The Jeffersons

Although my opionion may be a bit biased, I really do think this was an amazing show. People always say that the earlier episodes were the better, but quite frankly, I disagree. The best episodes I feel, and also this is the same time frame when the show was at it's most successful, was in the early 80's. For the '81-'82 season, "The Jeffersons" was the 3rd rated television show in America. People wanted to see Florence be sassy, and Tom and George be friends. Viewers wanted to see Helen and Louise get somewhat foolish. People wanted to see incredible guest stars, like Sammy Davis, Jr., Gladys Knight, Billy Dee Williams, even the popular singing group Sister Sledge. It was the 80's, and people wanted to see rich folks living in excess, and it was also at this time the show was so successful, it finally had the advertising clout to command a bigger budget for a new set, off-site shoots, and guest stars. I prefer the later set over the earlier one (the curved coffee table, gray sofa with peach throw cushions, and the round table dinette set). It outlasted the show which it originally was spun-off from even. Keep in mind also, that this show was still pulling in some great numbers in the 1984-1985 season when the plug was pulled (it was still in the top 20). It seems that anything that originated in the 70's was leaving the line-up in the mid-80's. Alice was canceled, along with The Love Boat, The Facts of Life, Hart to Hart, and a lot of other wonderful shows that were not necessarily growing tired, but the budget went towards all new shows. Shows that were not memorable at all, and were cancelled within a season or two. "The Jeffersons" ran for eleven seasons, and that's a long time in this business. I always felt that after all "The Jeffersons" had done for CBS, that it certainly deserved a better send-off than being cancelled mid-season after a hiatus. There never was a last episode, no closure. No wrap up. Nothing. The last new episode that was shown was on June 25, 1985, and it was a pretty funny episode in which George helps his grand daughter Jessica with her Red Robins group. Sadly, Tom & Helen Willis did not appear in this episode. It was actually the second to last show taped, but as you may be aware, the shows are not necessarily shown in the order that they are filmed. I read an earlier entry that claims Lark Voorhies played Lionel and Jenny's daughter, Jessica on "The Jeffersons". Actually, it was an actress by the name of Ebonie Smith. Lark portrayed Lisa on the TV show "Saved By The Bell". I think the confusion may be because Ebonie Smith was in an episode of "Saved By The Bell: The New Class".

My mom and I would often catch this show when I was a kid, videotaping a good handful of episodes when it ran in syndication, and then we bought six seasons of it years later when the show finally was available on DVD.

Sherman Hemsley as George and Isabel Stanford as Louise were hilarious as the rich black couple living in that "apartment in the sky," often bickering with one another, with Louise as the sensible one and George the one with fiery talk and a proud businessman attitude. Marla Gibbs plays Florence, the Jeffersons' sassy maid who doesn't take gut from anybody and backtalks when needed, especially to George - creating that love-hate relationship that is classic and funny throughout the entire show.

Franklin Cover and Roxy Roker play Tom and Helen Willis, the first interracial couple portrayed in a TV show. They have occasional run-ins with the Jeffersons as they live in the same apartment building, as did U.N. Interpreter Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict), who lives next door to the Jeffersons. And, rounding up the cast are the Jeffersons' son, Lionel (portrayed alternatively by Mike Evans and Damon Evans), the Willis' daughter and girlfriend to Lionel, Jenny (Berlinda Tolbert), the helpful but money-grubbing doorman Ralph (Ned Wertimer), bartender Charlie (Danny Wells) and George's mother, Mother Jeffersons (Zara Cully). Each character offered his/her own unique and interesting twist to the show, but much of the laughs come from the trio of George, Louis and Florence.

It's a very funny show to watch again and again, filled with comedic misadventures and tastefully done humor. So, get your slice of the pie and watch The Jeffersons!

Grade A

If the Television Hall of Fame selected television programs as a whole to win a gold plaque similar to Cooperstown N.Y. for MLB, or Canton Ohio for the NFL, "The Jeffersons" would be there front and center.

The long running CBS sitcom which aired from 1975 through 1985, won several Emmys, including Isabel Sanford for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. To me "The Jeffersons" is one of television's top fifty All-Time Programs, and the best one with a predominately African American cast, better than "The Cosby Show" and "Sanford and Son". As a child it was a thrill to be able to watch this program when schoolwork or bedtime did not get in the way.

I now own the first two seasons of "The Jeffersons" on DVD, and I enjoy the performances of all the characters. The show is of course centered around bigoted and avaricious George (Sherman Helmsley), and his long suffering wife Louise "Weezy" Jefferson (Isabel Sanford), but the performances of the character actors are also well above par. Paul Benedict as George's goofy, bizarre neighbor, Ned Wertimer as the not so modest or polite (when it comes to tips) doorman, Mike Evans as wisecracking son Lionel, and Marla Gibbs as wisecracking live-in-maid Florence, and of course the interracial couple who are usually the butt of George's racist jokes, Tom and Helen Willis played by Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker. And of course don't forget going way back in the day when people born in the 1890's were alive, well and entertaining us all, Zara Cully as George Jefferson's quick witted Mother, Olivia. She was hilarious when seeking attention from George and Weezy she intentionally tackles herself to the ground in a season 2 episode.

But "The Jeffersons" at least the first two seasons centers around George and his vices, which often outweigh his virtues, similar to the Archie Bunker character introduced in the early 1970's. Like Archie George is set in his ways, avaricious, sometimes crude, and often bigoted. Like Archie he is a bigot without a mean streak. He is a lovable bigot, and his racist views are played out for laughs, but George is not a carbon copy of Archie. They're not twins. Archie makes fun of everyone that is not his race, religion creed, or sexual orientation. George sticks to the basics. Just make fun of whitey, and those whites that don't offer him anything in return for his efforts.

There are some whites like Wittendale, the banker who holds the key to George's future of a dry cleaning monopoly. George always wants to pander to this guy. However George has no use for "honkies" like Tom Willis and his black wife Helen. Like Archie Bunker he despises mixed marriages. (Although Archie is all for Irish marrying Italian). Mostly because Weezy has him on a short leash, George reluctantly accepts Tom and Helen Willis as neighbors and in-laws.

One major reason why Archie's ethnic and racial slurs often spiral out of control and George's doesn't is the nature of the women they're married to. Edith is tolerant, dingbatty, and naive, while Weezy is sharp, quick witted, and as shrewd as George. She puts her foot down faster on George, than Edith does on Archie. Edith tends to push Archie in the direction he's going, with some first class dingbat punchlines added in.

George is a little bit of a thing, with an obsession for power and control, much like Danny DeVito in the movies. He lusts for money and power, and he's got it, a wife a family and a full chain of cleaning stores. Archie doesn't have all this. Archie needs to shut other people down to better his own situation. George doesn't. George has money and power. However, like Archie he is set in his ways, and his lack of modesty always gets him into trouble.

What this show was missing was a crossover appearance by Archie and Edith from the slums of Flushing to the penthouses in Manhattan. Carroll O' Connor and Jean Stapleton never appeared on "The Jeffersons." "The Jeffersons" was not the greatest TV sitcom. "All in the Family" along with "Seinfeld", "The Honeymooners" and "Cheers" were better. However there was a certain charm with this show that lasted from the Gerald Ford through the second half of the Ronald Reagan presidency. This was one fine show.

Used to watch this show as a kid on Nick @ nite in the late '90s. Understandbly, most jokes were over my head, but I LOVED George Jefferson. Recently started watching some classic tv shows, and decided to give this a real shot when I found the entire series on Amazon. I absolutely love it. So much better than I remember. I'm seven seasons in, and the show has yet to lose me one bit. I highly recommend this show. Incredible cast, and created by the man who defined 1970s t.v. Norman Lear. Definitely worth a shot.

