Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television networkA television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
. It was created by
Eric MonteEric Monte is an American screenwriter who has written for and created notable shows depicting 1970s African American culture.-Early life and career:...
and Michael Evans, and developed by
Norman LearNorman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
, the series' primary executive producer. Good Times is a
spin-offIn media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of
MaudeMaude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
, which was itself a spin-off of
All in the FamilyAll in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
.
While the series was set in Chicago, all episodes of Good Times were produced in the Los Angeles area. The first two seasons were taped at
CBS Television CityCBS Television City is a television studio complex located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of North Fairfax Avenue...
in Hollywood. In the fall of 1975, the show moved to
Metromedia SquareMetromedia Square was a radio and television studio facility located at 5746 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on the southeastern corner of Sunset and Van Ness Avenue. For decades it was recognizable by the white, ladder-like snake on the building's roof...
, where Norman Lear's own production company was housed.
Synopsis
Good Times is based on Eric Monte's childhood—although one of the main characters' name is "Michael Evans", which was the real name of co-creator Mike Evans, who portrayed
Lionel JeffersonLionel Jefferson is a supporting character from the hit sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons. He is the son of George and Louise Jefferson. He was originally portrayed by D'Urville Martin for two unaired episodes of All in the Family before the role was recast with Mike Evans taking over...
on the Norman Lear-produced series
All in the FamilyAll in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
and
The JeffersonsThe 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. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
.
The series stars
Esther RolleEsther Rolle was an American actress. She was perhaps best known for her portrayal of Florida Evans on the CBS television sitcom Maude and its spin-off series Good Times.-Biography:...
as
Florida EvansFlorida Evans Dixon was the fictional supporting character on the sitcom Maude and the lead character in its spin-off, Good Times. She was the hard-working mother of the Evans family...
and
John AmosJohn Amos is an American actor and former football player. His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, the miniseries Roots, and a recurring role in The West Wing. He has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous motion pictures in a career that spans four decades...
as her husband,
James Evans, Sr.James Evans Sr. was a supporting character portrayed by TV actor John Amos in the 1970s American sitcom Good Times, from the first season in 1974, until the end of the third season in 1976....
The characters originated on the sitcom
MaudeMaude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
as Florida and Henry Evans, with Florida employed as
Maude FindlayMaude Findlay is a fictional character on the controversial 1970s sitcom Maude. She was portrayed by the Emmy-winning actress Beatrice Arthur.-Background:...
's housekeeper in
Tuckahoe, New YorkTuckahoe is a village in the town of Eastchester in Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village's population was 6,486....
and Henry employed as a firefighter. When producers decided to feature the Florida character in her own show, they applied
retroactive changesRetroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
to the characters' history. Henry's name became James, there was no mention of Maude, and the couple now lived in Chicago.
Florida and James Evans and their three children live in a rented project apartment, 17C, at 963 N. Gilbert Ave., in a
housing projectPublic housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
(implicitly the infamous Cabrini–Green projects, shown in the opening and closing credits but never mentioned by name on the show) in a poor,
blackAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
neighborhood in inner-city Chicago. Florida and James' children were
James, Jr.James Evans, Jr. is a fictional character on the 1970s sitcom, Good Times. He was created by Norman Lear and portrayed by Jimmie Walker. The character was known as simply "J.J.", and is commonly seen as the show's breakout character. His favorite expression was "Dyno-MITE!"-Character...
, also known as "J.J." (
Jimmie WalkerJames Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...
),
ThelmaThelma Evans Anderson is a supporting character of the 1970s family sitcom Good Times. She was portrayed by Bern Nadette Stanis. She was the middle child of the Evans family....
(
Bern Nadette StanisBern Nadette Stanis is an American actress best known for her role as the strong-willed Thelma Evans on the CBS sitcom, Good Times.-Career:...
), and
MichaelMichael Evans is an American supporting character from the 1970s American sitcom Good Times. The character was apparently named after Good Times co-creator Michael Evans. He was portrayed by Ralph Carter....
(
Ralph CarterRalph Carter is an American actor, and singerCarter is best known for his work as a child and teenager, both in the Broadway musical Raisin and as the character Michael Evans, the youngest member of the Evans family, on the 1970s sitcom Good Times...
