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. Archie and Mike are always butting heads since Archie is politically conservative and Mike is usually portrayed as being liberal. [3] At the beginning of The Jeffersons, he was operating five stores throughout New York City, with another two opening during the following seasons. George Jefferson was, in some ways, a black version of the white anti-hero Archie Bunker. ", was added as a bonus feature on The Jeffersons: The Complete Series 33-disc DVD set issued by Shout! Lionel is the first Jefferson to be seen onAll in the Family, but his parents become an important part of the show, too. It was almost totally unlike any other theme song you would hear on TV at the time, and that was the whole point. 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. The Jeffersons (1975 TV Show Gloria Bunker Stivic became a single mom after Mike left her, so she got a job in a veterinary office. 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. is Movin' On Up to a 'Season 7' Separate Release! It was surprisingly thoughtful on issues of race and class within the confines of a broad comedy in prime time national television. WebIn 1975, George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens. Communications Company from 19751982 and by Embassy Television from 19821985. 8 in the summer of 1980. Evans One of the reasons The Jeffersons remains a pop culture powerhouse when many contemporary TV shows have faded from our collective memory is the theme song. 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. Many people can't help but note that the main difference between The Jeffersons and other successful sitcoms that both enjoyed stable a time slot and received a formal finale episode is the color of the cast's skin. Shows like Sanford and Son and Good Times had all-Black main casts and made an attempt to depict Black American life more realistically. You would be, too, if your neighbor was Archie Bunker. 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. The sitcom was about the black family who had lived next door to the Bunkers, but Good Times was partly responsible. In a reversal ofAll in the Family, Ernie is liberal while his son is quite conservative. It took until 1975 until television finally gave Black audiences a family that looked like them and that wasn't struggling. The Jeffersons(19751984 253 episodes plus pilot onAll In The Family). 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). There was one episode that was actually sort of scary, involving a flute-playing ghost that haunted one of the rooms in the old hotel. Show WebThe Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. Mike Evans and Tolbert returned in the 19791980 season, with Tolbert's character, Jenny, pregnant with a daughter named Jessica. A nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants. This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 13:35. And The Jeffersons was in many ways a broad, superficial comedy that relied on racially-charged jokes and physical comedy to get laughs. [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. WebThe Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. Dont miss on getTV:While theres no direct Bunker connection,Checking Indoes featureLiz Torresas Florences assistant. The 12 Most Unexpected Spinoffs in TV History 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 1. OConnor didnt like it either, apparently. 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. The series is bookended in a very creative way. They were saying, essentially, We wont have anything to do with this show.. 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. Portrayed by Mel Stewart, Henry got the lines and screen time that would have gone to George. The 12 Most Unexpected Spinoffs in TV History Other NEC graduates include John Amos, Richard Roundtree, Denzel Washington, and Angela Bassett. 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). Zara Cully played George's mother, Olivia "Mother" Jefferson, who constantly disparaged her daughter-in-law. [27] He was known for constantly stalling at the Jeffersons' door with his hand out waiting for a tip. ), 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. In that regard,Good Timesis more like a reboot of Rolle and Amoss characters than a spinoff. Marla Gibbs remains best-known to many people as the sarcastic housekeeper, Florence, on The Jeffersons. [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. 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. Mike Evans would leave The Jeffersons to work behind the camera for another show in the All in the Family family tree Good Times. 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. And the series (which co-starred Oscar nomineeBurgess Meredithas a vet) didnt do much to win anybody over. WebChecking 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. WebFor her full interview, see http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/isabel-sanford Sally Struthers was next to get her own show as Gloria Bunker Stivic, Archie and Edith's daughter. George is an obstreperous, often rude guy who thinks his wealth should get him anywhere he wants to go. It took until 1975 until television finally gave Black audiences a family that looked like them and that wasn't struggling. [9] The Jeffersons also shared continuity with the sitcom E/R, which featured Lynne Moody who made a guest appearance in one episode of The Jeffersons. In response she showed a picture of her husband, Sy Kravitz, who was white. 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. She got unlimited passes from the airline. Ralph was also known for making up stories of him struggling to fulfill the Jeffersons request to get more tips. That's exactly what happened withGood Times. Today were heading back to Manhattan, to revisit our favorite family, The Jeffersons. The Jeffersons 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. 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. [49] Marla Gibbs reprised her role as Florence Johnston. The Jeffersons [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. Gloria and Mike are no longer together, so Gloria and her son, Joey, leave California and go home to New York. 6. It became Tandems longest running show, with 11 seasons. The sitcoms breakout star was Jimmie J.J. Walker, with his trademark phrase Dy-no-mite!. ", "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! Almost as well known, but less controversial was the Nov. 10, 1975, episode of Maude talking to her psychiatrist. 