Oh, shit...don't start with the trivia! In Maude, Florida referred to her husband as Henry, not James. It was never explained. However, when Florida left Maude, they had a conversation about staying in touch. Florida told Maude that they both knew it would never happen.
Good Times Appreciation thread
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Of course. Other than the race of the characters and certain specifics to the time and place, the show was no different from a zillion other sitcoms in structure. A combo of The Honeymooners and Leave it to Beaver or Father knows Best
Look at the lyrics to that song and tell where it talks about family? They show was about a poor ghetto family that never got a break and a son that was a bafoon. Calling it good times is an oxymoron because there were no good times.
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Was in Chi-town last weekend and went to the African Arts Festival...Bernadette was there promoting her book, still looking as good as ever!!!! DAMN! Yeah, I went to Chi-town to visit my girl but seeing "Thelma", that I always checking out on the show, was a memorable part of the trip...I won't tell my girl that though!!!
This is true. And the one of the guys who created the show Eric Monte (he also created and wrote Cooley High and What's Happenin') was until a couple years ago, he was a crackhead and homeless in LA, living on the streets and in a shelter.In the 80's, he sued Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin' and won a $1 million settlement, then hollywood frozed him out. He have since moved back to Chicago, got him a place to live, where he is laying low. He gets about $300 a month in residual checks for Good Times. His real name is Kenneth Williams, and grew up in the Cabrini-Green projects where Good Times and Cooley High was based.
More Good Times Facts:
Esther Rolle was unhappy with JJ's character as well, and left the show in the fifth season to move away after marrying Carl. She returned in the six season (the last) and there was no explanation of what happened to Carl, or why she came back.
John Amos was only on the show for the first three years, the DAMN, DAMN, DAMN, James episode was a two parter in at the beginning of the fourth season. called "The Big Move".
Mike Evans (The original Lionel on The Jeffersons) created Good Times with Eric Monte.
Mike Evans gave Eric his first break writing for All In The Family, Eric returned the favor by naming the family, and the youngest character after Mike.
Good Times is a spin-off of Maude, which was a spin-off of All In The Family. All In The Family has the most spin-offs in TV history. They were all Norman Lear shows
Florida was a maid on Maude, when Good Times started, there was no mention of Maude nor any of the characters on Good Times.
Penny mom on the show (Chip Fields) was the real life mom of Kim Fields (Tootie from Facts of Life). Kim Fields showed up in two episodes in the last season.
Both David Letterman and Jay Leno appeared on Good Times, both were writing jokes for Jimmy Walker's stand up comedy routine at the time for $25 a joke.
Gary Coleman guest starred in two episodes.
James Evans Sr and Bookman only appeared in two episodes together.
Only Thelma and JJ were in every episode of Good Times
After James left, Michael became less Militant.
Almost all the writers on Good Times were white, the exception being Eric Monte and Mike Evans.
ok, I cant think of nothing else.....but
Here is the BIG question. Can you make a show today....about a black family living in the ghetto, father can't keep a job, son is a baffoon, the other is a militant.....talking about aint we lucky we got them, Good Times?
Your screen name was well earned today
What would make life complete would be 'The Fosters', the English version of GT with a Guyanese family in the UK.
His presence there is what made the show what it was A STRONG BLACKMAN leading a black family. His character gave the show something blacks weren't seeing on tv, a black man portrayed in a serious light. When he left they tried to step other male characters up but JJ and Bookman were comedians so that wasn't it and Carl and Floridas brother just didn't measure upArguable, but I think James was better. She is a classic tv mom though.
Florida The Woman pt. 1
pt.2
pt.3
How so?? Apart from his comedic bits with the kids? He obviously was given some good punchlines and was skilled at delivering them (his timing was better than Walker's), but it was ultimately HER show. She wasn't on it to be funny. She gave it what little dramatic weight it had. She was probably the "realest" mother on a sitcom EVER.