). When the series began, J.J. and Thelma were seventeen and sixteen years old, respectively, and Michael, called "the militant midget" by his father due to his passionate
activismActivism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
, was eleven years old. Their exuberant neighbor, and Florida's best friend, was Willona Woods (played by Ja'net Dubois), a recent divorcée who worked at a boutique. Her adopted daughter, Millicent "Penny" Woods (
Janet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
), a victim of child abuse, joined the show in the fifth season. Willona affectionately called Michael Evans "Gramps" because of his wisdom. Their
building superintendentA building superintendent or building supervisor is a manager responsible for repair and maintenance in a residential building. They are the first point of contact for residents of the building. They are expected to take care of minor issues and repairs, such as small leaks or blockages, the...
was Nathan Bookman (
Johnny BrownJohnny Brown is an American actor and singer. Brown is a nightclub and stage performer as well as a comic actor, and a regular cast member of the television series Laugh-in. Brown is mostly remembered for his chubby physique, wide ingratiating smile, mobile facial expressions, and easy pleasant...
), whom James, Willona and later J.J. referred to as "Buffalo Butt."
As was the case on other Norman Lear sitcoms, the characters and subject matter in Good Times were a breakthrough for American television. Sitcoms had featured
working classWorking class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
characters before (dating back at least to
The Life of RileyThe Life of Riley, with William Bendix in the title role, is a popular American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, a long-run 1950s television series , and a 1958 Dell comic book...
), but never before had a weekly series featured
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
characters living in such impoverished conditions. (Fred and Lamont Sanford of
Sanford and SonSanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
, though they lived in the poor
WattsWatts is a mostly residential neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California.-History:The area now known as Watts is located on the Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant...
area of Los Angeles, at least had their own home and business.)
Episodes of Good Times dealt with the characters' attempts to "get by" in a high rise project building in Chicago, despite all the odds stacked against them. When he was not unemployed, James Evans was a man of pride and would often say to his wife or family "I ain't accepting no hand-outs". He usually worked at least two jobs simultaneously, from a wide variety such as dishwasher, construction laborer, etc. When he had to he would gather his pool stick, much to Florida's disappointment, and sneak out and hustle up a few bucks as he struggled to provide for his family. Being a sitcom, however, the episodes were usually more uplifting and positive than they were depressing, as the Evans family stuck together and persevered.
Principal cast
- Esther Rolle
Esther Rolle was an American actress. She was perhaps best known for her portrayal of Florida Evans on the CBS television sitcom Maude and its spin-off series Good Times.-Biography:...
– Florida EvansFlorida Evans Dixon was the fictional supporting character on the sitcom Maude and the lead character in its spin-off, Good Times. She was the hard-working mother of the Evans family...
(Seasons 1–4, 6)
- John Amos
John Amos is an American actor and former football player. His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, the miniseries Roots, and a recurring role in The West Wing. He has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous motion pictures in a career that spans four decades...
– James Evans, Sr.James Evans Sr. was a supporting character portrayed by TV actor John Amos in the 1970s American sitcom Good Times, from the first season in 1974, until the end of the third season in 1976....
(Seasons 1–3)
- Ja'net Dubois – Willona Woods
- Ralph Carter
Ralph Carter is an American actor, and singerCarter is best known for his work as a child and teenager, both in the Broadway musical Raisin and as the character Michael Evans, the youngest member of the Evans family, on the 1970s sitcom Good Times...
– Michael EvansMichael Evans is an American supporting character from the 1970s American sitcom Good Times. The character was apparently named after Good Times co-creator Michael Evans. He was portrayed by Ralph Carter....
- Bern Nadette Stanis
Bern Nadette Stanis is an American actress best known for her role as the strong-willed Thelma Evans on the CBS sitcom, Good Times.-Career:...
(credited as Bern Nadette in the early episodes) – Thelma EvansThelma Evans Anderson is a supporting character of the 1970s family sitcom Good Times. She was portrayed by Bern Nadette Stanis. She was the middle child of the Evans family....
- Jimmie Walker
James Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...
– James "J.J." Evans, Jr.James Evans, Jr. is a fictional character on the 1970s sitcom, Good Times. He was created by Norman Lear and portrayed by Jimmie Walker. The character was known as simply "J.J.", and is commonly seen as the show's breakout character. His favorite expression was "Dyno-MITE!"-Character...
- Johnny Brown
Johnny Brown is an American actor and singer. Brown is a nightclub and stage performer as well as a comic actor, and a regular cast member of the television series Laugh-in. Brown is mostly remembered for his chubby physique, wide ingratiating smile, mobile facial expressions, and easy pleasant...
