All in the Family was notable for many things including the fact that it spawned seven other TV series. George Jefferson was, in some ways, a black version of the white anti-hero Archie Bunker. The Jeffersons spawned the television show Checking In. This show followed the Jeffersons maid Florence Johnston as she worked at a hotel in Manhattan. Russell) who dated the girl down the block (Maura Tierney). 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. It brought back the star ofGood Times John Amos in an update ofAll In The Familythat uses a plot point (interracial relationship) ofThe Jeffersons. Sanford was also the recipient of five of the eight Golden Globe Awards nominations the program received.[48]. Communications Company from 19751982 and by Embassy Television from 19821985. All In The Familydirectly spun off five situation comedies between 1972 and 1994. Archie mentions a friend from the old neighborhood named Cumberbatch. Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. Russell) the conservative. 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. The shows spin-off series continued to break boundaries with discussions of abortion, alcoholism and racism. I remember watching Checking In in the early 80s and even remember the theme song. The series follows Florence's misadventures at the hotel with her co-workers: Lyle Block, her stuffy manager; Elena Beltran, her assistant; Earl Bellamy, the inept house detective; Hank Sabatino, the lewd handyman; Betty, the floor supervisor; Dennis, the bellboy; and Mr. Claymore, the hotel owner.[1]. Archie and Mike are always butting heads since Archie is politically conservative and Mike is usually portrayed as being liberal. Arthur was the only actor seen for the entire half-hour. 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. Even before All in the Familyended, Stapleton expressed a desire to distance herself from the role of Edith. [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. 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. 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 Jeffersons More than 20 years after AITF, Lear created 704 Hauser, the address of the Bunkers former house, again inhabited by two battling generations. Dont miss on getTV:Both John Amos andJaNet DuBois(neighbor Willona Woods) appeared onSanford And Sonbefore they were cast onGood Times. A nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants. Most television is ephemeral. 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. Here's the untold truth of The Jeffersons. Eventually this tactic worked, and the writers stopped using the offensive terms. It only The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence, who takes a job as cleaning management at a hotel. 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. 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. WebSpun-off from The Jeffersons (1975) This spin-off of The Jeffersons came out about 8 years before Marla Gibbs' second series, "227." The show was a spin-off ofThe Jeffersons. 1. Web3. In the 1984-85 season, CBS aired a forgotten comedy called E/R, starring Elliot Gould. [45], The Jeffersons received 14 Emmy Award nominations during its time on the air. Cully was written out in season 4 due to her death in 1978, from lung cancer. [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. [21], Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first six seasons of The Jeffersons on DVD in Region 1 between 2002 and 2007. 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. Tolbert became a regular guest star throughout the rest of the series. Sherman Hemsley, for example, came out of the revered Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), as did Roxie Roker (Helen Willis). 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.. RELATED:WandaVision& 9 Other Shows That Have Paid Homage To Sitcoms. Mike Evans would leave The Jeffersons to work behind the camera for another show in the All in the Family family tree Good Times. A top 20 show for most of its 11 seasons, The Jeffersons was canceled abruptly without an official series finale. [23] Bentley also had a bad back, and frequently needed George to walk on it. The song was co-written by Ja'Net DuBois, who portrayed Willona on Norman Lear's other show, Good Times, and Jeff Barry. 8 in the summer of 1980. Rather than cast someone else, Lear decided to keep George offscreen until Hemsley was available. The Jeffersons As groundbreaking as The Jeffersons was in terms of depicting Black America on the small screen, it still earns criticism for some of its choices. Ratings for the first season were poor, and the network didnt exactly shout about it from the antenna-covered rooftops. 7 Spin-offs, In Chronological Order 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 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this began to change in the 1970s, especially with the work of Norman Lear. Simply put, "Movin' On Up" isn't just a great TV show theme song, it's a great song, full stop. As progressive as it was when it came to race relations, it hedged its bets in many ways. 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. [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. Before we go any further, a few words about math. But whatHappy Daysdidnt have were spin-offs of spin-offs. The episode marked the final appearance of Henry throughout the series. WebIn 1975, George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens. Show One other reason she kept her job despite becoming famous on a top-rate television show? 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 Jeffersons 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. 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. Show The series is bookended in a very creative way. 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. 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. Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. When it flopped, Florence returned to work for George and Louise. 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. The twist was that the older generation were the liberals (with John Amos again starring, but in a different role, and Lynnie Godfrey) while their son was an arch-conservative (T.E. 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. [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. What is the chronological order of these Norman Lear shows? Lear is more willing to listen nowadays. Members of the Black Panther Party set up a meeting with Lear to discuss Good Times. Web3. 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. Which is why it's easy to forget that George Jefferson actually had a fascinating fictional background story that was more thoughtful than your typical sitcom fare. But he's actually one of the most complex characters in TV history. Unlike Arthur and Rolle, who were spun-off quickly, the Jeffersons were onAll In The Familyfor five seasons before they got their own show. 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. 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. As a result, the series remained among the Top 20 for the next two seasons. 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. released season 7 on DVD in Region 1. The show was produced by the T.A.T. 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). The Jeffersons avoided that by making the titular characters move to a different neighborhood. 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. A nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants. 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. While many of the shows connected toAll in the Familydid extraordinarily well,Checking Inonly lasted for four episodes. In response she showed a picture of her husband, Sy Kravitz, who was white. In reality, Joey (born 1975) would have only been 19, but Siemaszko was 33. 1. [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. The Jeffersons The epithets nigger and honky were used occasionally, especially during the earlier seasons.[2][4]. 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. It's also one of the more thoughtful and meaningful theme songs in TV history. At least stories featuring Black people were being told, and Black actors were getting significant roles on TV. Lionel is introduced in the pilot, and is a core cast member for season one. 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. 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. WebThe Jeffersons: Created by Norman Lear, Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, Bernard West. Other NEC graduates include John Amos, Richard Roundtree, Denzel Washington, and Angela Bassett. The Jeffersons 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. After 25 episodes, Lear had finally found someone who could go toe-to-toe withCarroll OConnors Archie. George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) doesnt make his debut until season four, because Hemsley was committed to the Broadway showPurlie. Almost as well known, but less controversial was the Nov. 10, 1975, episode of Maude talking to her psychiatrist. For other uses, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of awards and nominations received by The Jeffersons, "The Jeffersons: A look at life on black America's new 'Striver's Row', "Sherman Hemsley dies: Watch George Jefferson at his finest", "The Jeffersons and Happy Days and Valerie Bertinelli Bio", "Tyler Perry's House of Payne: Paying Homage to Sherman Hemsley", "Are Any of 'The Jeffersons' Cast Members Still Alive Today? 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. I remember watching Checking In in the early 80s and even remember the theme song. [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. Arthur was the only actor seen for the entire half-hour. 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. It was funny and entertaining. Shows like Sanford and Son and Good Times had all-Black main casts and made an attempt to depict Black American life more realistically. The Jeffersons' Left Lasting Television Legacy Even though it flopped,704 Hauserhas a special place in the heart of many Norman Lear fans. [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. Its like a Norman Lears Greatest Hits! The cast commonly visited the bar for a drink or to attend a party. All Rights Reserved. The Jeffersons ended up lasting 11 seasons, beating All In The Family's 9 seasons. But as Ebony writes, this was a deliberate calibration by the show's creators to make the show and the character of George Jefferson more palatable to audiences not quite ready to accept Blacks as their equals. TV shows can be huge, massive hits for yearsand then vanish into near-obscurity (seriously, when was the last time you had a conversation about Lost?). The Jeffersons Evans and Tolbert appeared in the two-part episode together; Evans made his final appearance in two episodes during the series' eleventh and final season. The show was a spinoff from "All in the Family." WebIn 1975, George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens. I remember watching Checking In in the early 80s and even remember the theme song. This show wasnt very successful, however. Archie and Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) share their home with their daughter, Gloria (Sally Struthers), and her husband, Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner). WebSynopsis. 