On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Similar to its parent sitcom, All in the Family, the Jeffersons explored controversial issues such as alcoholism, racism, suicide, being transgender, and much more, certainly making it one of the most importantsitcoms of all time. The show was a spin-off of The Jeffersons. Hemsley was so good, show creator Norman Lear waited years to be able to hire him. "Jeffersons" redirects here. It was a spinoff of a spinoff, centering on Maudes maid Florida (Esther Rolle) and her family. 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]. And as The New York Daily news reports, it was the first time in American television history that an interracial marriage was depicted in a regular series with the characters of Helen and Tom Willis. For further instructions click the link below to your TV model. Ernies wife is played byLynnie Godfreyand Goodies girlfriend who is white and Jewish is played byMaura Tierney. [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. WebIn 1975, George Jefferson was eager to move out of Queens. Edith's death in the context of the spin-offmade Archie a widow, and though he missed Edith terribly, he continued on with his pub and focused on taking care of Edith's young relative, Stephanie Mills (Danielle Brisebois). The Bunkers and their neighbors, the Jeffersons,developed relationships with other characters, many of whom got spin-offs of their own. Henry Jefferson was never seen again. It was funny and entertaining. [1] In an episode of Tyler Perry's House of Payne in 2011, Sherman Hemsley and Marla Gibbs reprised their roles of George Jefferson and Florence Johnston. Thats bullshit.. Faced with low ratings, the series was cancelled, and the final episode aired on April 30, 1981. 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). During the January 11, 1975 episode of All in the Family, titled "The Jeffersons Move Up", Edith Bunker gave a tearful good-bye to her neighbor Louise Jefferson as her husband George, their son Lionel, and she moved from a working-class section of Queens, New York, into the luxurious Colby East, a fictitious high-rise apartment complex on East 63rd Street in Manhattan. [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. Russell) who dated the girl down the block (Maura Tierney). 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. Your subscription to our list has been confirmed. [3] At the beginning of The Jeffersons, he was operating five stores throughout New York City, with another two opening during the following seasons. 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. The third episode, "Whose Side Are You On? It was funny and entertaining. [10] Sherman Hemsley guest-starred as George in two episodes of the series, which lasted for one season. Lionel is introduced in the pilot, and is a core cast member for season one. Before the 1970s, there hadn't been any TV shows with majority Black casts in decades, and the Black characters that did appear on television were usually not particularly grounded in reality. Lionel is introduced in the pilot, and is a core cast member for season one. But the real reason was more pragmatic: Norman Lear had created the character for Sherman Hemsley, but Hemsley was under contract for the play Purlie and refused to break his contract. Thanks to Lear and his characters, 70s TV audiences saw and heard things they never had before in primetime. Norman Lear's 1975 spinoff of All in the Family remains a unique show. The show was a spinoff from "All in the Family." Jenny and Lionel became a couple, married on December 24, 1976, and later became the parents of a daughter, Jessica (played by Ebonie Smith). 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 This show wasnt very successful, however. George Jefferson was, in some ways, a black version of the white anti-hero Archie Bunker. Oddly, whenGood Timesbegan in February of 1974, no mention was made of Maude or how the Evanses got from New York to the Chicago. [24][25] He also became known for addressing the Jeffersons as "Mr. J" and "Mrs. Fun fact: Both Macy and Rodd played different characters onAll In The Familyjust weeks before Lear cast them onMaude. Dont miss on getTV:While theres no direct Bunker connection,Checking Indoes featureLiz Torresas Florences assistant. The show was a spin-off of The Jeffersons. Sherman Hemsley was nominated for Best Actor in 1984. When it flopped, Florence returned to work for George and Louise. [11] The cancellation of The Jeffersons cleared the way for Marla Gibbs, who played Florence Johnston on the series, to move on to the NBC sitcom 227 in the fall of 1985, a year earlier than scheduled. George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) doesnt make his debut until season four, because Hemsley was committed to the Broadway showPurlie. [8] The Jeffersons' sixth season peaked at No. Charlie was also revealed to be an alcoholic in the season 11 episode "A Secret in the Back Room", in which Charlie is in denial, but the Jeffersons eventually get him to admit to his problem and advise him to get some help. The sitcom featured Burgess Meredith and Jo de Winter, and lasted one season. In the 1984-85 season, CBS aired a forgotten comedy called E/R, starring Elliot Gould. Looking back on decades past, it'sremarkable how seven shows followedAll in the Familyand belong to its universe. 3). Lionel is the first Jefferson to be seen onAll in the Family, but his parents become an important part of the show, too. This show wasnt very successful, however. Checking Infound Florence as executive housekeeper at a New York City Hotel. In some ways, 1975 doesn't seem so long agobut it was truly a different time in more ways than one. The Jeffersons ended up lasting 11 seasons, beating All In The Family's 9 seasons. Early seasons of the show used racial epithets for both Black and white characters fairly often, but as time went on Hemsley thought his character should be evolving and stop using expressions like "honky." Archie and Mike are always butting heads since Archie is politically conservative and Mike is usually portrayed as being liberal. 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. 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. This show wasnt very successful, however. 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. [19] The Jeffersons premiered the following week, on January 18, 1975.