– Nathan Bookman (Seasons 5–6; recurring 2–4)
- Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
– Millicent "Penny" Gordon Woods (Seasons 5–6)
- Ben Powers
Alton "Ben" Powers is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Thelma Evans' husband, Keith Anderson, during the sixth and final season of the 1970s TV show Good Times . He also did a season of Laugh-In in the 1970s...
– Keith Albert AndersonKeith Albert Anderson is a supporting character in the sitcom, Good Times, who is played by Ben Powers in the series final season .-Character Background:...
(Season 6)
Minor characters
- Ned the Wino (Raymond Allen
Raymond Gilmore Allen is an American actor best known for his appearances on television in the 1970s...
) – The local drunkLow-end fortified wine is an inexpensive fortified wine that typically has an alcohol content between 13% and 20% ABV. These inexpensive wines usually contain added sugar, artificial color, and artificial flavor.- Brands :...
who frequented the neighborhood and the apartment building where the Evans family reside. In the first-season episode "Black Jesus", J.J. uses Ned the Wino as the model for a portrait of JesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. Another episode was centered around Michael's plan to "clean up" Ned and get him off the booze by letting him stay at the Evans' house.
- Carl Dixon
Carl Dixon was the fictional character who appeared in the last couple of episodes of the 1976—1977 season of the television program, Good Times. He was portrayed by Moses Gunn....
(Moses Gunn) – An atheist shop owner who marries the widowed Florida Evans following the final episode of Season 4. For awhile, Carl breaks off the engagement after he was diagnosed with cancer. After a pep talk from Bookman, Carl again asks Florida for her hand in matrimony. Carl and Florida do not appear in Season 5. Florida returns at the beginning of Season 6, without Carl, for Thelma's wedding. Carl is referenced briefly in the second episode of Season 6, but he is never mentioned again (Florida continues to use the surname Evans instead of Dixon).
- Marion "Sweet Daddy" Williams (Theodore Wilson
Theodore "Teddy" Wilson was an American character actor best known for his recurring role as Sweet Daddy Williams on the CBS sitcom Good Times.-Career:...
) – A menacing neighborhood numbersNumbers game, also known as a numbers racket, policy racket or Italian lottery, is an illegal lottery played mostly in poor neighborhoods in the United States, wherein a bettor attempts to pick three digits to match those that will be randomly drawn the following day...
runner and pimpA pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
, who has a reputation for wearing flashy clothing and jewelry. He is usually accompanied by bodyguards (one portrayed by the late Bubba SmithCharles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football player who became an actor after his retirement from the sport. He first came into prominence at Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors as a defensive end on the Spartans football team...
, the other by series painter Ernie BarnesErnest “Ernie” Eugene Barnes, Jr. was an African-American painter, well-known for his unique style of elongation and movement. He was also a professional football player, actor and author.- Childhood :...
) and comes across as cool and threatening, but has shown a soft heart on occasion, particularly when he decided not to take an antique locket (to settle a debt) that Florida had given to Thelma because it had reminded him of his late mother. Besides playing Sweet Daddy Williams, Wilson also played a club owner named Stanley in the Season 4 episode, The Comedian and the Loan Sharks.
- Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
Fred C. Davis (Albert Reed, Jr.Albert Reed Jr. was an American actor and law enforcement officer. He is probably best known for his recurring role as Alderman Fred Davis on the 1970s sitcom, Good Times. He also had a recurring role on the children's adventure series The Secret of Isis as Dr. Barnes and made guest appearances on...
) – A local politician with a slightly shady disposition. Spoofing President Richard M. Nixon, he would state in a speech "I am not a crook." He always relied on the support of the Evans family (his "favorite project family") for reelection or support (and usually threatened them with some type of adverse action if they did not agree). He always had James' support; J.J. supported him when he became of age to vote; the rest of the family did not particularly like him (J.J. would later come to despise him like the rest of the family). During the first season, he addressed Willona as "and you too, Willona." In later seasons, he would forget her name entirely and called her something else that began with a "W" (such as Wilhemina, Winnifrieda, Winsomnium, Wyomia and even Waldorf-Astoria), thus earning him her everlasting ire as well as the nickname "Baldy".
- Lenny (Dap 'Sugar' Willie
Dap 'Sugar' Willie is an American comedian from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania best known for his recurring role as Lenny on the 1970s sitcom Good Times. He also made appearances on The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son and CHiPS. His last known role was as one of the pool hall men in the 1986 movie...