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. Arthur was the only actor seen for the entire half-hour. Norman Lear's 1975 spinoff of All in the Family remains a unique show. 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. The Jeffersons 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. Lear agreed to let OConnor continue the series without him, but under one condition: he couldnt call itAll In The Family. 0. But we dont have those fights on704 Hauser. Archie and Edith travel up to wealthy Tuckahoe, New York for the wedding of Maudes daughter Carol (played in this episode byMarcia Roddand in the series byAdrienne Barbeau). Theres certainly no human alive who believesArchie Bunkers Placeis better thanAll In The Family,and theres probably a few of us who would rather it didnt exist at all. WebIn 1975, George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Five is a lot, but its not a record. On their own show, the Jeffersons interact with new friends and neighbors while inhabiting a new lifestyle. George was introduced in the episode "Henry's Farewell", and Hemsley and Stewart share their only scene together in its final minutes. 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. Stapleton expressed a desire to distance herself from the role of Edith. [36], The Jeffersons changed time slots at least 15 different times during its 11-year run, unusual for a popular long running series. Florida and James have three children: J.J., Michael, and Thelma. It became Tandems longest running show, with 11 seasons. Evans 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. CBS was nervous,Rob Reiner(Mike aka Meathead) told PBS in 2016. 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. 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. 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. Actor Franklin Cover, who played Tom Willis, also heard about the cancellation while watching Entertainment Tonight. Dont miss on getTV:Lionel Moves Into The Neighborhood(March 2, 1971) for Sanfords first appearance,Henrys Farewell(October 20, 1973) for Hemsleys debut,Lionels Engagement(February 9, 1974) for Mother Jeffersons (Zara Cully) and the Willis familys (played by different actors) first appearances, andThe Jeffersons Move Up(January 11, 1975) for the backdoor pilot. 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 The Jeffersons Gloria and Mike are no longer together, so Gloria and her son, Joey, leave California and go home to New York. Archie Bunker's Placestarted out with both Archie and Edith, but Jean Stapleton left the show and was killed off shortly after the series began. Thats not just impressive, its historic. CBS quickly pivoted, scheduling rebroadcasts of the first 13 episodes that summer. [41], On August 8, 2014, it was announced that Shout! Oddly, whenGood Timesbegan in February of 1974, no mention was made of Maude or how the Evanses got from New York to the Chicago. They were guests in the fictional hotel and their voices were dubbed by Italian actors Enzo Garinei (George) and Isa di Marzio (Louise), who also dubbed their characters for the full series. CreatorNorman Learwas just happy the Bunkers were on the air. As noted by Ebony, many of the actors working on The Jeffersons were serious artists with a lot of training. Florence was only supposed to be a bit part, but audiences loved her, and the character of Florence was promoted to full-time status. 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. 6. [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. Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. 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. Evans 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. The successful series ran for six seasons and, like its predecessor, dealt with some serious issues during its day. Show 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. The Jeffersons spawned the television show Checking In. This show followed the Jeffersons maid Florence Johnston as she worked at a hotel in Manhattan. [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. To make matters worse, when the show finally debuted on CBS, it was largely ignored by the public. Checking Infound Florence as executive housekeeper at a New York City Hotel. RELATED:10 Iconic Black TV Shows That Defined The Culture. Communications Company from 19751982 and by Embassy Television from 19821985. The 12 Most Unexpected Spinoffs in TV History In fact, the parent show would have been completely different without the Jefferson family in the neighborhood. The series also featured Danielle Brisebois as Stephanie, the young daughter of Ediths step-cousin who had moved in with the Bunkers in the final season of AITF. Brisebois had been a hit in Broadways Annie. (She later became an Oscar-nominated songwriter.). 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. 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. Checking In After eight seasons, Lear thoughtAll In The Familyhad run its course, but OConnor didnt agree. A top 20 show for most of its 11 seasons, The Jeffersons was canceled abruptly without an official series finale. If you loveAll In The Familyand its iconic characters, the concept alone is problematic. The Jeffersons Bunker has no reason to hate Blacks or to view them as inferior. Jefferson has plenty of reason to distrust white people and the power structures they use to oppress him.