The question of who the better actor/actress was/is debatable. What I do know, is that the show was based around a functional family with a present father figure and devout husband..a strong Black one. Once that aspect was gone (the death of James) the show wasn't shit and failed miserably.
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The Family Business pt.1
pt.2
pt.3
Love in the Ghetto pt.1
Love in the Ghetto pt.2
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That is a woman that has aged VERY well.
The show started "failing" after it's smashing Top Ten first (full) season. The people who watched that show didn't watch it for "James," as Amos soon found out when they wrote him out. The show ran out of gas early on. It wasn't a novelty after a while, though the fact that it lasted for 6 seasons was still meaningful. It's amazing that they squeezed that many years out of it. Even Sanford & Son ran out of ideas after a couple of seasons, though it remained a big hit for 5 of its 6 years (on the strength of its star). Creatively, Good Times really had nowhere to go after Walker's early fame faded.
Season's Ratings Rank:
Good Times
17th (partial season - started in February)
7th - 1st full season
24th
26th (without "James")
39th
45th
Sanford & Son
6th
2nd
3rd
2nd
7th
27th
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Right all of that bullshit about more money and him and jj bickering smoke screen,espacially when it comes from the cast and writers of the show mouths.
James was killed off.Florida,I think she married and moved away,she would call JJ on the phone,that shit was corny.
Im really into black exploitation films as "They" call em but does anyone on here remember this movie called "Watermellon man" or something like that? its about a white man who wakes up black one morning.That same guy has a roll in "cotton come to harlem"...
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Originally Posted by bgque12 View Post
The worst and I mean the absolutely worst episode of that fucked up show was when JJ painted the black Jesus and the family started having all kinds of good luck then the mom made him get rid of it because it made her feel uncomfortable!!! Please that was bullshit and the most unrealistic thing I've ever seen on TV.
That was a fucked up episode but it was not unrealistic at all. Considering when this show aired the idea of a Black Jesus was revolutionary. I mean today if you see Jesus white a lot of folk will be like that's just a fucked up picture or a lie but back then.... good to see things have changed like that at least among most of us even if white folks still believe a lie.
There was another episode where they were going to beat Michael for confronting his teacher over a lie about history. fortunately I think the writers had it evolve as a lesson for everyone.
The worst and I mean the absolutely worst episode of that fucked up show was when JJ painted the black Jesus and the family started having all kinds of good luck then the mom made him get rid of it because it made her feel uncomfortable!!! Please that was bullshit and the most unrealistic thing I've ever seen on TV.
That was a fucked up episode but it was not unrealistic at all. Considering when this show aired the idea of a Black Jesus was revolutionary. I mean today if you see Jesus white a lot of folk will be like that's just a fucked up picture or a lie but back then....
good to see things have changed like that at least among most of us even if white folks still believe a lie.There was another episode where they were going to beat Michael for confronting his teacher over a lie about history. fortunately I think the writers had it evolve as a lesson for everyone.
I agree for the writers to even think about putting that on tv was 
back then. They would not even touch this topic today with all its "politically correct" facade even though they try to cram down stuff like gay people(that girl with the talk show can't remember her name right now for some reason) in comedies as some revolutionary advancement of television. This episode about guns in the hood probably wouldn't be put on tv either today on the BIg 3 stations on prime time. Then they wouldn't have the guns in rap to blame for society's problems
The Family Gun pt.1
pt. 2
back then. They would not even touch this topic today with all its "politically correct" facade even though they try to cram down stuff like gay people(that girl with the talk show can't remember her name right now for some reason) in comedies as some revolutionary advancement of television. This episode about guns in the hood probably wouldn't be put on tv either today on the BIg 3 stations on prime time. Then they wouldn't have the guns in rap to blame for society's problemsThe Family Gun pt.1
pt. 2
Your screen name was well earned today
Thanks homie, This is what I do for a living......
I did remember a couple of other things.
