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*Another inconsistency that was never mentioned was James Evans Sr.'s name change. On ''Maude'', he was always known as Henry Evans. As a matter of fact, on the episode of ''Maude'' that aired the week before ''Good Times'' premiered, Florida made her last appearance, and her husband was known as Henry Evans. Henry Evans was also the name of James Evans's estranged father, who made 3 appearances on the show and was played by Richard Ward. | *Another inconsistency that was never mentioned was James Evans Sr.'s name change. On ''Maude'', he was always known as Henry Evans. As a matter of fact, on the episode of ''Maude'' that aired the week before ''Good Times'' premiered, Florida made her last appearance, and her husband was known as Henry Evans. Henry Evans was also the name of James Evans's estranged father, who made 3 appearances on the show and was played by Richard Ward. | ||
*], while interviewing ] on the ], referred to Amos as the best actor he ever met. Stern gave Amos this accolade due to the fact that Amos was constantly able on the show to refer to ]'s character Florida as beautiful without cracking up or throwing up. According to Stern, this was acting at it's finest, especially when the script called for Amos to kiss Rolle. | |||
*Ralph Carter's character shares the same name as ''Good Times'' co-creator ]. Evans portrayed Lionel Jefferson on '']'' and its ] '']''. | *Ralph Carter's character shares the same name as ''Good Times'' co-creator ]. Evans portrayed Lionel Jefferson on '']'' and its ] '']''. |
Revision as of 04:15, 14 March 2007
- This article is about the 1970s television show. For other uses of "Good Times", see Good Times (disambiguation)
Good Times | |
---|---|
Good Times title screen | |
Created by | Eric Monte Michael Evans |
Starring | Esther Rolle (1974-1977), (1978-1979) John Amos (1974-1976) Ja'net Du Bois Jimmie Walker Bern Nadette Stanis Ralph Carter Johnny Brown (1977-1979) Janet Jackson (1977-1979) Ben Powers (1978-1979) |
Opening theme | Dave Grusin |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 133 |
Production | |
Executive producers | Allan Manings Norman Lear |
Running time | approx. 0:23 (per episode) |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | February 8, 1974 – August 1, 1979 |
Good Times was an American sitcom that was originally broadcast from February 1, 1974 until August 1, 1979 on the CBS television network. The program was a spin-off of the sitcom Maude (itself a spin-off of All in the Family). Good Times was created by Eric Monte and Michael Evans, and produced by Norman Lear.
The first two seasons of Good Times were taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood, California. The show moved to Metromedia Square, Norman Lear's own production facility, in the fall of 1975.
Synopsis
Template:Spoiler Good Times starred Esther Rolle as Florida Evans and John Amos as her husband, James Evans, Sr. The characters originated on Maude as Florida and Henry Evans, with Florida employed as Maude's housekeeper in upstate New York. When producers decided to feature the Florida character in her own show, they applied retroactive changes to the characters' history. Henry's name became James, there was no mention of Maude, and the couple now lived and always had lived in Chicago.
Good Times was based on Eric Monte's childhood. Florida and James Evans had three children and the family rented an apartment in a housing project (implicitly the infamous Cabrini-Green projects, shown in the opening and closing credits but never mentioned by name on the show) in a poor, black neighborhood in inner-city Chicago. Florida and James' children were J. J. (Jimmie Walker), Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis), and Michael (Ralph Carter). 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 activism, was eleven years old. Their exuberant neighbor, and Florida's best friend, was Willona Woods (played by Ja'net Du Bois), a recent divorcée.
Jimmie Walker (J.J) was actually 26 years old when the show aired in 1974. BernNadette Stanis (Thelma) was 20, Ralph Carter (Michael) was 12, John Amos ( James ) was 34, Esther Rolle (Florida) was 53 (19 years older than Amos), and Ja'net DuBois (Wilona) was 35.
Topical situations
As was the case on other Norman Lear sitcoms, the characters and subject matter in Good Times were a breakthrough for American television. Working class characters had certainly been featured in sitcoms before (dating back at least to The Honeymooners), but never before had a weekly series featured African American characters living in such impoverished conditions. (Fred and Lamont Sanford of Sanford and Son, though they lived in the poor area of Watts, at least had their own home and business.) Episodes of Good Times dealt with the characters' attempts to get by in an inner-city ghetto despite all the odds stacked against them. When he wasn't unemployed, James Evans usually worked at least two jobs, many of them temporary such as a dish washer or car washer, 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.
