Good Times

This is one of my all time favorite shows. This show, to me reflected on the good side of poverty. Although the Evans family was poor and lived in the projects, they had each other. No matter how much the family suffered financially, they never turned to crime or other illegal actions to make ends meet. Throughout those times, many African American families consisted of a single mom with numerous kids. The Evans family had both parents providing stabilty and shelter for them. This show was excellent. However, there was one little pesky problem that always seemed to bother me. It seemed as if every other season, fiesty neighbor and friend Willona, always received the same promotion on her job. Everytime Willona came in with"great news", she would informed them that she was just made the "head buyer" for the boutique. Interesting...

This was a good show for the first three seasons. If you got past all the stereotypes, you would notice that many of the episodes discussed issues that are just as relevant today as they were back then. Issues such as gun control, teen pregnancy, v.d., gangs and teen suicide. However, once John Amos left, the show was not the same and suffered as a result. It really suffered the year that Esther Rolle was off. You know a show is going downhill when they have to resort to bringing on a cute kid character.

Also, if Esther Rolle was so displeased with the show, then how come she took the part in the first place?

I realize everyone has their own opinion, but, I don't know . . . I think the critics of this show miss the point of the show. I don't find it stereotypical or shuckin'/jivin' at all. This was a family that just happened to be black and live in the projects. They didn't dwell on it. They were actually trying to do everything they could to get out of the projects. JJ wanted to be an artists. Thelma, a dancer. Michael, involved in legal/justice. Seems to me nowadays, the projects or ghetto life is romanticized (see BET videos or MTV videos), whereas the Evans family in "Good Times" was trying to get out and onto something better. Headed by two parents who realized there own shortcomings (lack of education, money), but didn't they try to lead by example by teaching their kids values, strong work ethic and didn't they try to IMPROVE the lives of THEIR children? They tried to show their kids to strive for more in life, DESPITE obstacles. James tried to work several jobs, just so Florida could stay home and tend to the needs of the house/family. Some may find that chauvinistic by today's standards, but, I'm not so sure about that. Seems to me when at least one parent was in the home, children were a bit more manageable. What better representation of a family values can you ask for? A great show! Better than most of the family comedies today!

This is a classic show. It is a crime that John Amos never received an Emmy nomination for his role on this show. Like most shows, it went on a little too long but for fans, each season has it's moments. It was a ground breaking, memorable and well acted for a sitcom. Having recently watched a few episodes, I was happy to see that it still holds up after all these years. JJ has to be the unlikeliest playa in the history of television but he always had a lot of girls, which is funny to me. There were a lot of behind the scenes issues, which led to cast members leaving the show. This affected the quality in later years. Classic episodes include the unfortunate death of James Evans and the one where Penny falls down the elevator shaft. Damn! Damn! Damn!

On the Maude series, the Findlays up there in Tuckahoe had a maid played by Esther Rolle named Florida Evans. I'm sure a lot of even the most liberal thinking people have no conception of the fact that the help which was what Florida was go home to a whole different world. When Norman Lear who just dominated television in the 70s decided to give Rolle her own series, he took her character and moved them to the south side of Chicago where they lived in the projects.

This was the first black centered comedy series which had its characters in a poor environment. Still the Evans family faced life on the edge with grit. John Amos was the father who was a working stiff raising with Rolle three kids.

Going in ascending order was Ralph Carter who was developing a social conscience and wanted to be lawyer to devote himself to betterment of his people and environment. Bernadette Stanis the middle child was a pretty, but also very intelligent young woman who was going to have a career and marry the man of her dreams. If he was rich or had prospects so much the better.

The heart of the show was the oldest Jimmie Walker. He's a comedian and to him the laughs devolved. He was having a bit of trouble growing up and drove his parents a bit nuts. And he brought that one word catchphrase of his to the English language. When something was good it was Dy-No-Mite.

The show lost something when Amos was killed off. It got even worse when Rolle took a hiatus. The kids were fending on their own with a look in from their neighbor Janet Dubois.

Top show when it started. But as a family show they usually lose something when the family unit is disrupted. Good Times was no exception.