) – A neighborhood hustler and peddler who is always trying to sell items that are usually attached to the lining of his fur coat. He usually approaches people with a laid-back rap and a rhyme ("my name is Len-nay, if i ain't got it, there ain't an-nay", "hey there mama, my name is Len-nay, if you buy from me I can save you a pen-nay" or "don't go to J. C. Pen-nay-External links:*...
, just come and see Sweet Len-nay"). He will sell anything from watches to bedpans (out of his coat). Usually the person he approaches will ignore him or tell him to go away. He usually responds by saying "that's cold" or uses a small brush to "brush off" the negativity.
- "Grandpa" Henry Evans (Richard Ward
Richard Ward, was a gravel-voiced African American actor in films and television and the stage from the late 1950s onwards until his death. He made three guest appearances on Good Times as James's dad Henry , who had walked out on James' mom and siblings when he was younger...
) – James' long lost father. He abandoned the family years before because he was ashamed that he could not do more to provide for them. This hurt James deeply, who disregarded his father's existence, telling everyone he was dead. Thelma learns about her grandfather while doing some family research. She meets him and invites him to the Evans' home to surprise James for his birthday, not knowing that James was well aware of his whereabouts but chose to stay out of his life. After Henry arrives at the Evans home and meets the rest of the family, he realizes that James would not welcome him in the home and decides to leave. Florida convinces him to stay and talk to James and explains that there may never be another chance to do so. Henry and James have a heart-to-heart talk, with Henry being remorseful and apologetic. James ultimately forgives his father. After James' death, the Evans family embraces Henry into the family, alongside his common lawCommon law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
(and eventually legal) wife Lena in later episodes.
- Wanda (Helen Martin
Helen Dorothy Martin was an American actress of stage and television who is perhaps most well known for her role in the sitcom 227 as Marla Gibbs' neighbor Pearl.-Early life and education:...
) – Another resident in the apartment building where the Evans reside. Earlier episodes show her at a women's support group, and the tenants rallying around her by giving her a rent partyA rent party is a social occasion where tenants hire a musician or band to play and pass the hat to raise money to pay their rent, originating in Harlem during the 1920s. The rent party played a major role in the development of jazz and blues music...
. Later episodes show her appearing and crying at several funerals, whether she knew the person or not, thus earning her the nickname "Weeping Wanda" from J.J. and Willona.
- Mrs. Lynnetta Gordon (Chip Fields
Laverne "Chip" Fields, who is sometimes credited as Chip Hurd or Chip Fields-Hurd, is an American singer, actress, television director, consultant, and dialogue coach, who has appeared in popular films, television shows, and Broadway theatre...
) – Penny's abusiveChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
biological mother. Mrs. Gordon had been abandoned by Penny's father when she became pregnant. As a result, she took her anger and frustrations out on Penny, including burning her with a hot iron. After the abuse was finally brought to light, Mrs. Gordon abandoned Penny, despite Willona's pleas to her to seek help. Just before she disappeared, Mrs. Gordon expressed regret for hurting her child, telling Willona that Penny deserved better than her. She reappeared more than a year later, having remarried, and revealed that her new husband is from a very wealthy family. Mrs. Gordon uses her husband's wealth to send Penny anonymous gifts and, in an effort to regain custody of Penny, she also attempts to frameA frame-up or setup is an American term referring to the act of framing someone, that is, providing false evidence or false testimony in order to falsely prove someone guilty of a crime....
Willona as an unfit adoptive parent who throws wild parties with less than wholesome attendees. However, her vicious scheme is exposed by being recorded on tape admitting that the scheme was merely a set up to get Penny back. After trying to get the tape from Penny and threatening her again with being hit (which was stopped by Willona), Penny outright rejects her, telling Willona that no matter what anyone said, she would always consider Willona to be her real mother. Mrs. Gordon is devastated by this, agrees to drop the charges against Willona and leaves Penny with her, never to be seen again.
- Cleatus (Jack Baker) – Cousin of J.J. Evans, Thelma Evans Anderson, and Michael Evans and nephew of Florida Evans and James Evans. He made one appearance in the episode "Cousin Cleatus".
Notable guest stars
- Matthew "Stymie" Beard – The former Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
child actor appeared in five episodes, including four appearances as James' friend Monty.