Initial success
The program premiered in February of 1974; high ratings led CBS to renew the program for the 1974–1975 season. During its first full season on the air, 1974–1975, the show was the seventh-highest-rated program in the Nielsen ratings and a quarter of the American television-viewing public tuned in to an episode during any given week. During 1974–1975, three of the top ten highest-rated programs on American TV centered around the lives of African-Americans: Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, and Good Times. Good Times's ratings however, declined over time partly because of the many times the show was moved around the CBS schedule.
Backstage tension
Almost from the premiere episode, J.J., an aspiring artist, was the public's favorite character on the show and his frequently-invoked catch phrase "Dy-no-mite" became very popular. As the series progressed through its second and third year, however, Rolle and Amos, who played the Evans parents, grew more 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 Ebony 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.
- — Esther Rolle
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.
- — John Amos
The Big Move
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 producer at a time when he was also working on another Lear sitcom, One Day at a Time. The Kalishes and Manings, as script supervisors, threw ideas to writers Roger Shulman, John Baskin, and Bob Peete, and eventually penned an exit for Amos's character.
At the beginning of the 1976–1977 season, the family was packing to move from the ghetto 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. 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 heading 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, however; if anything, J.J.'s foolishness only 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 Arizona with her new love interest, Carl Dixon (Moses Gunn).
Rolle had disliked the Carl Dixon character, as she believed Florida would have not moved on so quickly after James' death. Rolle also thought the writers had disregarded Florida's devout Christian beliefs by making her fall for Carl, who was an atheist. When Rolle eventually agreed to return to the show, there were several conditions. One of which was that the Carl Dixon character be written out as if he never existed. Another condition of her return was she would have a greater say in the story line and J.J. would become a more respectable character as well as a raise in pay.
Good Times without the parents
With Amos and Rolle gone, Ja'net Du Bois took over as the star, checking on the Evans children as they were now living alone. New characters were added or had their roles expanded: Johnny Brown as the overweight building superintendent Nathan Bookman; Ben Powers as Thelma's husband Keith Anderson; and Janet Jackson as Penny Gordon Woods, an abused girl adopted by Willona.
It was at this time that many viewers defected from the series, and although Florida returned (the writers had finally let J.J.'s character mature to a point that Rolle found tolerable) for the sixth season in 1978, the viewers did not, and production was halted abruptly in early 1979.
The last original episode of Good Times aired in the summer of 1979. In a series finale typical of the series, each character had a "happy ending." J.J. finally got his big break as an artist for a comic book company, after years of the audience waiting for such a development. J.J.'s newly-created character, DynoWoman was based on Thelma herself. Michael attended college and moved into an on-campus dorm. Keith's bad knee miraculously healed, leading to the Chicago Bears offering him a contract to play football. Keith and (a newly pregnant) Thelma moved to a luxury apartment across town and offered Florida the chance to move in with them. Willona became the head buyer of the boutique she worked in and she and Penny move in to the same building and become their downstairs neighbors (yet again).
List of Good Times Episodes
Good Times had over 133 episodes, and six seasons (1974-1979) on CBS, here are a list of the 133 episodes, including the two-part episodes and four-part episodes.
Episode Number | Episode Title | Original Air Date | Episode Summary |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Getting Up The Rent | February 8, 1974 | In The Series premiere, Florida, James and their kids (Michael, Thelma, and J.J.) are struggling to stay in their apartment, but when the Landlord announces that the family is getting evicted from the building, James and J.J. sets out to get the money for the rent. |
2 | Black Jesus | February 15, 1974 | J.J. Paints a Black version of Jesus, and Michael likes the painting, however, Florida objects to the painting, and it brings Willona, J.J., Thelma, and James all good luck. |
3 | Too Old Blues | February 22, 1974 | James gets a Job, but there are odds about the career he is getting. |
4 | God's Business Is Good Business | March 1, 1974 | A Slick Preacher named Reverend Sam (Roscoe Lee Browne) finally fleeces his flock, when he asks his old buddy, James to tag along on a trip that is not so good. |
5 | Michael Gets Suspended | March 8, 1974 | |
6 | Junior Gets a Patron | March 15, 1974 | |
7 | Sex and The Evans Family | March 22, 1974 | |
8 | Junior The Senior | March 29, 1974 | |
9 | The Visitor | April 5, 1974 | |
10 | Springtime In The Ghetto | April 12, 1974 | |
11 | The TV Commercial | April 19, 1974 | |
12 | The Checkup | May 3, 1974 | |
13 | My Son, The Lover | May 10, 1974 | |
14 | Florida Flips | September 10, 1974 | |
15 | J.J. Becomes a Man (1) (a.k.a.) J.J. Gets Arrested | September 17, 1974 | |
16 | J.J. Becomes a Man (2) (a.k.a.) J.J. Gets Arrested | September 24, 1974 | |
17 | Crosstown Buses Run All Day, Doo-Dah, Doo-Dah | October 1, 1974 | |
18 | The Man I Most Admire | October 8, 1974 | |
19 | Thelma's Young Man | October 15, 1974 | |
20 | The I.Q. Test | October 22, 1974 | |
21 | The Encyclopedia Hustle | October 29, 1974 | |
22 | The Gang (1) (a.k.a.) J.J. and The Gang | November 12, 1974 | |
23 | The Gang (2) (a.k.a.) J.J. and The Gang | November 19, 1974 | |
24 | Florida, The Matchmaker (a.k.a.) The Matchmaker | November 26, 1974 | |
25 | The Windfall | December 3, 1974 | |
26 | Sometimes There Is No Bottom in The Bottle | December 10, 1974 | |
27 | Florida's Big Gig | December 31, 1974 | |
28 | Florida Goes To School | January 7, 1975 | |
29 | The Nude | January 14, 1975 | |
30 | The Family Business | January 21, 1975 | |
31 | The Debutante Ball | February 4, 1975 | |
32 | The Dinner Party | February 11, 1975 | |
33 | The Houseguest | February 18, 1975 | |
34 | My Girl Henrietta | February 25, 1975 | |
35 | The Enlistment | March 4, 1975 | |
36 | Thelma's Scholarship | March 11, 1975 | |
37 | The Lunch Money Ripoff | March 18, 1975 | |
38 | A Real Cool Job | September 9, 1975 | |
39 | The Family Gun | September 16, 1975 | |
40 | Operation Florida | September 23, 1975 | |
41 | Love In The Ghetto | September 30, 1975 | |
42 | Florida's Rich Cousin (a.k.a.) Cousin Edgar | October 7, 1975 | |
43 | The Weekend | October 14, 1975 | |
44 | The Baby | October 21, 1975 | |
45 | Michael's Big Fall | October 28, 1975 | |
46 | The Politicians | November 4, 1975 | |
47 | Willona's Dilemma | November 11, 1975 | |
48 | Florida's Protest | November 25, 1975 | |
49 | The Mural | December 2, 1975 | |
50 | A Loss of Confidence | December 9, 1975 | |
51 | Cleatus | December 16, 1975 | |
52 | The Family Tree | December 23, 1975 | |
53 | A Place To Die | December 30, 1975 | |
54 | J.J.'s Fiancee (1) | January 6, 1976 | |
55 | J.J.'s Fiancee (2) | January 13, 1976 | |
56 | Sweet Daddy Williams | January 20, 1976 | |
57 | The Investigation | January 27, 1976 | |
58 | J.J. In Trouble | February 3, 1976 | |
59 | The Break-Up | February 17, 1976 | |
60 | Florida The Woman | February 24, 1976 | |
61 | The Rent Party | March 2, 1976 | |
62 | The Big Move (1) | September 22, 1976 | |
63 | The Big Move (2) | September 29, 1976 | |
64 | J.J. and The Older Woman | October 6, 1976 | |
65 | Michael, The Warlord | October 13, 1976 | |
66 | Michael's Great Romance | October 20, 1976 | |
67 | Evans Versus Davis | October 27, 1976 | |
68 | J.J.'s New Career (1) | November 10, 1976 | |
69 | J.J.'s New Career (2) | November 17, 1976 | |
70 | Grandpa's Visit (a.k.a.) Grandpa's New Love | November 24, 1976 | |
71 | Rich Is Better Than Poor...Maybe? | December 8, 1976 | |
72 | Florida's Night Out | December 15, 1976 | |
73 | The Judy Cohen Story | December 22, 1976 | |
74 | The Comedian and The Loan Sharks | January 5, 1977 | |
75 | The Hustle | January 12, 1977 | |
76 | Thelma's African Romance (1) | January 19, 1977 | |
77 | Thelma's African Romance (2) | January 19, 1977 | |
78 | Willona's Surprise | January 26, 1977 | |
79 | A Friend In Need | February 2, 1977 | |
80 | A Stormy Relationship | February 9, 1977 | |
81 | Florida and Carl | February 23, 1977 | |
82 | My Son, The Father | March 2, 1977 | |
83 | J.J. In Business (a.k.a.) The Greeting Card Business | March 9, 1977 | |
84 | Love Has a Spot on His Lung (1) | March 23, 1977 | |
85 | Love Has a Spot on His Lung (2) | March 30, 1977 | |
86 | The Evans Get Involved (1) | September 21, 1977 | |
87 | The Evans Get Involved (2) | September 21, 1977 | |
88 | The Evans Get Involved (3) | September 28, 1977 | |
89 | The Evans Get Involved (4) | October 5, 1977 | |
90 | Thelma Moves Out | October 12, 1977 | |
91 | Willona, The Fuzz | October 19, 1977 | |
92 | Wheels | November 2, 1977 | |
93 | Breaker, Breaker | November 9, 1977 | |
94 | Bye-Bye, Bookman | November 16, 1977 | |
95 | Thelma's Brief Encounter | December 7, 1977 | |
96 | Requiem For a Wino | December 14, 1977 | |
97 | Penny's Christmas | December 21, 1977 | |
98 | No More Mr. Nice Guy | January 4, 1978 | |
99 | Willona's Mr. Right | January 11, 1978 | |
100 | J.J. and The Boss' Daughter | January 18, 1978 | |
101 | Where's There's Smoke | January 25, 1978 | |
102 | I Had a Dream | January 30, 1978 | |
103 | The Boarder | February 6, 1978 | |
104 | J.J.'s Condition | February 13, 1978 | |
105 | Willona, The Other Woman | February 27, 1978 | |
106 | Something Old, Something New | March 13, 1978 | |
108 | Write On, Thelma | March 27, 1978 | |
109 | That's Entertainment, Evans Style | April 3, 1978 | |
110 | Florida's Homecoming (1) | September 16, 1978 | |
111 | Florida's Homecoming (2) | September 16, 1978 | |
112 | Florida's Homecoming (3) (a.k.a.) The Wedding | September 23, 1978 | |
113 | Florida's Homecoming (4) (a.k.a.) United We Stand | September 30, 1978 | |
114 | Florida Gets a Job | October 7, 1978 | |
115 | Stomach Mumps | October 14, 1978 | |
116 | J.J., The Teacher | October 21, 1978 | |
117 | Michael's Decision | November 8, 1978 | |
118 | J.J. and The Plumber's Helper | December 2, 1978 | |
119 | The Witness | December 9, 1978 | |
120 | The Snow Storm | December 13, 1978 | |
121 | The Traveling Christmas | December 20, 1978 | |
122 | House Hunting | January 3, 1979 | |
123 | Florida's Favorite Passenger (1) | May 16, 1979 | |
124 | Florida's Favorite Passenger (2) | May 23, 1979 | |
125 | Blood Will Tell | May 30, 1979 | |
126 | Where All The Doctors Have Gone? | June 6, 1979 | |
127 | J.J. and T.C. | June 20, 1979 | |
128 | The Physical | July 4, 1979 | |
129 | A Matter of Mothers | July 11, 1979 | |
130 | The Art Contest | July 18, 1979 | |
131 | The Evans Dilemma | July 25, 1979 | |
132 | Cousin Raymond | July 25, 1979 | |
133 | The End of The Rainbow | August 1, 1979 |
Television Reruns
In addition, the network TV One (which can be seen on Comcast cable systems as well as DirecTV) airs the show in a programming block with another African-American sitcom, 227.
