"Good Times" (1974)TV series 1974-1979

Creators:

Mike Evans
Eric Monte

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

8 February 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A poor Afro-American family make the best of things in the Chicago housing projects.

Plot Keywords:

Insult | Poor Family | Sentimental | Sibling | Urban

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 27	3:00 AM	TVLAND	J.J. and the Older Woman	#4.3
Mon. July 28	3:00 AM	TVLAND	Michael the Warlord	#4.4

Cast

BernNadette Stanis	...	Thelma Evans Anderson / ... (97 episodes, 1974-1979)
Jimmie Walker	...	James 'J.J.' Evans, Jr. / ... (97 episodes, 1974-1979)
Ralph Carter	...	Michael Evans (95 episodes, 1974-1979)
Ja'net DuBois	...	Willona Woods (85 episodes, 1974-1979)
Esther Rolle	...	Florida Evans (83 episodes, 1974-1979)
John Amos	...	James Evans, Sr. / ... (53 episodes, 1974-1976)

Runtime:

USA:30 min (including commercials) (133 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

CBS Television City - 7800 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bud Yorkin Productions

Trivia:

Among J.J.'s many girlfriends, the ones that were mentioned the most were Henrietta, "Boom Boom" Belinda, Francine "The Furnace" and Samantha "the Human Panther". Henrietta played by Tina Andrews and Samantha played by Debbi Morgan were the only ones that appeared on-screen

Goofs:

Continuity: At various points through the entire series, especially the first three seasons, references are made to the Evans family's early days in their apartment raising JJ and Thelma and giving birth to Michael. If this is true, Florida must have been commuting from Chicago to Tuckahoe, NY to work for Maude Findlay.

Quotes:

Michael Evans: Don't you know what today is?
J.J. Evans: Yeah, Blue Monday. Followed by Broke Tuesday, followed by Disasters Wednesday. From there the rest of the week go DOWN HILL.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The School of Rock (2003)

Soundtrack:

Good Times

Great show early ...but suffered a decline in quality in later seasons

When "Good Times" premiered in 1974, it was one the first black family sitcoms. It centered on the poor Chicago-based Evans family and their struggles to make ends. Most of the early episodes focused on the parents, James and Florida Evans, and their struggle to provide for the family. John Amos and Esther Rolle were the best part of the show. They were terrific actors and had great chemistry as James and Florida Evans. They had three kids: J.J., Thelma, and Michael.

In 1976, the producers made a huge mistake by firing John Amos, essentially killing off his character. This really changed the focus, and not for the good I might add. The shows began to focus more on J.J. and his buffoon-like behavior which angered black viewers as well as series star Esther Rolle, who left after the next season.

Once Esther Rolle left, the quality of the show suffered even more. Although it was still watchable, it was no longer the great ground-breaking show that it once was.

Although Esther Rolle came back for the 1978 season, it became obvious that the show was on its last legs. All loose ends were tied up during that season and the show quietly faded off the air.