[8]. Mike Evans would leave The Jeffersons to work behind the camera for another show in the All in the Family family tree Good Times. [7], In its first season (197475), the show ranked at number four, surpassed by its parent series All in the Family (which landed at number one for the fifth year in a row). Many people can't help but note that the main difference between The Jeffersons and other successful sitcoms that both enjoyed stable a time slot and received a formal finale episode is the color of the cast's skin. The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence, who takes a job as cleaning management at a hotel. Often, people calling in to book flights would tell her that her voice sounded familiar, and she'd just laugh it off. All In The Family(19711979 205 episodes plus two un-aired pilots). The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence, who takes a job as cleaning management at a hotel. Checking In premiered on CBS on April 9, 1981, and lasted for only four episodes in the Thursday, 8:00p.m. EST timeslot. 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 [44] Season 8 was released on August 11, 2015. 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. WebThe Jeffersons: Created by Norman Lear, Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, Bernard West. 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. [9] The Jeffersons also shared continuity with the sitcom E/R, which featured Lynne Moody who made a guest appearance in one episode of The Jeffersons. 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. 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. Happy Daysalso had five spin-offs between 1976 and 1979. Although this backstory wasn't explicitly referenced, it showed up in the writing. Maudealso introducedJohn Amosas Floridas husband Henry later changed to James and established their marital dynamic in preparation for the spinoff. Shows like Sanford and Son and Good Times had all-Black main casts and made an attempt to depict Black American life more realistically. All In The Familyfans will recognize Torres as Teresa Betancourt, the hospital worker who rents Mike And Glorias room when they move out. 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 successful series ran for six seasons and, like its predecessor, dealt with some serious issues during its day. We cant talk about the offspring without a few words about the parent. But as BET notes, The Jeffersons was a real departure not only because it was just the second African-American sitcom to hit the top five in ratings, or because Isabel Sanford was just the second Black actress to win an Emmy Award for Best Actress. The actors found out through the media reports or when friends contacted them to ask about it. 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. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The cast commonly visited the bar for a drink or to attend a party. 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). Dont miss on getTV:Cousin Maudes Visit(December 11, 1971) andMaude(March 11, 1972). You would be, too, if your neighbor was Archie Bunker. The final spin-off of this world of Norman Lear shows is704 Hauser. It's remarkable that seven shows followed All in the Family and belong to its universe. WebFor her full interview, see http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/isabel-sanford 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.. ", "The Jeffersons 'The Complete 8th Season' Getting a DVD Release this Summer", "Isabel Sanford, Emmy-Winning Actress Who Created "Weezie" Jefferson on TV and Stage, Dead at 86", "See the star-studded 'All in the Family/The Jeffersons' live cast get into character", The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons, The 200th Episode Celebration of All in the Family, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Jeffersons&oldid=1141363779, Television series by Sony Pictures Television, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2022, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles needing additional references from January 2017, All articles needing additional references, Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Ebonie Smith as Jessica Jefferson (season 11), Moriarty, Jay (2020). Five is a lot, but its not a record. 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. Which makes it curious that its network, CBS, treated it as if the show was in trouble. WebFor her full interview, see http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/isabel-sanford The Jeffersons spawned the television show Checking In. This show followed the Jeffersons maid Florence Johnston as she worked at a hotel in Manhattan. A top 20 show for most of its 11 seasons, The Jeffersons was canceled abruptly without an official series finale. 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. Dont miss on getTV:Archie Gets The Business(October 2, 1977) for the episode where Archie buys the bar from Kelsey (Frank Maxwell) andLittle Miss Bunker(September 24, 1979) for the introduction of Stephanie. released season 7 on DVD in Region 1. With Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover. NEXT:Younger & 9 Other Shows Or Movies That Couldn't Have Existed Before Social Media, All In The Family And Its 7 Spin-offs, In Chronological Order, shows and movies turn 50 years old in 2021, 10 Sitcom Characters With Supernatural Abilities, Ranked By Power, Mike is usually portrayed as being liberal. ", "How 'All in the Family' Spawned the Most Spinoffs of Any Sitcom", "All in the Family Season 5, Episode 16 The Jeffersons Move Up", "Actor Paul Benedict, 70, Leaves the Stage", "Zara Cully: Known for Role as 'Mother Jefferson' on the Jeffersons", "Ned Wertimer, character actor known as 'The Jeffersons' doorman, dies at 89", "The Jeffersons Season 10 Episode 16: My Guy, George", https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/78-OCR/1978-05-01-BC-OCR-Page-0036.pdf, https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/79-OCR/BC-1979-06-18-OCR-Page-0056.pdf#search=%22rounding%20up%20the%20ratings%22, "The Norman Lear Experience: His Shows, His Honesty and One Thing He Wanted to Do", "Mill Creek Entertainment Signs Deals With Sony Pictures Home Entertainment To Expand Their Distribution Partnership", "Mill Creek's Re-Releases for Next Month Get Great DVD Package Art", "The Jeffersons CORRECT DATE, Packaging for 'The Complete Series: The Deee-luxe Edition', "Great Extras Revealed for 'The Complete Series: The Deee-luxe Edition', "The Jeffersons Shout! It became Tandems longest running show, with 11 seasons. WebThis spinoff from "All in the Family" is about literal upward mobility - African- American couple George and Louise Jefferson move into a swanky high-rise building. At least stories featuring Black people were being told, and Black actors were getting significant roles on TV. More importantly, as one of the writers on the show, Jay Moriarty, told The Hollywood Times, Archie Bunker's bigotry is "pure prejudice" while George Jefferson's bigotry is a reaction to that prejudice. Mike Evans ("Lionel") left the show after the first season; his replacement was Damon Evans (no relation),[6] who took over the role until halfway through the fourth season. The Black experience wasn't portrayed muchor at allon television prior to the 1970s. 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. But he's actually one of the most complex characters in TV history. 1. 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. WebThe Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. In the 1984-85 season, CBS aired a forgotten comedy called E/R, starring Elliot Gould. 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. He also used it in a blackmail manner, usually requiring George to pay more in order to keep his mouth shut about something such as a stock tip. Gloria and Mike are no longer together, so Gloria and her son, Joey, leave California and go home to New York. As noted by Ebony, many of the actors working on The Jeffersons were serious artists with a lot of training. Most television is ephemeral. WebThe Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. Today were heading back to Manhattan, to revisit our favorite family, The Jeffersons. 1. His writers onArchie Bunkers Placewrote a pilot for Struthers that CBS rejected and OConnor had no further involvement, despite the fact that he was still playing Archie Bunker. 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. [36], The Jeffersons changed time slots at least 15 different times during its 11-year run, unusual for a popular long running series. No episode was centered on Mother Jefferson's death, but it was occasionally mentioned that she had died in future episodes. Variety said it underscored that sitcoms this year are treading more realistic areas than the dramatic series., Also in the second season, Maude decided to have an abortion. All in the Familyis famous for its prejudiced patriarch, Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor). However, Mike Evans appeared for only one more season, along with Tolbert. The cast was not informed until after the July 2, 1985, episode, "Red Robins"; actor Sherman Hemsley, who portrayed George Jefferson, said he learned that the show was canceled by reading it in the newspaper. Also worth noting: in the fifth season, Janet Jackson joined the cast. In that regard,Good Timesis more like a reboot of Rolle and Amoss characters than a spinoff. [41], On August 8, 2014, it was announced that Shout! Gibbs then returned to her regular role on The Jeffersons and it was explained that the St. Frederick Hotel had burned down. And then there's The Jeffersons. Situation comediesaka "sitcoms"aren't always noted for their complex writing and deeply-imagined characters. RELATED:10 Iconic Black TV Shows That Defined The Culture. [17] Lear consulted with his associate Al Burton on the concept. Bunker has no reason to hate Blacks or to view them as inferior. 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. The Jeffersons ended in controversy after CBS abruptly canceled the series without allowing for a proper series finale. Until then, Lear created the character of Henry Jefferson, George's brother. Gibbs then returned to The Jeffersons.. 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. 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. The episode marked the final appearance of Henry throughout the series. Florence often teased George, mostly about his short stature and receding hairline. Dont miss on getTV:Lear got the name Cumberbatch from an early episode of ofAll In The FamilycalledWriting The President(January 19, 1971). After eight seasons, Lear thoughtAll In The Familyhad run its course, but OConnor didnt agree. [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. The show was a spinoff from "All in the Family." WebThe Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. As New Ravel notes, when his requests for change were ignored he began deliberately flubbing his lines or saying the offensive words too low for the microphones to pick up, forcing the producers to reshoot scenes again and again. The song was co-written by Ja'Net DuBois, who portrayed Willona on Norman Lear's other show, Good Times, and Jeff Barry. OConnor didnt like it either, apparently. As discussed by critic Robert E. Crafton, an insurance settlement allowed George to quit his job and launch his first dry-cleaning business, which in turn allowed the Jeffersons to move from Harlem to Queens (becoming Archie Bunker's neighbors in the process), and finally to make the move to Manhattan. WebThe Jeffersons: Created by Norman Lear, Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, Bernard West. Lear originally intended for George to appear in the first season of the series, however, Hemsley was starring in the Broadway musical Purlie at the time, and Lear decided to postpone introduction of the character until Hemsley was available. 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. Marla Gibbs portrayed the role of Florence Johnston, the Jeffersons' back-talking, tough, wisecracking, and devoutly religious housekeeper. 0. [8] Damon Evans's last episode was "Lionel Gets the Business". 4. More than 20 years after AITF, Lear created 704 Hauser, the address of the Bunkers former house, again inhabited by two battling generations. Checking In lasted only four episodes, after which Florence returned to The Jeffersons with the story that the hotel had burned down in a fire. [1][4], The show focuses on George and Louise Jefferson, a prosperous African-American couple who have been able to move from Queens to Manhattan owing to the success of George's dry-cleaning chain, Jefferson Cleaners.