Maude(19721978 141 episodes plus pilot onAll In The Family). Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. 0. Also worth noting: in the fifth season, Janet Jackson joined the cast. The characters of Lionel and Jenny were written out by stating that they had marital problems, the result of which became a two-part episode storyline as the series' eighth-season premiere. 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.
The Jeffersons The successful series ran for six seasons and, like its predecessor, dealt with some serious issues during its day. Bunker has no reason to hate Blacks or to view them as inferior. After eight seasons, Lear thoughtAll In The Familyhad run its course, but OConnor didnt agree. Dont miss on getTV:Lear got the name Cumberbatch from an early episode of ofAll In The FamilycalledWriting The President(January 19, 1971). WebSpun-off from The Jeffersons (1975) This spin-off of The Jeffersons came out about 8 years before Marla Gibbs' second series, "227." [2] Lionel, played by Mike Evans, first appeared in "Meet the Bunkers", the premiere episode of All in the Family.[2]. In fact, the parent show would have been completely different without the Jefferson family in the neighborhood. WebThe Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. All In The Familyis one of the most transformative sitcoms in the history of the medium, if not the most. It was funny and entertaining. WebThe Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. Affluent and successful, the Jeffersons still had to deal with race, prejudice, and economic pressures, and the show represented a more nuanced and more complex view of the Black American experience. Lionel is introduced in the pilot, and is a core cast member for season one. ), Dueling Detectives: Kojak and Jim Rockford, getTV talks CASEY JONES and 1950s Westerns An Interview with Toby Roan, 10 Times Farrah Fawcett Was an Undercover Angel on CHARLIES ANGELS, 10 Times HART TO HART Was Relationship Goals, TV Like It Used To Be A Guide to Crimetime on getTV, Christmas with the Evans Family Holiday Episodes of GOOD TIMES, Christmas on getTV 10 Holiday Highlights, Alfonso Ribeiro: 10 Facts About the Star of CATCH 21. Here are the shows that make up the Archie Bunker Extended Universe a.k.a. The Bunkers and their neighbors, the Jeffersons,developed relationships with other characters, many of whom got spin-offs of their own. 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. The series endured for nine seasons, but the show we think of when we think ofAll In The Familyreally ended in season 8 when Gloria (Sally Struthers) and her husband Meathead (Reiner) moved to California. As The NWI Times notes, George worked as a janitor for a large apartment building while his wife, Louise "Weezy" Jefferson, worked as a housekeeper. Ned Wertimer played their tip-hungry doorman, Ralph Hart, throughout the series. As with Maude and Good Times , the main character of the new series was a maid on her previous series. Web3. "Jeffersons" redirects here. 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. 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. You would be, too, if your neighbor was Archie Bunker.
The Jeffersons At least, he did until Hemsley became availableStewart's last appearance as Henry was Hemsley's first appearance as George. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. All in the Familytook a leaf out of its own book and spawned yet another sitcom afterthe series ended. WebThe Jeffersons: Created by Norman Lear, Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, Bernard West.
Isabel Sanford on not wanting to do "The Jeffersons" spin off It only [36], The Jeffersons changed time slots at least 15 different times during its 11-year run, unusual for a popular long running series. Archie mentions a friend from the old neighborhood named Cumberbatch. [3] At the beginning of The Jeffersons, he was operating five stores throughout New York City, with another two opening during the following seasons. 10 Iconic Black TV Shows That Defined The Culture, Another interesting connection of the sitcom universe, Lionel is the first Jefferson to be seen on. Lead actors Rolle and John Amos felt a huge responsibility for that. For further instructions click the link below to your TV model. The shows spin-off series continued to break boundaries with discussions of abortion, alcoholism and racism. Oddly, whenGood Timesbegan in February of 1974, no mention was made of Maude or how the Evanses got from New York to the Chicago. The song was co-written by Ja'Net DuBois, who portrayed Willona on Norman Lear's other show, Good Times, and Jeff Barry. WebSynopsis. 6.
