Amos was so dissatisfied that he was eventually let go from his role, with James Evans killed in an offscreen accident, leading to the show's famous "Damn, Damn, DAMN!" moment. Fox's portrayal of Alex Keaton on Family Ties and Jaleel White's portrayal of Steve Urkel on Family Matters, the massive popularity of Walker's character made him the defacto star of the show, complete with his own catchphrase " Dy-no-mite," which spawned a merchandising frenzy early in the show's run.īehind the scenes, Good Times' increased focus on J.J became a source of friction for the show's other players, most notably Rolle and Amos, who spoke out publicly about Walker's character, describing him as a clown who tarnished the image of this otherwise proud, hard-working family sitcom. Much of the credit for the show's high ratings was attributed to the breakout success of Jimmie Walker's J.J. Initially aired as a 13-episode mid-season replacement in February 1974, the show consistently ranked among the top 20 shows in its first season, breaking into the top ten in its second season. ![]() It Was An Instant Hit, Thanks in Large Part to Jimmie "J.J." Walker The Evans children were portrayed by Jimmie Walker (James Jr, aka "J.J."), Bern Nadette Stanis (Thelma) and Ralph Carter (Michael), with Ja'Net DuBois playing the part of family friend (and later substitute matriarch) Willona Woods. Much like Lear's other shows, Good Times' premise provided fertile gound for discussion of the social and political issues of the day, with Florida and James struggling to make ends meet while raising their three children in a housing development in South Chicago. (1969's Julia and Lear's own Sanford and Son prededed it, but both focused on single African American parents.) It Featured TV's First Two-Parent African American FamilyĪnchored by Rolle as Florida Evans and John Amos as her husband James Evans, Good Times was the the first TV series to put an African American family at the center of its story. Lear served as one of the show's executive producers, with the show produced under the aegis of his production company thoughout its six year run. Hers was the only character carried over, with her history (and husband) changed to fit the framework of Monte and Evans' show. Lear developed the show to incorporate Florida, Maude's housekeeper on Maude, played by Esther Rolle. That credit goes to Eric Monte and Michael Evans (who played Lionel Jefferson on All in the Family and The Jeffersons). Unlike its predecessors, Good Times was not created by Norman Lear. While it falls in the patheon of Norman Lear's '70s sitcom universe through the character of Florida Evans (who was first introduced in Maude, itself a spin-off from All in the Family), Good Times is more of a distant cousin to those shows. ![]() So before this week's live TV event, here's what you need know about Good Times: It's Related to All in the Family, But Only by Marriage
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |