Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. I remember watching Checking In in the early 80s and even remember the theme song. Michael J. This show wasnt very successful, however. Just fifteen months after Hemsley debuted onAll In The Family, George and Wheezy moved on up from Queens to the East Side of Manhattan. 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. Norman Lear's 1975 spinoff of All in the Family remains a unique show. Another sparring partner for Archie is neighbor George Jefferson, and the twocriticize one another's race. [3] At the beginning of The Jeffersons, he was operating five stores throughout New York City, with another two opening during the following seasons. This article is about the 1981 sitcom. As withMaudeandGood Times, the main character of the new series was a maid onher previousseries. Simply put, "Movin' On Up" isn't just a great TV show theme song, it's a great song, full stop. RELATED:10 Iconic Black TV Shows That Defined The Culture. George Jefferson was, in some ways, a black version of the white anti-hero Archie Bunker. As groundbreaking as The Jeffersons was in terms of depicting Black America on the small screen, it still earns criticism for some of its choices. In response she showed a picture of her husband, Sy Kravitz, who was white. [16], Louise Jefferson, played by Isabel Sanford, first appeared in the All in the Family episode "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood", which was broadcast on March 2, 1971. Cully was written out in season 4 due to her death in 1978, from lung cancer. 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. When it flopped, Florence returned to work for George and Louise. Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. This CBS spin-off of "All in the Family" featured an African-American couple, George and Louise, who rose from their humble beginnings and moved into an expensive high rise. The Jeffersons 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. It was funny and entertaining. [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. Weve both mellowed. [26] She appeared regularly in the first two seasons, but made sporadic appearances over the next two years, much thinner due to a severe case of pneumonia. Dont miss on getTV:While theres no direct Bunker connection,Checking Indoes featureLiz Torresas Florences assistant. This show wasnt very successful, however. Sherman Hemsley, for example, came out of the revered Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), as did Roxie Roker (Helen Willis). The actors found out through the media reports or when friends contacted them to ask about it. For other uses, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of awards and nominations received by The Jeffersons, "The Jeffersons: A look at life on black America's new 'Striver's Row', "Sherman Hemsley dies: Watch George Jefferson at his finest", "The Jeffersons and Happy Days and Valerie Bertinelli Bio", "Tyler Perry's House of Payne: Paying Homage to Sherman Hemsley", "Are Any of 'The Jeffersons' Cast Members Still Alive Today? In the 1984-85 season, CBS aired a forgotten comedy called E/R, starring Elliot Gould. But, if you love Carroll OConnors Archie, its a gift that we got to see more of him (even if the show isnt as good). Even though it flopped,704 Hauserhas a special place in the heart of many Norman Lear fans. As noted by MeTV, Barry is something of a legendhe co-wrote (with his wife, Ellie Greenwich) a long list of classic songs, including "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Then He Kissed Me," "Be My Baby," "River DeepMountain High," and "Leader of the Pack.". Besides being set in the same house, the only directAll In The Familyconnection comes withCasey Siemaszkoplaying grown-up Joey Stivic. Checking In [38] The show's ratings for the following two seasons placed it in the Top 30, but during the 197778 and 197879 seasons (the show's fourth and fifth seasons), it fell out of the top 30, ranking 52nd in Season 4 and 49th in Season 5. Fame10 notes that executives worried depicting an interracial kiss would lead to violenceand, worse, to affiliate stations dropping the show. Gibbs then returned to The Jeffersons.. As Smithsonian Magazine notes, when Diahann Carroll debuted in 1968's Julia, portraying a Black woman working as a nurse and raising her son as a widow, it was controversial because it avoided any reference to the racial politics of the time and presented what many felt was a "white" character simply played by a Black actress. In a contemporary review by The New York Daily News, in fact, a scene in which Tom and Helen Willis engage in a long, tender kiss is explicitly noted for being unusual because they are an interracial couple. Which makes it curious that its network, CBS, treated it as if the show was in trouble. It only The sitcom featured Burgess Meredith and Jo de Winter, and lasted one season. Most television is ephemeral. 