Good Times on TVLand

[Kerrytravelers]

<http://www.tvparty.com/70good.html>

Ok, I watched many hours of the 48 hour marathon. I've been watching all this week. I love the show, but I am so annoyed at the same time.

The J.J. character was made into such a clown. His character could have been so much more. I know that the father (John Amos playing James Evans) and Esther Rolle (playing Flordia Evans) left the show because the writers made the show central around J.J. and his foolishness, but I still can't help it. I love watching the show. I remember growing up with that show on the tv (my parents introduced me to all the great lib shows of the time... All In the Family, Maude,One Day at a Time, the Jeffersons and Good Time and Three's Company and Soap(the last two not Lear shows)... to name a few.

Has anyone else been watching? Who else grew up with Norman Lear? What do my fellow DUer's think?

[DanCa]

1. The only good one was the dad

John Amos (was the actor) I think right? Seriously he was the only one who didn't seem like a sterotype one the show. My favorite episode was when JJ got shot. I also can't believe that was Janet Jackson that played penny.

[Deja Q]

15. Esther Rolle was pretty good too....

It's Jimmie Walker that turned it into a farce.

Yeah, the JJ getting shot one was very good too (season 2)

[Nevernose]

2. In my cica 1979 bootleg of Star Wars

I accidentally recorded a few seconds of Jimmie Walker saying "DYNOMITE!" during the opening scene with the droids. It was one of the more devastating events of my childhood, right up there with my parent's divorce and my dog dying (what can I say? Ireally liked Star Wars).

The whole idea of a mainstream show set in a housing project though -- revolutionary (even if it always felt exploitive at the same time)

JJ still works as a comedian, btw, and is actually a rather intelligent, articulate man, though he doesn't go by JJ all the time and he no longer says "Dynomite!" to get a laugh.

[Kerrytravelers]

3. I've seen Jimmie Walker since his GOod Times days.He is funny.

I just always like the pulse of my DU friends.

[jim3775]

4. J.J is a fundie now.

His website has a section called "JJ's views" here is an excerpt:

" And what happened to the Right of Free Speech? Rush doesn't have it? But of course, the Liberals do. They've called Rush everything from a racist, an idiot, an imbecile, and vile. And don’t forget the book titled, Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot. Imagine if someone wrote a book titled, Al Roker is a Big Fat Idiot. As Affirmative Action continues to prove a policy that no longer works...I’ve got one thing to say...Long Live El Rush-Bo..."

http://www.dynomitejj.com/views.asp

Edit: Here's another one:

" Yes, there are going to be future attacks on America, but it's not the PLO or Al Qaeda that's going to terrorize America...it's "Political Correctness"!"

[DanCa]

5. welcome to DU jim3775

[jim3775]

6. Thank you, but why are you welcoming me? I've been here for quite a while.

[DanCa]

10. Oh sorry

I thought your count read four time to get new glasses lol.

[quiet.american]

7. Hmn... his views are Trent Lott are interesting, too.

Well, who could have predicted!

[quiet.american]

8. Dupe

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

12. so calling rush names is taking away his free speech

i think jj needs to quit being a crybaby and find more amos and andy-like roles to embarass the civil rights movement

[Kerrytravelers]

19. I read through many of "jj's views."

What a terrible writer. If a student in my class turned in such a horrible piece of junk, there would be red ink all over that incoherent paper.

But, he is a freeper, so that explains the pure stupidity.


http://www.dynomitejj.com/front.html

[quiet.american]

9. Loved Maude, loved Archie, Loved Flo', Loved them all!

God, that's when sitcom writing was so damn real! Not this Friends, Frasier bull.

[DanCa]

11. Murphy Brown made politics fun

I finally get maude and archie bunker now. But to date I like Barney Miller the best.

[quiet.american]

13. How could I forget Murphy? And Barney!

Oh, I absolutely LOVED Barney Miller... Fish... all the guys. Damn, I might have to get pay cable again, now. Just thinking about the last episode of Barney Miller gets me all choked up still. :)

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

14. gotta love abe vigoda

that guy's a god

[cynatnite]

24. Murphy and Designing Women rocked!

I loved those women! :loveya:

[Kerrytravelers]

25. I use to love Designing Women...

Jean Smart and Annie Potts are good libs.. but burke and (hold your breath) even carter to some degree... are on the freepy side.

If anyone can prove me wrong on the last two, I will be SO HAPPY!

[Bluebear]

16. Mary HAAAARTman....Mary HAAAAARTman!

Another Norman Lear creation!

[DanCa]

17. loved the bigfoot episode let see what else

Night court married with children and soap

[stevietheman]

18. I was just thinking today that the Good Times theme song...

would be a great Impeachment rally song in September. I watched the Good Times marathon as well, and I was amazed at the dialogue that was allowed in the 1970's but seems to be verboten in today's "don't question corporate rule / don't bring up issues of the poor" sitcoms.

I loved and love all the characters in Good Times, even J.J. I think the turbulence over his clowning around was overblown, because as with any show, there needed to be a hook. J.J. just had a personality that overshadowed all others, that is, until Willona (Ja net Dubois) ultimately became very popular (even becoming the headlining star of the show for one season) and then Penny (Janet Jackson) came in to steal every scene for the final two seasons. I always admired Esther Rolle's character for demonstrating such confidence, passion and humor under the most trying of times. I'm white (as if that matters), but I would have adored having her as a mother figure or a next-door neighbor.

I love a lot of those old sitcoms... it was a time that television dared make the viewers think about issues. Even the seemingly senseless Three's Company was not only thoroughly funny but a breakthrough in its own right (in its gay acceptance and portrayal of the singles scene).

It's great we can relive the good ol' days of the golden age of sitcoms. And the beautiful thing is... they continue to inspire the politics of these trying times.

[jbane]

20. Thelma in those tight jeans...

is the only reason I watched that dumb show.

[Bunny]

21. I caught a few episodes on Sunday evening.

And I've been humming that theme song ever since! That was a great show for its time, the episode where the father dies was very well acted. JJ was allowed to become a terrible buffoon, what a shame.

[AirAmFan]

22. IMHO, GT 'jumped the shark' when ALL its African-American writers left

in disgust, even before the show finished its first season. It was a historic show because it was the first TV sitcom to have (briefly) credited, regular, paid African-American writers depicting arguably authentic lives of poor people of color. But, unfortunately, IMHO it degenerated very quickly into a remake of 'Amos and Andy'

For many timeless critical comments from GT fans, see http://www.jumptheshark.com/g/goodtimes.htm

[cynatnite]

23. Loved the show

My mom hated it, but I watched shows she hated :shrug:

I was a huge Soap fan. I loved every bit of it!

Also, I did enjoy 'All in the Family'. My family hated Archie Bunker, but I adored watching him.

I was banned from watching 'Maude' and 'Family' when I was a kid. Go figure :shrug: