powermandan
Good Times is a spin-off of a spin-off: this spun-off of Maude and Maude spun-off of All in the Family. This is one of the few shows that became just as big as its presider's. What makes Good Times so awesome is that it defined the decade. Everybody had afros, went rollerskating, danced around a disco, and had platform shoes. We all know that happened throughout the decade, but Good Times revolved around the 70's style. Good Times was about a poor black family living the ghettos of Chicago. This was one of the first shows to dive into the subject of racism and black America. Luckily, it is not one of those shows that only black people like and understand. I guess that is what made it so special, an all black show that everybody can relate to. Sometimes the laugh track and audio board seems broken and out of control, which may be the worst thing viewers need to worry about.The show starred Esther Rolle and John Amos as Florida and James Evans. Both dropped out of school at very young ages to help their families make ends meet, so both are qualified only for low-paying jobs. Florida is the loving, caring, generous and understanding mother that everybody wants. James is the tough, rugged, frustrated and persistent father who may use corporal punishment but everybody knows it is for a good cause. Ja'net Du'Bois plays their gossipping and neighbouring bachelorette, Willona Woods. Florida and James have three children: law-interested brainiac, Michael (Ralph Carter); beautiful performing artist, Thelma (Bernnadette Stantis); and the funny, big-lipped artist, JJ (Jimmie Walker). Although JJ was a minor character, he quickly rose and became a defining character of a generation. Ron Howard stated in an interview that JJ was a huge rival toward Fonzie in Happy Days in terms of popularity. Difference is, Fonzie was a smart superhuman that everybody wanted to be like and JJ was the dumb one that everybody acted like. With his enormous lips, funny hat, weird clothes, odd struts, and catchphrases (dy-no-mite!), JJ became the most popular African-American TV star and one of the best TV characters of all time.Because JJ was becoming so popular, more episodes became about him. Rolle and Amos hated how big the character was becoming because they thought he was a terrible influence to young viewers. Although he was just playing a character, Walker had heat with his on-screen parents. Amos was fired during an argument with the producers soon after the end of season 3. Amos didn't care because his career in film and other TV works were just taking off. Rather than getting somebody else to replace him, they decided to kill him off in the first episode of season 4. That was just the start of the mistakes that were being made. Part of living in the slums is having an authoritative figure that busts his ass to make ends meet. Without that element, the show lost a key component and its main serious character. The absence of James caused the other characters to become extra hard workers, but it was not the same. But it still had its heart and warmth and humour, so I still loved it. But not even by the end of the season, Florida falls in love with and marries Michael's boss, Carl. Rolle had had enough and quit for the same reason Amos did, but writing her out that way was bad. He super-religious woman marries another man not even a year after her long-time husband's death? I don't buy it. Carl was supposed to be a character like James. Difference is, James was awesome and Carl sucked. Season 5 was the worst season. There was no parental or authority figures, causing major anarchy among the Evans household. It introduced Janet Jackson in her first big TV role Penny Gordon, an abused girl who is adopted by Willona. I liked Willona adopting her because it made her become more mature than in the earlier seasons. Penny was a good addition and Jackson did a nice job playing her. But playing a girl that had been abused her whole life, I expected her to at least have outbursts like any other lifelong abused child. Either way, season 5 wasn't that good. With ratings slipping, producers begged Rolle to come back for the 6th and final season, which she did. She returns and Thelma marries soon-to-be NFL footballer, Keith Anderson (Ben Powers) Keith was a likable character, but it is Florida's return that made season 6 great. It may have gone through changes and wasn't as good as when James was on it, but it was Florida that made it great and JJ that made it awesome. Season 1-3: 10/10 4: 9/10 5: 6.5/10 6: 8/10 I have a strong personal connection with this and I pay most attention to the first four seasons.
edwagreen
Another Norman Lear hit detailing the problems that African Americans had to go through in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s.With Esther Rolle and husband along with 3 children living in a Chicago high-rise project in a predominantly black neighborhood, the show depicted what black people were going through with a landlord (black agent Mr. Bookman) as well as prices and the day-to-day problems of just existing.The 3 children depicted how people seem to face their problems differently- from the comical JJ to the militant Ralph Carter, to their daughter who also aspired to attain success, this show was a perfect description of African-American life.
boobie1822
I LOVED GOOD TIMES with the rest of many of you. I love reading INTELLIGENT and INSIGHTFUL commentary. The writers on THIS show were fantastic and the Actors were beyond TALENTED. To answer Strawberry22 (the neatest commentary to the other superior and positive commentary)...What happened was that James was killed in an accident (I believe I remember that it was a trucking accident or car accident) and it was the saddest episode (when it first aired and I was a tiny thing...it was so sad to me..).Florida and the Children actually get out of the projects and EVEN become neighbors with Willona (Wilnona) and that is how the very last show ended.ALL of the children achieved their dreams and found opportunity in each of their dreams. It was a wonderful ending and I cried because I was happy for them and the show seemed so realistic that I actually believed in their fate. I hope that this kind of ending rings true in actually for many.A great show and many other great shows followed including Benson and The Jeffersons. This was an awesome period for African-American television and the best writers were awesome at that time. TV LAND is Awesome for the memories and I just LOVE it because I cannot STAND the junk that we are watching today. SOMEBODY...bring back the 1970s and 1980s quickly...your intelligent viewers are a dying breed out here and we need better material.Love, a TV LAND original sitcom junkie of the 70s and 80s (as they sing in "ALL in the Family"...those were the days......
harry_crumb
Now I know I love Goodtimes. I watched this show when I was like in elementary as well in college when we all just like to think back in the day. Now that I am a lot older I sit and think that Florida had cheated on James when they had that fruit Michael Evans. Think about it. Florida and James are dark as night. Thelma and J J are like black as charcoal, but Michael does not look like any of them and is light. No one ever brings it up, but I know the truth. Florida had a fling and decided to take that to her grave (not literally). You know what really throws me for a loop is that James did not notice it. Now the show is good and all but lets all be foreal here. Florida cheated and forced James to take care of a child that does not belong to him. That is typical.