The sitcom has also aired on TV Land as a 48-hour marathon the weekends of July 23, 2005, 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.
CBS also aired reruns of Good Times during the afternoons from 1976-78.
In late 2006 or early 2007, Good Times was pulled from the TV Land lineup along with several other shows (most notably Happy Days) to make room for some new programming. The show will be returning in mid-February with a 48-hour weekend marathon.
DVD Releases
Sony Pictures Entertainment has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1.
Season Releases
Cover Art | DVD Name | Release Date | Additional Information |
---|---|---|---|
File:Good Times S1.jpg | The Complete First Season | February 4 2003 | Includes all 13 episodes from Season 1. |
File:Goodtimesecondseason.jpg | The Complete Second Season | February 3 2004 | Inlcudes all 24 episodes from Season 2 |
File:Good Times S3.jpg | The Complete Third Season | August 10 2004 | Includes all 24 episodes from Season 3. |
File:Good Times S4.jpg | The Complete Fourth Season | February 15 2005 | Includes all 23 episodes from Season 4. |
File:Good Times S5.jpg | The Complete Fifth Season | August 23 2005 | Includes all 24 episodes from Season 5. |
File:Good Times S6.jpg | The Complete Sixth Season | August 1 2006 | Includes all 24 episodes from Season 6. |
Trivia
This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. |
- The opening credits depict the famous Chicago Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago. In the opening credits, the building seems depicted prior to its renovation and revitalization.
- The cover art for the Good Times DVD releases do not correspond with the season in which it aired. For example, the second season box set photograph (seen above) was actually taken in the fall of 1976, the show's fourth season. Another photograph from the same photo shoot can be seen on the Good Times fourth season box set. To differentiate, the characters' clothes were given different colors, and the character of Nathan Bookman was photoshopped out, replaced by James Evans, who was still on the show in the second season.
- Parts of the lyrics to the theme music are notorious for being hard to discern - notably the "Hangin' in a chow line"/"Hangin' in and Jivin'" lyric (depending on the source used). Dave Chappelle used this part of the lyrics as a test in his "I Know Black People" Skit/Quiz on Chappelle's Show in which the former was claimed as the answer. The "liner notes" for the Season One DVD box set confirm that the proper lyric is "hangin' in a chow line".
- Another inconsistency that was never mentioned was James Evans Sr.'s name change. On Maude, he was always known as Henry Evans. As a matter of fact, on the episode of Maude that aired the week before Good Times premiered, Florida made her last appearance, and her husband was known as Henry Evans. Henry Evans was also the name of James Evans's estranged father, who made 3 appearances on the show and was played by Richard Ward.
- Howard Stern, while interviewing John Amos on the Howard Stern Radio Show, referred to Amos as the best actor he ever met. Stern gave Amos this accolade due to the fact that Amos was constantly able on the show to refer to Esther Rolle's character Florida as beautiful without cracking up or throwing up. According to Stern, this was acting at it's finest, especially when the script called for Amos to kiss Rolle.
- Ralph Carter's character shares the same name as Good Times co-creator Michael Evans. Evans portrayed Lionel Jefferson on All in the Family and its spinoff The Jeffersons.
- One of the consistent themes of Good Times during the first three seasons was James' inability to find a well-paying, long-term job. John Amos would later have recurring roles on several TV series as characters with excellent jobs, such as an NFL coach (In the House), the mayor of Washington, D.C. (The District), and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (The West Wing).
- Comedian Chris Rock has based the father character in his TV series Everybody Hates Chris on John Amos' portrayal of James Evans Sr. "I kind of wanted to give him that James Evans nobility," Rock told TV critics in the summer of 2005.
- John Amos's portrayal of James Evans Sr. is frequently cited as perhaps the most realistic depiction of an African-American father in television history. James' death is almost universally recognized as the moment when the series "jumped the shark".
- James Evans Sr. serves as the template for other strong African-American TV fathers, including Lester Jenkins (227), Phillip Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), and J.C. Williams (New York Undercover).
- Former Our Gang child actor Matthew "Stymie" Beard appeared in five episodes, including four appearances as James' friend Monty.
- Carl Franklin, who portrayed Thelma's boyfriend Larry in two episodes in Season 3, later became a successful movie director. Among his films are the Ashley Judd-Morgan Freeman film High Crimes, and the Denzel Washington films Devil in a Blue Dress and Out of Time.
- J.J.'s paintings were actually created by African-American artist Ernie Barnes. The series helped to make the artist and his distinctive style famous.
- The first-season episode "Black Jesus" (where J.J. uses Ned the Wino as the model for a portrait of Jesus) was one of the first times that a primetime television series challenged the notion that Jesus had a Caucasian or European appearance (the first time being an All In The Family (also a Norman Lear production) episode from 1972 in which Henry Jefferson and Archie Bunker square off about the color of Jesus' skin).
- The third-season episode "J.J. in Trouble" was one of the first times that the subject of STDs (then referred to as "VD") was addressed on a prime time television series. A 25-year old Jay Leno appears briefly in this episode.
- The fifth-season episode "Wheels" introduces J.J.'s three best friends Poppo (Randy Martin), Cool Breeze (Larry Beecham), and Head (T.K. Carter). Collectively, the quartet refer to themselves as "The Awesome Foursome".
- In 1975, John Amos and Jimmie Walker both appeared in the Sidney Poitier-Bill Cosby film Let's Do It Again.
- In 1986, Ja'net Du Bois appeared briefly in the video for Janet Jackson's hit single "Control". Du Bois portrays Jackson's mother, reminiscent of the mother-daughter roles they played on Good Times.
- In 1989, Esther Rolle portrays Lena Younger in a PBS TV production of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, an immensely popular play about another struggling African-American family from Chicago's South Side. Mrs. Johnson is portrayed by Helen Martin, who played Wanda on Good Times.
- In 1997, Good Times is parodied on a fourth-season episode of The Wayans Bros. entitled "Unspoken Token". In a "fantasy" sequence, the Wayans Bros. cast assumes the roles of Good Times characters, with Shawn Wayans (Shawn) as J.J., Marlon Wayans (Marlon) as Michael, John Witherspoon (Pops) as James, Anna Maria Horsford (Dee) as Florida, and Ja'net Du Bois (Grandma) reprising her role as Willona. Bern Nadette Stanis and Johnny Brown make special guest appearances in their roles as Thelma and Bookman. Penny and Keith are not depicted.
- In 2003, Bern Nadette Stanis portrays herself in a third-season episode of Girlfriends entitled "Where Everybody Knows My Name." In this episode, William (Reggie Hayes) goes on a date with Stanis, yet constantly refers to her as "Thelma", as if Thelma is a real person and not merely a character from Good Times.
- In 2006, Jimmie Walker appears as Chris's (Tyler James Williams) grandfather in a first-season episode of Everybody Hates Chris entitled "Everybody Hates Funerals". Later in that episode, Chris' mother Rochelle (Tichina Arnold), in a frustrated moment, exclaims "Damn, damn, DAMN!", an obvious reference to Florida's outburst on Good Times after James' death.
- In March 2006, at the 4th Annual TV Land Awards, Good Times received the "Impact Award", for being "a show that offered both entertainment and enlightenment, always striving for both humor and humanity, with comedy that reflected reality." Norman Lear attended the ceremony, as did all the members of the principal cast except Esther Rolle (who died in 1998), Ben Powers, and Janet Jackson.
- For the first four seasons, the show opened with views of Chicago's inner city, ending with a stop at the Cabrini-Green projects. The camera then zoomed in on an apartment (presumably the Evans family's), then would cut inside and zoom in on a painting presumably painted by J.J. Evans. For the last two seasons, these were replaced by individual montage intros, with clips from past episodes used. Also, for the final season, the zoom in to the apartment with the painting at the end was used for half the season. The second half ended with a painting of the entire cast assembled in the Evans' living room, then dissolved to a real-life shot of the same scene.
- Gary Coleman and Kim Fields appeared on and off during the later years of the series. Coleman would go on to star in Different Strokes. Fields had been the adorable child in the Mrs. Butterworth's syrup commercials ("Mrs. Butterworth, I love you!") and was later a cast member on The Facts of Life and Living Single.
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External links
References
- "Bad Times on the Good Times Set", Ebony, September 1975
- Mitchell, John L. (2006-04-14). "Plotting His Next Big Break". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2006-07-25.
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