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. Over the course of its 11-year run, the series was almost always one of the most-watched on television. In a contemporary review by The New York Daily News, in fact, a scene in which Tom and Helen Willis engage in a long, tender kiss is explicitly noted for being unusual because they are an interracial couple. 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. 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. 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 Most television is ephemeral. Lear agreed to let OConnor continue the series without him, but under one condition: he couldnt call itAll In The Family. [14] In season 5 episode 17 of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, titled "Will Is from Mars" (1995), the Jeffersons made a guest appearance as a couple in therapy class. More than 20 years after AITF, Lear created 704 Hauser, the address of the Bunkers former house, again inhabited by two battling generations. Show 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. All Rights Reserved. Show 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. Even though it flopped,704 Hauserhas a special place in the heart of many Norman Lear fans. After eight seasons, Lear thoughtAll In The Familyhad run its course, but OConnor didnt agree. 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. 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. Today, a transgender person has been nominated to be part of the president's cabinet, and the Vice President of the United States is in an interracial marriage. 3). Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. WebFor her full interview, see http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/isabel-sanford Edith and Gloria appeared occasionally at first, then Jean Stapleton wanted to make a clean break and Sally Struthers got her own show. On May 22, 2019, ABC broadcast Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lears All in the Family and The Jeffersons, produced by Lear and Jimmy Kimmel and starring Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Jamie Foxx, Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, Kerry Washington, Ellie Kemper. Checking In A top 20 show for most of its 11 seasons, The Jeffersons was canceled abruptly without an official series finale. The show was a spinoff from "All in the Family." WebIn 1975, George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens. The list of firsts achieved by The Jeffersons is impressive. After the huge success of shows like All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, and Sanford and Sonin terms of ratings as well as critical receptionhe had the ability to do things other showrunners couldn't. Marla Gibbs was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series each year from 1981 to 1985. The Jeffersons spawned the television show Checking In. This show followed the Jeffersons maid Florence Johnston as she worked at a hotel in Manhattan. On their own show, the Jeffersons interact with new friends and neighbors while inhabiting a new lifestyle. Hemsley was so good, show creator Norman Lear waited years to be able to hire him. In the spring of 1981, Paul Benedict left the show for a season and a half, returning in the final two seasons of the series. 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. THE FAMILY 7 Spin-Offs From [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. Larry M. Harris won the Emmy for Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series in 1983. 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." The show was produced by the T.A.T. 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. So when shows like Norman Lear's Good Times hit the airwaves in the early 1970s, it was seen as huge progress. 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. 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. 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. "Jeffersons" redirects here. Web3. 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. Sign up for the newsletter to get the latest updates about getTV. 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. Here's the untold truth of The Jeffersons. WhenAll In The Familydebuted in 1971, few people suspected it would be responsible for more spin-offs than any other sitcom in television history. The show was launched as the second (and longest running) spin-off of All in the Family, on which the Jeffersons had been the neighbors of Archie and Edith Bunker. The Jeffersons Simply put, "Movin' On Up" isn't just a great TV show theme song, it's a great song, full stop. The show was a spin-off of The Jeffersons. 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. For further instructions click the link below to your TV model. Sherman Hemsley, for example, came out of the revered Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), as did Roxie Roker (Helen Willis). And Louises brother-in-law Henry (Mel Stewart) appears for the first time in the last episode of season one. 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. [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. The Jeffersons ended in controversy after CBS abruptly canceled the series without allowing for a proper series finale. Fame10 notes that executives worried depicting an interracial kiss would lead to violenceand, worse, to affiliate stations dropping the show. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [8] Damon Evans's last episode was "Lionel Gets the Business". George, Louise, and Lionel continued to appear on All in the Family until 1975, when the spin-off The Jeffersons, also created by Lear, premiered. A top 20 show for most of its 11 seasons, The Jeffersons was canceled abruptly without an official series finale. The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence, who takes a job as cleaning management at a hotel. Thanks to Lear and his characters, 70s TV audiences saw and heard things they never had before in primetime. The Jeffersons The final spin-off of this world of Norman Lear shows is704 Hauser. George is an obstreperous, often rude guy who thinks his wealth should get him anywhere he wants to go. He used that power to push the envelope, depicting the first transgender character in a situation comedy and the first recurring interracial marriage. 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). Today were heading back to Manhattan, to revisit our favorite family, The Jeffersons. [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.