to the Broadway showPurlie. DuBois wanted to do more than just act, and when she approached Lear about branching out he suggested she write the theme song for his new show.