- Grand L. Bush
Grand Lee Bush is an American actor of stage, television and major motion pictures.-Personal life:Bush was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Essie and Robert Bush, who was an actor...
– Appeared in a two-part storyline ("J.J.'s New Career"), playing the role of Leon, J.J.'s bully.
- Robert Guillaume
Robert "Bob" Guillaume is an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night...
– Appeared as Fishbone the wino in the episode "Requiem for a Wino".
- Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
– Appeared in the third-season episode "J.J. in Trouble" which was one of the first times that the subject of STDSexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s (then referred to as "VD") was addressed on a primetime television series.
- Louis Gossett, Jr.
Louis Cameron Gossett, Jr. is an American actor best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman and Fiddler in the 1970s television miniseries Roots...
– Appeared in Season 2 as Donald Knight, Thelma's much-older paramour. Florida and James objected to their relationship because of the age difference. Gossett appeared in a later episode as Uncle Wilbur (Florida's brother), who came from Detroit to look in on the family while James was away.
- Alice Ghostley
Alice Margaret Ghostley was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as housekeeper Esmeralda on Bewitched, as Cousin Alice on Mayberry R.F.D., and as Bernice Clifton on Designing Women, for which she received an Emmy Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1992...
– Appeared in Season 5 as a social worker who was working on Penny being adopted by Willona.
- Philip Michael Thomas
Philip Michael Thomas is an American actor. Thomas's most famous role is that of detective Ricardo Tubbs on the hit 1980s TV series Miami Vice. His first notable roles were in Coonskin and opposite Irene Cara in the 1976 film Sparkle...
– Appeared in Season 1 as Eddie, Thelma's college-aged boyfriend (while she was in high school). When Florida stumbles across Eddie's thesis titled "Sexual Behavior in the Ghetto", it ultimately causes an uproar within the Evans' household when it is learned that the thesis belongs to Thelma, and not J.J. as originally thought.
- Gary Coleman
Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
– Appeared in two 1978 episodes as Gary, a sharp-tongued classmate of Penny's.
- Kim Fields
Kim Victoria Fields is an American actress and television director. She is known for her roles as Tootie Ramsey on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life, and as Regine Hunter on the Fox sitcom Living Single...
– Appeared in two episodes as Penny's friend, Kim. Kim is the real-life daughter of Chip Fields, who played Mrs. Gordon (mentioned above).
- Carl Weathers
Carl Weathers is an American actor, as well as former professional football player in the United States and Canada. He is best known for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky series of films...
– Husband of 'nude' model for J.J.'s painting.
- Calvin Lockhart
Calvin Lockhart was a Bahamian-American actor on stage and in film. He was best known for the role of a big time gangster "Biggie Smalls" in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again, not to be confused with the deceased rapper Biggie Smalls...
– Appeared as Florida's cousin Raymond, who earned his riches by betting on horses.
- Debbie Allen
Deborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
– Appeared as J.J.'s drug-addicted fiancee, Diana.
- Hal Williams
Harold "Hal" Williams is an American actor, best known for his recurring role as the black cop Officer Smith on Sanford and Son, and as the patriarch Lester Jenkins, the husband of Marla Gibbs's character, on 227....
– Appeared as one of the movers in a 1st season episode, James' friend Willie Washington in a 2nd season episode, and Mr. Mitchell, the father of Earl Mitchell, who was an art student of J.J.'s.
- Charlotte Rae
Charlotte Rae is a prolific American character actress of stage, comedienne, singer and dancer, who in her six decades of television is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Edna Garrett in the sitcoms Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life...
– Appeared as a hiring manager for a sales job that Florida stole from James.
- Roscoe Lee Browne
Roscoe Lee Browne was an American actor and director, known for his rich voice and dignified bearing.-Biography:Browne was the fourth son of a Baptist minister, Sylvanus S. Browne, and his wife Lovie...
– Appeared as a shady televangelist named "Reverend Sam, the Happiness Man". He befriended James in the military and nearly recruits him for his crusade, against Florida's wishes.
- Sorrell Booke
Sorrell Booke was an American actor who performed on stage, screen, and television. He is best known for his role as the heavyset, corrupt politician "Boss" Hogg in the television show The Dukes of Hazzard....
– Appeared as Mr. Galbraith, J.J.'s boss at the ad agency.