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. I would like to see this forgotten TV show resurrected on TV Land or Nick at Night, or maybe a special DVD release. It's also one of the more thoughtful and meaningful theme songs in TV history. Communications Company from 19751982 and by Embassy Television from 19821985. Weezy is initially reluctant to hire a housekeeper in the first episode in part because she's had that experience herself. Gloria Bunker Stivic became a single mom after Mike left her, so she got a job in a veterinary office. The Jeffersons Shows like Sanford and Son and Good Times had all-Black main casts and made an attempt to depict Black American life more realistically. Archie was used as a device for commentary on important social issues in the 1970s. [6][20][21] Cully, who had first appeared in the 1974 All in the Family episode "Lionel's Engagement", reprised her role. All In The Family(19711979 205 episodes plus two un-aired pilots). Almost as well known, but less controversial was the Nov. 10, 1975, episode of Maude talking to her psychiatrist. George is an obstreperous, often rude guy who thinks his wealth should get him anywhere he wants to go. She appeared in seven episodes in 197677, so watch any of those! MeTV points out that it was the first situation comedy on prime time television to depict a transgender characterGeorge's old Navy pal Eddie, revealed to now be Edie. [2][3] Henry played as George when Louise felt embarrassed that George did not want to be in Archie Bunker's house due to prejudice. Ernies wife is played byLynnie Godfreyand Goodies girlfriend who is white and Jewish is played byMaura Tierney. 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. In that regard,Good Timesis more like a reboot of Rolle and Amoss characters than a spinoff. A top 20 show for most of its 11 seasons, The Jeffersons was canceled abruptly without an official series finale. It was funny and entertaining. Its like a Norman Lears Greatest Hits! Arthur was such a hit as Maude that Lear developed a series for her, with the second season finale ofAll In The Familyacting as the backdoor pilot for the spinoff. Checking In premiered on CBS on April 9, 1981, and lasted for only four episodes in the Thursday, 8:00p.m. EST timeslot. Although Archie and George (Sherman Hemsley) argue a lot, Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford) is a dear friend to Edith Bunker, and it's hard for the two to say goodbye when the Jeffersons move away. 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. 0. Sitcom following a successful African-American couple, George and Louise Weezy Jefferson as they move on up from working-class Queens to a ritzy Manhattan apartment. 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. Show CBS was nervous,Rob Reiner(Mike aka Meathead) told PBS in 2016. 8 in the summer of 1980. Gibbs then returned to her regular role on The Jeffersons and it was explained that the St. Frederick Hotel had burned down. Thats not just impressive, its historic. Looking back on decades past, it'sremarkable how seven shows followedAll in the Familyand belong to its universe. 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. Archie mentions a friend from the old neighborhood named Cumberbatch. 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. And then there's The Jeffersons. Checking Infound Florence as executive housekeeper at a New York City Hotel. But white audiences could feel good about being more racially sensitive and evolved than Bunker, whereas George Jefferson's upward mobility could be seen as threatening. Amoscontinued in the role of James until the character's death. The Jeffersons Dont miss on getTV:Lionel Moves Into The Neighborhood(March 2, 1971) for Sanfords first appearance,Henrys Farewell(October 20, 1973) for Hemsleys debut,Lionels Engagement(February 9, 1974) for Mother Jeffersons (Zara Cully) and the Willis familys (played by different actors) first appearances, andThe Jeffersons Move Up(January 11, 1975) for the backdoor pilot. Lyle throws a party at the hotel, but his high school rival (now a pro football coach) and his team decide to crash it. The Jeffersons Happy Daysalso had five spin-offs between 1976 and 1979. While many of the shows connected toAll in the Familydid extraordinarily well,Checking Inonly lasted for four episodes. The conversation resonated with Lear, and he began to conceive of The Jeffersons as an effort to show a Black family having real economic success and living the American Dream. [5][7] The Jeffersons eventually evolved into more of a traditional