The Jeffersons 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. One other reason she kept her job despite becoming famous on a top-rate television show? The series gave John Amos and Norman Lear another chance to work together after tensions on set led Amos to leaveGood Times. George was introduced in the episode "Henry's Farewell", and Hemsley and Stewart share their only scene together in its final minutes. WebThe Jeffersons: Created by Norman Lear, Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, Bernard West. WebIn 1975, George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens. getTV is a trademark of CPT Holdings, Inc. 2023 CPE US Networks III Inc. All rights reserved. Florence and Elena suspect that a ghost is roaming the building, and Florence decides to spend the night alone in a room to prove that it's not haunted. In some ways, 1975 doesn't seem so long agobut it was truly a different time in more ways than one. In the 1996 series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the Jeffersons made a guest appearance as the buyers of the Banks family house. 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. A spin-off of All in the Family. 1.
The Jeffersons (1975 TV Show [8] The characters of Lionel's multiracial fiance, Jenny, and her family, all of whom first appeared in the 1974 All in the Family episode "Lionel's Engagement", were also written into the new series. Mike Evans would leave The Jeffersons to work behind the camera for another show in the All in the Family family tree Good Times. Early seasons of the show used racial epithets for both Black and white characters fairly often, but as time went on Hemsley thought his character should be evolving and stop using expressions like "honky." 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. [5][7] The Jeffersons eventually evolved into more of a traditional sitcom, but episodes occasionally focused on serious issues such as alcoholism, racism, suicide, gun control, being transgender, the KKK, and adult illiteracy. Larry M. Harris won the Emmy for Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series in 1983. More than 20 years after AITF, Lear created 704 Hauser, the address of the Bunkers former house, again inhabited by two battling generations. Many spinoffs tend to set themselves up for comparison by using the same location as the original show. [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).
Spin-off Archie and Mike are always butting heads since Archie is politically conservative and Mike is usually portrayed as being liberal.
The Jeffersons The misadventures of Florence Johnson, a hotel maid who was previously seen serving the Jeffersons. Maude arrives at the Bunker home to help out when the family gets hit with the flu. A national phenomenon was born. CreatorNorman Learwas just happy the Bunkers were on the air. George is an obstreperous, often rude guy who thinks his wealth should get him anywhere he wants to go. In 1975, Norman Lear was possibly the most powerful man working in television. Lionel is introduced in the pilot, and is a core cast member for season one. As reported by New Ravel, network executives weren't happy about taking things that far, and pressured the producers to remove the scene.
The Jeffersons Which makes it curious that its network, CBS, treated it as if the show was in trouble. Dont miss on getTV:While theres no direct Bunker connection,Checking Indoes featureLiz Torresas Florences assistant. Marla Gibbs was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series each year from 1981 to 1985. He also used it in a blackmail manner, usually requiring George to pay more in order to keep his mouth shut about something such as a stock tip. 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. The show's time slot, for example, changed a ridiculous 15 times over those 11 years. The third episode, "Whose Side Are You On? Faced with low ratings, the series was cancelled, and the final episode aired on April 30, 1981.
The Jeffersons 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). 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. This CBS spin-off of "All in the Family" featured an African-American couple, George and Louise, who rose from their humble beginnings and moved into an expensive high rise. Luckily, producer (and future network president) Fred Silverman fought to keep the scene in, and protest was muted. Sherman Hemsley, for example, came out of the revered Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), as did Roxie Roker (Helen Willis). As BET reports, it was the first TV show to directly address suicide in an episode where Florence the housekeeper falls into a depression and contemplates ending her life. It took until 1975 until television finally gave Black audiences a family that looked like them and that wasn't struggling.