Comedian George Wallace was in the wedding party for Thelma and Keith
Although they were married on the show, and seemed to be the same age, Esther Rolle was damn near 20 years older than John Amos....
John Amos was 35 at the time of Good Times premiered, and Esther Rolle was 54. She could have been his mother....
Jimmy Walker was actually 27 (Ja'Net was only 29!!!
)Bernadette was 21
Ralph Carter was 15
Ralph Carter was the first person Janet Jackson actually kissed.
Bernadette was just in Chicago for both the African Fest (Remember Thelma's African Romance and she was going to move to Africa with Ebay?), and for Bud Billiken. She good people. One the real, I met her and her husband both times.
And it was John Amos and Esther Rolle complaining about Jimmy Walker yelling DY-NO-MITE, just to get a laugh. Season One, it wasnt as bad, but Season Two, he was in full buffoonery mood. Esther returned to the show when they decided to allow the family to "Come Up". Remember JJ got an Ad sales Job, Micheal was in College (Dating White girls...ROFL, they totally killed the militant miget), and Thelma was married to Keith. In the last episode They all moved out of the projects (To Harvey, Ill...LMAO....My Chicagoans will get it), Keith got his Chicago Bears contract, and they all moved to the same address out of the projects.
The show talked alot about Chicago, The Chicago Defender, Jesse Jackson, Lake Shore Drive, etc. Two of the most underrated characters were "Sweet Daddy" Williams, Lenny, the hustler (My name is Len-nae, If I ain't got it, there isnt in-nae, what I got, I got Plen-Nae).
Likewise Isabel Sanford was about 21 years older than her "husband" Sherman Hemsley on The Jeffersons. She was 58 the year the show debuted. He was 37. (Of course, they'd already played mates for several years earlier on All in the Family.) Yet they were totally convincing as a couple.
Just shows what terrific illusions fine acting (and clever casting) can create. Kinda like Stacey Dash playing a believable teen while in her early 30s.
Ruined the illusion of those pairings for me
roster said:
Thanks homie, This is what I do for a living......
I did remember a couple of other things.
Comedian George Wallace was in the wedding party for Thelma and Keith
Although they were married on the show, and seemed to be the same age, Esther Rolle was damn near 20 years older than John Amos....
John Amos was 35 at the time of Good Times premiered, and Esther Rolle was 54. She could have been his mother....
Jimmy Walker was actually 27 (Ja'Net was only 29!!!
Bernadette was 21
Ralph Carter was 15
Ralph Carter was the first person Janet Jackson actually kissed.
Bernadette was just in Chicago for both the African Fest (Remember Thelma's African Romance and she was going to move to Africa with Ebay?), and for Bud Billiken. She good people. One the real, I met her and her husband both times.
And it was John Amos and Esther Rolle complaining about Jimmy Walker yelling DY-NO-MITE, just to get a laugh. Season One, it wasnt as bad, but Season Two, he was in full buffoonery mood. Esther returned to the show when they decided to allow the family to "Come Up". Remember JJ got an Ad sales Job, Micheal was in College (Dating White girls...ROFL, they totally killed the militant miget), and Thelma was married to Keith. In the last episode They all moved out of the projects (To Harvey, Ill...LMAO....My Chicagoans will get it), Keith got his Chicago Bears contract, and they all moved to the same address out of the projects.
The show talked alot about Chicago, The Chicago Defender, Jesse Jackson, Lake Shore Drive, etc. Two of the most underrated characters were "Sweet Daddy" Williams, Lenny, the hustler (My name is Len-nae, If I ain't got it, there isnt in-nae, what I got, I got Plen-Nae).
Damnnn man just damnn, i was already loving the thread and the videoes and trivia you two been adding made it that much better
Damn I remember thelma for the booty looks like the tits done caught up nice.
guess we had to feel sorry for Mad Dog there..james still shouldve knocked him the fuck out
anyone got JJ's Fiancee(the one w/ debbie allen)?
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