If there were a "Sitcom Hall Of Fame",for brilliance, the television series "The Jeffersons" would surely have a cherished spot as one of the best situation comedies of the 1970's. For the eleven and a half years that it ran on television,the series became one of CBS' longest-running shows of all time,right up there with "Frasier","Cheers",and even "M*A*S*H" and "Happy Days" for its longevity. From its premiere episode that aired on January 14,1975 to the final episode of the series on July 23,1986 it is amazing that the show survived during its astounding run on the air. The series cranked out more than 254 episodes during its run. It is also to note that "The Jeffersons" also was nominated for several Golden Globes and Emmys including a historic moment in the history of not only the show,but television itself. The series won the Emmy in 1981 for Isabel Sanford who in fact made history as being the first African-American woman to win for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and also for Sherman Hemsley as Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series as well,and for Marla Gibbs too who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

It is no wonder that "The Jeffersons" is one of television's top fifty all time programs in the history of television and it is right up there with the best of the bunch of classic television shows. Need I say more? This was a spin off to "All In The Family" by the way since the series was created by Norman Lear,the man who was behind some of the greatest shows of that period including "All In The Family","Maude","Good Times", "One Day At A Time","Sanford and Son",and so much more. Out of all the shows that had a predominately African-American cast of that period,the series "The Jeffersons" was the better show out of the entire bunch. Only Norman Lear's other show "Good Times" comes in a close second. The reason? For one you saw a successful black family doing something positive and for the first time in television history a successful African-American with a successful business and living the high life on TV,but at the same time you got to see not only a white side of bigotry but a black side of that too. Sherman Hemsley's character of George Jefferson was just that.....the opposite side of Archie Bunker,a bigot on the opposite side of racial intolerance. It was kind of a reflex towards the opposite The Bunkers,who basically were still living on 704 Hauser Street in Queens while their once neighbors The Jeffersons were living it up in a deluxe apartment complex on New York's upper rich side toward Park Avenue in Manhattan.

However,the set-up of a African-American family living in the high part of town and having a successful business establishment was something totally different and new when it aired back in 1975 since it was very odd to see this and America was paying very close attention to this as well since African-Americans at that time were making strides toward racial equality during that period. You saw a married couple George and Louise Jefferson(Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford)living the good life with their son Lionel(played by Mike Evans and then by Damon Evans)while making the best of any situation that comes at them with ease,but with hilarious results. The next door neighbors Tom and Helen Willis (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker)were a interracial couple with their young daughter Jenny(Belinda Tolbert)and also their son Allan(played by Jay Hammer during the 1978-79 season)whom The Jeffersons also had another neighbor across from them as well,like the British neighbor Mr. Bentley(Paul Benedict)and others that were in the same tenant building as well like George's overbearing mother(played by Zara Cully during the 1975-78 season)who comes by for a visit and causes chaos for Louise and others like Mr. Whittington and so forth like the doorman Ralph or Charlie the bartender whose bar is downstairs but in the same building. The best part of this series and basically who could give George a run for his money in a scolding match would be the Jeffersons' housekeeper Florence Johnson(Marla Gibbs). This is what kept the series going strong because of the brilliant comedy chemistry that Sherman Hemsley and Marla Gibbs had and the sparks flew within a funny rapport that kept audiences laughing hard. Oh yeah,I forgot that Isabel Sanford kept the laughs provided too as Louise and George get into one predicament after another. But the series showed its darker side too right along with the laughs and insults as well as the series explored issues that were relevant to the day's topics from interracial relationships,racism, women's rights,and civil rights were the order of the day and other issues were added in that at the time were too intense for television but they were handled with tact and dignity.

Several brilliant episodes of this series come to mind that were memorable including the one where The Jeffersons go to Hawaii;George being a secret Santa to a Harlem family who lived in his building;The night the Jeffersons remember the riots that engulf a nation back in 1968 during the looting of his store over the death of MLK;Louise and Helen opening a health center for a lonely girl who commits suicide;and the marriage of Lionel and Jenny,which George disapproves. The proudest moment of the series came during the arrival of Lionel and Jenny as parents and George & Louise become grandparents to a little baby girl.The saddest moment of the series when George learns the death of his beloved mother.

Speaking of this series,it is to note that five of the show's cast members have passed away but will be fondly remembered. Actor Sherman Hemsley who played businessman/family provider George Jefferson passed away in 2012. Zara Cully,who played Mother Jefferson;Roxie Roker who played Helen Willis;Isabel Sanford who played Louise Jefferson,and most recently Franklin Cover,Paul Benedict and Mike Evans.