The Jeffersons And then there's The Jeffersons. Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur) first appears as Edith Bunker's cousin in a 1971All in the Familyepisode called "Cousin Maude's Visit." [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. This show wasnt very successful, however. The Jeffersons spawned the television show Checking In. This show followed the Jeffersons maid Florence Johnston as she worked at a hotel in Manhattan. 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. It's also one of the more thoughtful and meaningful theme songs in TV history. Its like a Norman Lears Greatest Hits! Marla Gibbs of The Jeffersons got her own sitcom as Florence, who left her job as a housekeeper to work in a hotel. In the 1984-85 season, CBS aired a forgotten comedy called E/R, starring Elliot Gould. The ninth season feels more like the first ofArchie Bunkers Place, with the introduction of Stephanie (nine-year-oldDanielle Brisebois), less screen time for Jean Stapleton as Edith, and a greater reliance on the bar. The show was a spinoff from "All in the Family." [1] The Jeffersons is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history,[2] the second-longest-running series with a primarily African American cast by episode count behind Tyler Perry's House of Payne[1][3] and the first to prominently feature a married interracial couple. The Jeffersonsis the next spin-off to come directly fromAll in the Family. The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence, who takes a job as cleaning management at a hotel. But Gibbs knew how quickly fortunes turned in Hollywood. But as Variety reports, this didn't satisfy everybody. This ill-advised spinoff featured Struthers returning as the title character, now a single mom raising her son Joey (Christian Jacobs) after Mike left her and moved to a commune with one of his students. Portrayed by Mel Stewart, Henry got the lines and screen time that would have gone to George. But as BET notes, The Jeffersons was a real departure not only because it was just the second African-American sitcom to hit the top five in ratings, or because Isabel Sanford was just the second Black actress to win an Emmy Award for Best Actress. On their own show, the Jeffersons interact with new friends and neighbors while inhabiting a new lifestyle. You would be, too, if your neighbor was Archie Bunker. Norman Lear's 1975 spinoff of All in the Family remains a unique show.
10 Unforgettable Black Sitcom Families - cbr.com [19] The Jeffersons premiered the following week, on January 18, 1975.[8]. [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. Sally Struthers was next to get her own show as Gloria Bunker Stivic, Archie and Edith's daughter. 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. By clicking SIGN UP, I certify that I am a United States resident, I agree to receive email updates from Game Show Network, I acknowledge that my information will be handled and used by Game Show Network in accordance with the Game Show Network Privacy Policy, and I agree to such handling and use by Game Show Network. 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. 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 A spin-off of All in the Family. Jenny and Lionel became a couple, married on December 24, 1976, and later became the parents of a daughter, Jessica (played by Ebonie Smith). All Rights Reserved. As noted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this began to change in the 1970s, especially with the work of Norman Lear. CBS quickly pivoted, scheduling rebroadcasts of the first 13 episodes that summer. The sitcom featured Burgess Meredith and Jo de Winter, and lasted one season. 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. 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. Actor Franklin Cover, who played Tom Willis, also heard about the cancellation while watching Entertainment Tonight. The series began after a backdoor pilot on Archie Bunker's Placecalled "Gloria: The First Day." It took until 1975 until television finally gave Black audiences a family that looked like them and that wasn't struggling. The Jeffersons ended up lasting 11 seasons, beating All In The Family's 9 seasons. The show was a spinoff from "All in the Family." Archie and Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) share their home with their daughter, Gloria (Sally Struthers), and her husband, Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner). 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). Happy Daysalso had five spin-offs between 1976 and 1979. [8] However, the ratings sank below the top 30, and The Jeffersons aired its last episode, "Red Robins", on July 2, 1985.[28]. As progressive as it was when it came to race relations, it hedged its bets in many ways. Gloria works as the assistant to two veterinarians. [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. It became Tandems longest running show, with 11 seasons. WandaVision& 9 Other Shows That Have Paid Homage To Sitcoms, Younger & 9 Other Shows Or Movies That Couldn't Have Existed Before Social Media, Abby's Mother Reveal In Night Court Resolves The Harry/Christine Romance, Big Bang Theory Secretly Hinted At Paiges Dark Young Sheldon Future, One Big Bang Theory Main Character Was Only Meant To Be A Guest Role. 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.
The Jeffersons had many two-part episodes, either over two consecutive weeks, or aired as an hour-long episode. Evans Gibbs then returned to her regular role on The Jeffersons and it was explained that the St. Frederick Hotel had burned down. John Amos (who played James Evans onGood Times) is the father, Ernie Cumberbatch. The Bunker-Verse! Factory had acquired the rights to the series; they subsequently released the complete series on DVD in a 33-disc collection on December 9, 2014. [27] He was known for constantly stalling at the Jeffersons' door with his hand out waiting for a tip. 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. Stage actressEsther Rolleshows up in the third episode ofMaudeas Florida, an AfricanAmerican housecleaner who has little patience for Maudes political correctness. The cast was not informed until after the July 2, 1985, episode, "Red Robins"; actor Sherman Hemsley, who portrayed George Jefferson, said he learned that the show was canceled by reading it in the newspaper. After a 1972 backdoor pilot onAll in the Family, Maude got a show of her own. Fame10 notes that executives worried depicting an interracial kiss would lead to violenceand, worse, to affiliate stations dropping the show.