sitcom, but episodes occasionally focused on serious issues such as alcoholism, racism, suicide, gun control, being transgender, the KKK, and adult illiteracy. Florence was only supposed to be a bit part, but audiences loved her, and the character of Florence was promoted to full-time status. Thanks to Lear and his characters, 70s TV audiences saw and heard things they never had before in primetime. Archie and Mike are always butting heads since Archie is politically conservative and Mike is usually portrayed as being liberal. Fun fact: Both Macy and Rodd played different characters onAll In The Familyjust weeks before Lear cast them onMaude. Sally Struthers was next to get her own show as Gloria Bunker Stivic, Archie and Edith's daughter. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The sitcoms breakout star was Jimmie J.J. Walker, with his trademark phrase Dy-no-mite!. 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. If you include those inAll In The Familys grand total and you must, because they wouldnt exist otherwise All In The Familybegat 7 shows, 860 episodes, and more than 400 hours of network television. The Jeffersons [2] Lionel, played by Mike Evans, first appeared in "Meet the Bunkers", the premiere episode of All in the Family.[2]. 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. As progressive as it was when it came to race relations, it hedged its bets in many ways. The Jeffersons [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. ALL IN THE FAMILY 7 Spin-Offs From TVs Most Spun-Off Sitcom, Charlies Angels: 10 Things You May Not Know (or Do You? Only five of the six taped episodes were aired, in April and May 1994. A spin-off of All in the Family. The pilot even has the series signature catchphrase, God will get you for that, Walter, which Maude uses to express her displeasure with husband Walter (Bill Macy), owner of an appliance shop. The Jeffersons The series is bookended in a very creative way. Sherman Hemsley even appeared in the premiere. On one level, The Jeffersons is just a silly sitcom, and George Jefferson is a very silly character, prone to foolish schemes (like buying a piano he doesn't know how to play only to discover there's no way to fit it through his front door) and loud, boorish outbursts. No episode was centered on Mother Jefferson's death, but it was occasionally mentioned that she had died in future episodes. Lionel is introduced in the pilot, and is a core cast member for season one. And Louises brother-in-law Henry (Mel Stewart) appears for the first time in the last episode of season one. All in the Familyprimarily takes place at the Bunker residence on 704 Hauser Street. The 12 Most Unexpected Spinoffs in TV History Factory. Checking In Factory had acquired the rights to the series; they subsequently released the complete series on DVD in a 33-disc collection on December 9, 2014. [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). The Jeffersons had many two-part episodes, either over two consecutive weeks, or aired as an hour-long episode. The Jeffersons avoided that by making the titular characters move to a different neighborhood. "Jeffersons" redirects here. As noted by Ebony, while it's easy to view George Jefferson as a "Black Archie Bunker," that's not accurate. ", was added as a bonus feature on The Jeffersons: The Complete Series 33-disc DVD set issued by Shout! DuBois wanted to do more than just act, and when she approached Lear about branching out he suggested she write the theme song for his new show. OConnor didnt like it either, apparently. Lear agreed to let OConnor continue the series without him, but under one condition: he couldnt call itAll In The Family. All in the Familyis famous for its prejudiced patriarch, Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor). This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 13:35. Russell) who dated the girl down the block (Maura Tierney). TV shows can be huge, massive hits for yearsand then vanish into near-obscurity (seriously, when was the last time you had a conversation about Lost?). Oddly, whenGood Timesbegan in February of 1974, no mention was made of Maude or how the Evanses got from New York to the Chicago. What is the chronological order of these Norman Lear shows? Other failed spin-off attempts were Gloria in the 1982-1983 season and 704 Hauser in 1994. Spin-off 10 Iconic Black TV Shows That Defined The Culture, Another interesting connection of the sitcom universe, Lionel is the first Jefferson to be seen on. Back in 1975, issues like these were much more shockingas noted by The Hollywood Times, interracial marriage had only become legal throughout the country in 1967! Jefferson has plenty of reason to distrust white people and the power structures they use to oppress him.