The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons | |
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Genre | Sitcom |
Created by | |
Developed by | Norman Lear |
Directed by |
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Starring |
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Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | January 18, 1975 July 2, 1985 | –
Related | |
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes.[1] The Jeffersons is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history.
Premise
The show focuses on
The Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence, who takes a job as cleaning management at a hotel.[7] Checking In lasted only four episodes, after which Florence returned to The Jeffersons with the story that the hotel had burned down in a fire.[8] 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.[9] Sherman Hemsley guest-starred as George in two episodes of the series, which lasted for one season.[10] The cancellation of The Jeffersons cleared the way for Marla Gibbs, who played Florence Johnston on the series, to move on to the NBC sitcom 227 in the fall of 1985, a year earlier than scheduled.
The Jeffersons ended in controversy after CBS abruptly canceled the series without allowing for a proper series finale. The cast was not informed until after the July 2, 1985, episode, "Red Robins"; actor Sherman Hemsley, who portrayed George Jefferson, said he learned that the show was canceled by reading it in the newspaper.[11] Isabel Sanford (Louise Jefferson), who heard about the cancellation through her cousin who read it in the tabloids, publicly stated that she found the cancellation with no proper finale to be disrespectful on the network's part.[12] Per an article in the May 8, 1985, Los Angeles Times, the series was cancelled by announcement at the CBS network "upfront" presentation the day before, nearly two months before the airing of the final episode. Actor Franklin Cover, who played Tom Willis, also heard about the cancellation while watching Entertainment Tonight.
The cast reunited in a stage play based on the sitcom.[13] In season 5 episode 17 of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, titled "Will Is from Mars" (1995), the Jeffersons made a guest appearance as a couple in therapy class. In the 1996 series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the Jeffersons made a guest appearance as the buyers of the Banks family house.[1] In an episode of Tyler Perry's House of Payne in 2011, Sherman Hemsley and Marla Gibbs reprised their roles of George Jefferson and Florence Johnston.[14]
In 1985, Hemsley and Sanford made a special joint guest appearance in the Canale 5 comedy show Grand Hotel, starring the Italian actors Paolo Villaggio, the comic duo Franco & Ciccio, and Carmen Russo. They were guests in the fictional hotel and their voices were dubbed by Italian actors Enzo Garinei (George) and Isa di Marzio (Louise), who also dubbed their characters for the full series. As of 2023[update], the members still alive from the main cast include Marla Gibbs, Berlinda Tolbert, Damon Evans, and Jay Hammer.[15]
Series development
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. The episode, the eighth of the series, centers on Louise, her son Lionel, and her husband George moving next door to Archie and Edith Bunker in the working-class section of Queens.[5] Lionel, played by Mike Evans, first appeared in "Meet the Bunkers", the premiere episode of All in the Family.[5]
The idea of the Jeffersons "moving on up" came after three members of the
George, Louise, and Lionel continued to appear on All in the Family until 1975, when the spin-off The Jeffersons, also created by Lear, premiered.
Synopsis
During the January 11, 1975 episode of
George's career as a dry-cleaner began in the first season of All in the Family in the third episode "Oh, My Aching Back" (though the character himself did not appear on-camera). After his car was rear-ended by a bus, he filed a civil action and won $5000, enough to open his first store in Queens.[16] At the beginning of The Jeffersons, he was operating five stores throughout New York City, with another two opening during the following seasons.
Louise made friends with
Ned Wertimer played their tip-hungry doorman, Ralph Hart, throughout the series.[27] He was known for constantly stalling at the Jeffersons' door with his hand out waiting for a tip. Most of the cast usually didn't respond, but George almost always gave in. He also used it in a blackmail manner, usually requiring George to pay more in order to keep his mouth shut about something such as a stock tip. Ralph was also known for making up stories of him struggling to fulfill the Jeffersons' request to get more tips.
Danny Wells played Charlie, the owner and a bartender of a nearby bar to the Jeffersons apartment building. The cast commonly visited the bar for a drink or to attend a party. Charlie was also revealed to be an alcoholic in the season 11 episode "A Secret in the Back Room", in which Charlie is in denial, but the Jeffersons eventually get him to admit to his problem and advise him to get some help. His alcohol problem isn't referenced anymore throughout the series, but it is assumable Charlie overcame it.
Cast changes
Mike Evans ("Lionel") left the show after the first season; his replacement was Damon Evans (no relation),[3] who took over the role until halfway through the fourth season.[7] Damon Evans's last episode was "Lionel Gets the Business".
Mike Evans and Tolbert returned in the 1979–1980 season, with Tolbert's character, Jenny, pregnant with a daughter named Jessica. However, Mike Evans appeared for only one more season, along with Tolbert.[7] The Jeffersons' sixth season peaked at No. 8 in the summer of 1980. The characters of Lionel and Jenny were written out by stating that they had marital problems, the result of which became a two-part episode storyline as the series' eighth-season premiere. The series' eighth season was the first African-American sitcom in years (since Sanford and Son) to peak in the top 5 (the series' eighth season debuted at No. 3).
Evans and Tolbert appeared in the two-part episode together; Evans made his final appearance in two episodes during the series'
Cast
Main
Actor/Actress | Character | Seasons | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | ||
Isabel Sanford | Louise "Weezy" Jefferson | Main | ||||||||||
Sherman Hemsley | George Jefferson | Main | ||||||||||
Mike Evans | Lionel Jefferson | Main | Main | Recurring | Guest | |||||||
Damon Evans | Main | |||||||||||
Roxie Roker | Helen Willis | Main | ||||||||||
Franklin Cover | Thomas "Tom" Willis | Main | ||||||||||
Zara Cully | Olivia "Mother" Jefferson | Main | ||||||||||
Berlinda Tolbert | Jenny Willis Jefferson | Main | Recurring | |||||||||
Paul Benedict | Harry Bentley | Main | Main | |||||||||
Marla Gibbs | Florence Johnston | Recurring | Main | |||||||||
Jay Hammer | Allan Willis | Main |
Recurring
- Ned Wertimer as Ralph Hart
- Danny Wells as Charlie Clark
- Ebonie Smith as Jessica Jefferson (season 11)
Notable guest appearances
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2017) |
- Frances Bay
- Johnny Brown
- Tom Brown
- Barbara Cason
- Charo
- Alvin Childress
- Gary Coleman[1]
- Andrae Crouch
- Sammy Davis Jr.[8]
- Frank De Vol
- Phyllis Diller (as herself)
- David Dukes
- Famous Amos
- Bernard Fox
- Joe Frazier
- Susie Garrett
- Louis Gossett Jr.
- Rosey Grier
- Robert Guillaume[8]
- Moses Gunn
- Kene Holliday
- Engelbert Humperdinck
- Reggie Jackson
- Victor Kilian
- Lincoln Kilpatrick
- Mabel King
- Gladys Knight
- Peter Lawford (voice)
- Larry Linville
- Carl Lumbly
- Helen Martin
- Edie McClurg
- Garrett Morris
- Greg Morris[8]
- Josephine Premice
- Eddie Quillan
- Sheryl Lee Ralph
- Thalmus Rasulala
- Helen Reddy
- Susan Ruttan
- Sister Sledge[29]
- Michael Spinks
- Amzie Strickland
- Ernest Lee Thomas
- Liz Torres
- Vernee Watson
- Jaleel White
- Billy Dee Williams[8]
- Hal Williams
- Irwin Keyes
Source[30]
Episodes
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Rating | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||||
1 | 13 | January 18, 1975 | April 12, 1975 | 4 | 27.6 | |
2 | 24 | September 13, 1975 | March 6, 1976 | 21 | 21.5 | |
3 | 24 | September 25, 1976 | April 11, 1977 | 24 | 21.0 | |
4 | 26 | September 24, 1977 | March 4, 1978 | 52[31] | 17.6[31] | |
5 | 24 | September 20, 1978 | April 18, 1979 | 49[32] | 17.4[32] | |
6 | 24 | September 23, 1979 | April 13, 1980 | 8 | 24.3 | |
7 | 20 | November 2, 1980 | March 29, 1981 | 6 | 23.5 | |
8 | 25 | October 4, 1981 | May 16, 1982 | 3 | 23.4 | |
9 | 27 | April 18, 1982 | May 1, 1983 | 12 | 20.0[a] | |
10 | 22 | October 2, 1983 | May 6, 1984 | 19 | 16.6 | |
11 | 24 | October 14, 1984 | July 2, 1985 | 50 | 13.2 |
The Jeffersons had many two-part episodes, either over two consecutive weeks, or aired as an hour-long episode.
Theme song
The song's creation comes from DuBois asking Norman Lear if she could do something other than her short appearances as a supporting player on Good Times, such as something in music. Lear responded to that by suggesting that she create a theme song about an upcoming series about a dry cleaner. DuBois initially struggled in composing until her mother suggested that she base the lyrics on her dream of giving her mother a comfortable retirement. With that inspiration, DuBois created the song and upon hearing it, Lear was stunned that it matched The Jeffersons' premise perfectly even though he did not describe it to DuBois in detail. With the song in hand, Lear created a full arrangement for it as the theme song.[34]
Broadcast history and Nielsen ratings
The Jeffersons changed time slots at least 15 different times during its 11-year run, unusual for a popular long running series.[35] The most common time slot was on Sunday night.[4]
In its first season (
It returned to the Top 10 in 1979–80, and at the end of the 1981–82 season, The Jeffersons finished third overall, only surpassed by fellow CBS series Dallas and 60 Minutes. As a result, the series remained among the Top 20 for the next two seasons.[21]
Home media
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first six seasons of The Jeffersons on DVD in Region 1 between 2002 and 2007.[37]
On August 27, 2013, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including The Jeffersons.[38] They subsequently re-released the first two seasons on DVD on May 20, 2014.[39]
On August 8, 2014, it was announced that Shout! 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.[40][41]
On April 28, 2015, Shout! released season 7 on DVD in Region 1.[42] Season 8 was released on August 11, 2015.[43]
DVD Name | Ep #s | Release Date |
---|---|---|
The Complete First Season | 13 | August 6, 2002 May 20, 2014 (re-release) |
The Complete Second Season | 24 | May 13, 2003 May 20, 2014 (re-release) |
The Complete Third Season | 24 | April 12, 2005 |
The Complete Fourth Season | 26 | October 11, 2005 |
The Complete Fifth Season | 24 | August 15, 2006 |
The Complete Sixth Season | 24 | March 27, 2007 |
The Complete Seventh Season | 20 | April 28, 2015 |
The Complete Eighth Season | 25 | August 11, 2015 |
The Complete Series | 253 | December 9, 2014 |
Awards and nominations
The Jeffersons received 14
Isabel Sanford was nominated for seven consecutive Best Actress Emmys, from 1979 until 1985.[44] Her victory in 1981 made her the first African-American actress to win an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series,[1][21][45] and the second to win any Emmy Award; Gail Fisher, who played Peggy on the TV show Mannix, preceded her in 1970. Sanford was also the recipient of five of the eight Golden Globe Awards nominations the program received.[46]
Criticism
Gregory Kane, journalist for The Baltimore Sun, called the series "demeaning" in 1999, criticizing Hemsley's "pimp roll walk", bigotry, loud mouth and low intelligence. "I hereby declare The Jeffersons stereotypical fare that depicts blacks in a buffoonish manner."[47]
2019 special
On May 22, 2019, ABC broadcast Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons, produced by Lear and Jimmy Kimmel and starring Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Jamie Foxx, Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, Kerry Washington, Ellie Kemper.[48] Marla Gibbs reprised her role as Florence Johnston.
Notes
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0810879171.
- ^ a b Adams, Val (January 18, 1975). "'The Jeffersons' premiere on CBS in 1975". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ a b c Robinson, Louie (January 1976). "The Jeffersons: A look at life on black America's new 'Striver's Row'". Ebony. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ The Museum of Broadcast Communications. Archived from the originalon April 1, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0275995157. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0307483201. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0824087159. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ "Lynne Moody: Credits". TV Guide. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Day, Patrick Kevin (July 24, 2012). "Sherman Hemsley dies: Watch George Jefferson at his finest". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- Biography. Archivedfrom the original on 2021-11-07. Retrieved January 24, 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Isabel Sanford interview". Archive of American Television. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Fretts, Bruce; Carter, Alan (April 16, 1993). "The Jeffersons take the stage". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ Kimball, Trevor (August 10, 2012). "Tyler Perry's House of Payne: Paying Homage to Sherman Hemsley". TV Series Finale. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Kapusta, Michelle (2021-10-09). "Are Any of 'The Jeffersons' Cast Members Still Alive Today?". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
- ^ a b Kovalchik, Kara (December 10, 2015). "11 Deluxe Facts About 'The Jeffersons'". Mental Floss. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Gray, Tim (2021-01-12). "How 'All in the Family' Spawned the Most Spinoffs of Any Sitcom". Variety. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
- ISBN 978-0786458042.
- ^ "All in the Family Season 5, Episode 16 The Jeffersons Move Up". TV Guide. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-1476606903. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9780810863484. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ "Two Sisters Star On TV". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. December 10, 1984. pp. 60–61. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Neil, Dan (December 17, 2016). "'All In The Family,' 'The Jeffersons,' 'Good Times' and More Classic Sitcoms' Reboot in Talks; to Be Made as Miniseries by Sony Pictures". iTechPost. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ "Paul Benedict". Playbill. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ a b Martin, Lauren (December 4, 2008). "Actor Paul Benedict, 70, Leaves the Stage". Vineyard Gazette. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Jones, Jae (November 17, 2016). "Zara Cully: Known for Role as 'Mother Jefferson' on the Jeffersons". Black then. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- Today. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ "The Jeffersons Episodes Season 11". TV Guide. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ "The Jeffersons Season 10 Episode 16: My Guy, George". TV Guide. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ "The Jeffersons Cast and Characters". TV Guide. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ a b A season's worth of program standings American Radio History
- ^ a b Rounding up the ratings for `the season' American Radio History
- ^ "Movin' On Up (Theme to The Jeffersons)". Songfacts. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ DuBois, Ja'Net. "Ja'Net Dubois Jefferson's theme How the song was written". YouTube. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ "The Jeffersons come (back) to the neighborhood". Entertainment Weekly. April 2, 1999. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ Wojciechowski, Michele "Wojo" (July 28, 2015). "The Norman Lear Experience: His Shows, His Honesty and One Thing He Wanted to Do". Parade. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ "Sony Pictures – Catalog". Sony Pictures. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Lacey, Gord (August 27, 2013). "Mill Creek Entertainment Signs Deals With Sony Pictures Home Entertainment To Expand Their Distribution Partnership". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Lambert, David (April 15, 2014). "Mill Creek's Re-Releases for Next Month Get Great DVD Package Art". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Lambert, David (August 8, 2014). "The Jeffersons – CORRECT DATE, Packaging for 'The Complete Series: The Deee-luxe Edition'". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ^ Lambert, David (September 15, 2014). "Great Extras Revealed for 'The Complete Series: The Deee-luxe Edition'". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ^ Lambert, David (January 1, 2015). "The Jeffersons – Shout! is Movin' On Up to a 'Season 7' Separate Release!". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ Lambert, David (May 5, 2015). "The Jeffersons – 'The Complete 8th Season' Getting a DVD Release this Summer". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
- ^ a b "The Jeffersons". Emmys. Television Academy. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (July 12, 2004). "Isabel Sanford, Emmy-Winning Actress Who Created "Weezie" Jefferson on TV and Stage, Dead at 86". Playbill. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ "The Jeffersons". Golden Globe Awards. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ Kane, Gregory (January 23, 1999). "The demeaning 'Jeffersons' justifies joining whiners". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee. "See the star-studded 'All in the Family/The Jeffersons' live cast get into character". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
Further reading
- Moriarty, Jay (2020). "HONKY IN THE HOUSE – Writing & Producing The Jeffersons," Antler Publishing, LA, CA ISBN 978-1-7330795-8-7.
- Newcomb, Horace (Ed.). (1997). Encyclopedia of Television. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers: Chicago, IL; ISBN 1-884964-26-5.
- Mitchell, Gordon Whitey. (2008). Hackensack to Hollywood-My Two Show Business Careers. BearManor Media: Albany, NY; ISBN 1-59393-121-2.