Spin-off In a reversal ofAll in the Family, Ernie is liberal while his son is quite conservative. Russell) the conservative. Edith and Gloria appeared occasionally at first, then Jean Stapleton wanted to make a clean break and Sally Struthers got her own show. Over the course of its 11-year run, the series was almost always one of the most-watched on television. The Jeffersons ended up lasting 11 seasons, beating All In The Family's 9 seasons. [8] The Jeffersons' sixth season peaked at No. [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. 4. Lear created the character of Henry Jefferson, George's younger brother, who was portrayed by Mel Stewart which replaced George with Henry in the series's scripts until Purlie finished its run. The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence, who takes a job as cleaning management at a hotel. The two-part season opener for Maude in 1973 dealt with the alcoholism of her husband Walter (Bill Macy). Everybody knows it, and you can't help but sing along. Thanks to Lear and his characters, 70s TV audiences saw and heard things they never had before in primetime.
10 Unforgettable Black Sitcom Families - cbr.com THE FAMILY 7 Spin-Offs From 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 cast commonly visited the bar for a drink or to attend a party. A sitcom world must be a good one for a spin-off to spawn another spin-off! ", "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! Web3. 1. The song also adamantly drew from Black culture, styled almost as a spiritualcomplete with 35-member choirthat wouldn't have been out of place in church. Arthur was such a hit as Maude that Lear developed a series for her, with the second season finale ofAll In The Familyacting as the backdoor pilot for the spinoff. This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 13:35. Sherman Hemsley was nominated for Best Actor in 1984. Almost as well known, but less controversial was the Nov. 10, 1975, episode of Maude talking to her psychiatrist.
The 12 Most Unexpected Spinoffs in TV History Hemsley was so good, show creator Norman Lear waited years to be able to hire him. We cant talk about the offspring without a few words about the parent. Ja'Net DuBois and Jeff Barry co-wrote The Jeffersons theme song, "Movin' on Up", which was sung by DuBois with a gospel choir. The pilot even has the series signature catchphrase, God will get you for that, Walter, which Maude uses to express her displeasure with husband Walter (Bill Macy), owner of an appliance shop. Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. 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. Roxie Roker was asked during a casting interview if she'd be comfortable with her character having a white husband. I remember watching Checking In in the early 80s and even remember the theme song. It was her breakout role; as noted by The History Makers, Gibbs had started taking acting classes when her job with United Airlines transferred her from Detroit to Los Angeles, but prior to being cast as Florence the actress had only appeared in a handful of theater roles and one film, 1973's Sweet Jesus, Preacher Man. It was a spinoff of a spinoff, centering on Maudes maid Florida (Esther Rolle) and her family. Almost as well known, but less controversial was the Nov. 10, 1975, episode of Maude talking to her psychiatrist. Just fifteen months after Hemsley debuted onAll In The Family, George and Wheezy moved on up from Queens to the East Side of Manhattan. 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.
The Jeffersons The Jeffersons 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. Even before All in the Familyended, Stapleton expressed a desire to distance herself from the role of Edith. Russell) who dated the girl down the block (Maura Tierney). Lionel is the first Jefferson to be seen onAll in the Family, but his parents become an important part of the show, too. Gloria was created by Joe Gannon, Patt Shea and Harriett Weiss, developed by Dan Guntzelman and Steve Marshall; all episodes were directed by Dan Claver.
The Jeffersons CBS was nervous,Rob Reiner(Mike aka Meathead) told PBS in 2016. George is an obstreperous, often rude guy who thinks his wealth should get him anywhere he wants to go. The Jeffersons ended up lasting 11 seasons, beating All In The Family's 9 seasons. The show was a spin-off of The Jeffersons.
THE FAMILY 7 Spin-Offs From Checking Infound Florence as executive housekeeper at a New York City Hotel. It's rare for a television comedy to lead cultural change like this, and it puts The Jeffersons into historical perspective. Maudealso introducedJohn Amosas Floridas husband Henry later changed to James and established their marital dynamic in preparation for the spinoff. Jefferson has plenty of reason to distrust white people and the power structures they use to oppress him. 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.
10 Unforgettable Black Sitcom Families - cbr.com