- Rosalind Cash
Rosalind Cash was an American singer and actress, whose best known film role was as Charlton Heston's character's love interest Lisa, in the 1971 science fiction cult classic, The Omega Man...
– portrayed Thelma's teacher, Jessica Bishop, who becomes romantically involved with a much younger J.J.
- Ron Glass
Ronald E. "Ron" Glass is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as the witty Det. Ron Harris in the television sitcom Barney Miller , and as the spiritual Shepherd Derrial Book in the short-lived 2002 science fiction series Firefly and its sequel film Serenity.-Early life:Glass was...
– appeared as Michael's elementary school principal who met with James and Florida regarding busing Michael to another school. He also made an appearance as a blind encyclopedia salesman who tries to swindle the Evans family.
- Adam Wade – portrayed successful businessman Frank Mason, Willona's on-and-off boyfriend. During Season 3, he proposed marriage to Willona; she turned down his proposal, but continued to date him. (She had just adopted Penny and tending to her physical/emotional needs became her main priority.)
- Carl Franklin
Carl Franklin is an American actor, screenwriter and film and television director. Franklin is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley and continued his education at the AFI Conservatory, where he graduated with an M.F.A. degree in directing in 1986...
– played Larry, Thelma's fiance'. (James had originally objected their engagement, then relented.) Ultimately they break up when Larry is offered a job on the West Coast but Thelma isn't ready to accompany him.
- Debbi Morgan
Deborah "Debbi" Morgan is an American film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Dr. Angie Hubbard on the ABC soap opera All My Children, and for her role as The Seer in the fourth and fifth seasons of Charmed.Morgan joined the cast of The Young and the Restless as...
– appeared as a date of J.J.'s. Appeared in another episode as Ellen.
- Bebe Drake – appeared as Ms. Baker, the mother of Larry Baker, a boy who has problems hearing. Also made an earlier appearance as Savannah Jones, who J.J. painted an unflattering portrait of as a favor to her then-parnter Sweet Daddy Williams.
Initial success and ratings
The program premiered in February 1974; high ratings led CBS to renew the program for the 1974–1975 season, as it was the seventeenth-highest-rated program that year. During its first full season on the air, 1974–1975, the show was the seventh-highest-rated program in the
Nielsen ratingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
and a quarter of the American television-viewing public tuned in to an episode during any given week. Three of the top ten highest-rated programs on American TV that season centered around the lives of African-Americans: Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, and Good Times.
Good Timess ratings declined over time, partly because of its many timeslot times. In its third season, the series was that season's twenty-fourth-highest-rated program. The ratings went down when the show had entered its final season, likely due to a
Saturday night time slotA graveyard slot is a time period in which a television audience is very small compared to other times of the day, and therefore broadcast programming is considered far less important. Graveyard slots are usually in the early morning hours of each day, when most people are asleep...
:
- 1973–1974: #17 (14,166,800 households)
- 1974–1975: #7 (17,673,000 households)
- 1975–1976: #24 (14,616,000 households)
- 1976–1977: #26 (14,596,000 households)
- 1977–1978: #39
- 1978–1979: #45
Change in direction
Almost from the premiere episode, J.J., an aspiring artist, was the public's favorite character on the show and his frequently invoked catchphrase "Dy-no-mite" became very popular. As the series progressed through its second and third year Rolle and Amos, who played the Evans parents, grew increasingly disillusioned with the direction the show was taking as J.J.'s antics and stereotypically buffoonish behavior took precedence in the storylines. Rolle was rather vocal about disliking the character of J.J. in a 1975 interview with
EbonyEbony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
magazine.
"He's eighteen and he doesn't work. He can't read or write. He doesn't think. The show didn't start out to be that...Little by little—with the help of the artist, I suppose, because they couldn't do that to me—they have made J.J. more stupid and enlarged the role. Negative images have been slipped in on us through the character of the oldest child."
Although doing so less publicly, Amos also was outspoken about his dissatisfaction with J.J.'s character. The ill feelings came to a head when it came time to negotiate Amos' contract in the summer of 1976, and he was dismissed from the series.
"The writers would prefer to put a chicken hat on J.J. and have him prance around saying "DY-NO-MITE", and that way they could waste a few minutes and not have to write meaningful dialogue."
Departure of John Amos and Esther Rolle
Husband-and-wife team Austin and Irma Kalish were hired to oversee the day-to-day running of the show, replacing Allan Manings, who had become
executive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
when he was also working on another Lear sitcom,
One Day at a TimeOne Day at a Time is an American situation comedy on the CBS network that aired from December 16, 1975 until May 28, 1984. It portrays Ann Romano, a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper and Schneider, their building superintendent .The show...
. The Kalishes and Manings, as script supervisors, threw ideas to writers Roger Shulman,
John BaskinJohn Baskin is a television writer and producer known for series such as Three's Company, Good Times, The Jeffersons, and Crazy Like a Fox. He was twice nominated for the Humanitas Award.-External links:...
, and Bob Peete, and eventually penned an exit for Amos's character.
At the beginning of the 1976–1977 season in the episode "The Big Move", the family was packing to move from the
ghettoA ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
to a better life in Mississippi where James had found a job as a partner in a garage. At the end of the first episode that season, Florida learned via a telegram (which, at first, she thought was to congratulate her on her move) that James was killed in a car accident. It was the following episode in which, after spending most of the episode refusing to acknowledge and fully mourn James' death, she smashed a glass bowl on the floor and uttered her famous line: "Damn, damn, DAMN!". The show continued without a father, which was something Rolle did not want to pursue. One of the primary appeals of the project for her had been the presentation it initially offered of the strong black father leading his family. However, she stayed on hoping that the loss of the father's character would necessitate a shift in J.J.'s character, as J.J. would now become the man of the family. The writers did not take this approach; if anything, J.J.'s foolishness increased. Wanting no further part in such depictions, by the summer of 1977, Rolle left the series. She was written out as marrying and moving to
ArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
with her new love interest, Carl Dixon (
Moses Gunn).
Despite this, Good Times still performed well in the
Nielsen ratingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, ranking at number 26 for the 1976-77 season, making its fourth year breaking the top 30 rated programs.
Final seasons
With Amos and Rolle gone, Ja'net Du Bois took over as the star, as Willona checked in on the Evans children as they were now living alone. New characters were added or had their roles expanded:
Johnny BrownJohnny Brown is an American actor and singer. Brown is a nightclub and stage performer as well as a comic actor, and a regular cast member of the television series Laugh-in. Brown is mostly remembered for his chubby physique, wide ingratiating smile, mobile facial expressions, and easy pleasant...
as the overweight building superintendent Nathan Bookman, formerly a recurring character, became a regular; Ben Powers as Thelma's husband Keith Anderson; and
Janet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
as Penny Gordon Woods, an
abusedChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
girl adopted by Willona. Many viewers defected from the series, and the fifth season ranked only at number 39.
For the sixth and final season, Esther Rolle agreed to return to the show. There were several conditions, one was that the Carl Dixon character be written out as if he had never existed. Rolle disliked the storyline surrounding the Carl Dixon character, as she believed Florida would not have moved on so quickly after James' death. Rolle also thought the writers had disregarded Florida's devout
ChristianChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
beliefs having her fall for and marry Carl, who was an
atheistAtheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
. Other conditions of her return were that she would have a greater say in the storyline, J.J. would become a more respectable character, and that she would receive a raise in her salary.
Despite Rolle's return, viewers did not. CBS moved the series to Saturday nights in the fall of 1978, furthering the decline in ratings. Production ended in early 1979 after the final season ranked only 45th in the ratings.
The last original episode of Good Times aired in August 1979. In a
finaleA series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
atypical of the series in general, each character finally had a "happy ending." J.J. got his big break as an artist for a
comic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
company, after years of the audience waiting for such a development; his newly created character, DynoWoman, was based on Thelma. Michael attended college and moved into an on-campus dorm. Keith's bad knee miraculously healed, leading to the
Chicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
offering him a contract to play
footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. Keith and (a newly pregnant) Thelma moved to a luxury apartment in Chicago's upscale
Gold CoastThe Gold Coast Historic District is a historic district in Chicago, Illinois. Part of Chicago's Near North Side community area, it is roughly bounded by North Avenue, Lake Shore Drive, Oak Street, and Clark Street....
area and offered Florida the chance to move in with them (and her future grandchild). Willona became the head buyer of the boutique she worked in; she and Penny moved into the same luxury building and, once again, became Florida's downstairs neighbors.
Theme song and opening
The gospel-inspired theme song was composed by
Dave GrusinDavid Grusin is an American composer, arranger and pianist. Grusin has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy award and 12 Grammys...
with lyrics written by
AlanAlan Bergman is an American lyricist and songwriter.-Life & career:Born in Brooklyn, New York, he studied at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UCLA. His involvement in the entertainment industry began in the early 1950s as a director of children's television shows...
&
Marilyn BergmanMarilyn Bergman is a composer, songwriter and author.She was born Marilyn Keith in Brooklyn, New York and studied psychology and English at New York University...
. It was sung by
Jim GilstrapJim Gilstrap is an American singer best known for his work as a session musician and his 1975 solo hit single "Swing Your Daddy", as well as singing co-lead to the theme from the TV series Good Times.-Career:...
and Blinky Williams.
The lyrics to the theme song are notorious for being hard to discern, notably the line "Hanging in a chow line"/"Hanging in and jiving" (depending on the source used).
Dave ChappelleDavid Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...
used this part of the lyrics as a quiz in his "I Know Black People" skit on
Chappelle's ShowChappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...
in which the former was claimed as the answer. The insert for the Season One DVD box set has the lyric as "hangin' in a chow line". However, the Bergmans confirmed that the lyric is actually "hanging in and jiving."
Initial seasons featured the theme song played over stark visuals of an economically depressed Chicago neighborhood (in similar fashion to most of Norman Lear's other sitcoms of the time, which also depicted the characters' neighborhoods, using real footage of the cities in which they were set), before zooming in on a window of a housing project and then cutting to an oil painting of an African American family (presumably intended to represent one of J.J. Evans' paintings, as the character was depicted as a budding artist). Later seasons used the same theme song recording, but showed clips from various episodes, as the actors were credited.
Awards and nominations
| Year |
Award |
Result |
Category |
Recipient |
| 1975 |
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
|
Nominated |
Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy |
Esther Rolle |
| Best Supporting Actor - Television |
Jimmie Walker |
| 1976 |
Nominated |
Best Supporting Actor - Television |
Jimmie Walker |
| 1975 |
Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
|
Nominated |
30 Minute Category |
John Baskin and Roger Shulman
(For episode "The Lunch Money Ripoff") |
| 30 Minute Category |
Bob Peete
(For episode "My Girl Henrietta") |
| 2003 |
TV Land Award |
Nominated |
Catchiest Classic TV Catch Phrase
(Dy-no-mite!) |
- |
| 2005 |
Nominated |
Favorite Catch Phrase |
- |
| 2006 |
Won |
Impact Award |
John Amos, Ralph Carter, Ja'net DuBois, Esther Rolle (posthumously), BernNadette Stanis, and Jimmie Walker |
Syndication
The cable network TV One had aired reruns of the show since it's launch on January 19, 2004.
The sitcom also airs regularly on
TV LandTV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
. It first aired as a 48-hour marathon the weekend of July 23, 2005, with two more marathons following on the weekends of November 26, 2005, and May 6, 2006. However, TV Land airs the version of episodes that were edited for syndication, while TV One airs the original edits, as they were shown on during its CBS primetime run, albeit digitally remastered.
Good Times is also seen in Canada on
DejaViewDejaView is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Shaw Media. It airs television shows from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.-History:In November 2000, Global Television Network Inc...
, a specialty cable channel from Canwest. A selection of full episodes of the show is available to Canadians for free on
GlobalTV.com
MinisodesThe Minisode Network is a Sony Pictures Television internet television network launched in June 2007. The term minisode is a portmanteau of "mini" and "episode." Unlike webisodes, which are initially broadcast on the internet, minisodes are condensed versions of previously broadcast, full length,...
of the show are available for free on
CrackleCrackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
.
Good Times also began airing on digital subchannel
Antenna TVAntenna TV is an American digital broadcast television network, primarily featuring classic television series from the 1950s to the 1990s, along with some feature films. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, a division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
on January 3, 2011.
DVD releases
Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentSony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 between February 2003 and August 2006, with a complete box set following the separate seasons on October 28, 2008. Season 1 was released on DVD in Region 4 on December 27, 2006.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
| The Complete First Season |
13 |
February 4, 2003 |
| The Complete Second Season |
24 |
February 3, 2004 |
| The Complete Third Season |
24 |
August 10, 2004 |
| The Complete Fourth Season |
23 |
February 15, 2005 |
| The Complete Fifth Season |
24 |
August 23, 2005 |
| The Complete Sixth Season |
24 |
August 1, 2006 |
| The Complete Series |
133 |
October 28, 2008 |
External links
- Good Times at TVLand.com
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...