Which Was Better "Good Times" or "The Jeffersons?" or "What's Happenin'"

Two words:

Mother. Jefferson.

[quote] And whilst Wilma could hold her own to George, Buckman was no Florence

Who the fuck are these people?

Good Times was the best of them all, but What's Happenin' had a fantastic first season. The third season is unwatchable dreck.

Shirley was funnier than them all. Isabelle was a reactor, so she was funny but not unless reacting to someone.

Mother Jefferson was not as funny as Wilona or Dee.

And the last year of all three shows, should never have happened.

what ever happened to Florida's husband Carl?

It was "Weezy," not "Wheezy." She had the nickname as a shortening of her given name, "Louise," not because she had trouble breathing.

r6

No, you couldn't be more wrong.

I chose Good Times as the better show, but The Jeffersons were also real enjoyable, especially Mother Jefferson.

In real life, Zara Cully, the actress who portrayed her, liked Isabel Sanford (Louise Jefferson), and hated having to say all those mean lines to her. Isabel basically told her "you'll say those lines and like it. We need to stay on the air and make money for as long as possible."

What's Happenin' because they didn't have that cunt-man "Norman Lear."

He threw James off of Good Times and when he wanted to spin-off the Jeffersons, Isabelle told him "no." So Lear said he'd simply replace her with a new actress and spin it off anyway.

Dee was much funnier than Mother Jefferson or JJ. Rerun was hysterical and Mama was solid as a Florida or Isabelle.

Dwayne had a better ass than James and the gay Lionel was horrible.

Mother Jefferson is the closest the DL will ever come to being a real human being.

[quote] No, you couldn't be more wrong.

Link please.

Dee was the very worst actress in the history of tv.

Florence the maid was also hilarious on "The Jeffersons" (as well as Zara Cully as Mother Jefferson). And Louise was a great central "straight woman"--I hugely identified with her.

I didn't find any of the actors on "Good Times" funny. It was like the black and poorer version of "One Day at a Time," another awesomely unfunny but enormously watchable show.

I hated them all.

You’ve got your details wrong R9. Isabelle Sanford said no TO the Jeffersons as a spin-off of All In The Family. She was forced into it when Norman Lear said he would replace her as Louise and create the Jeffersons anyway. Lear does sound like a cunt.

"Mother Jefferson", "Mother Dexter", I've never heard of anyone call anyone this way before these show and after they ended still haven't.

R4 Shirley Hemphill sat behind me and my parents at the original “Annie” with Andrea McArdle at the Alvin Theatre in 1977. It was quite the pre-curtain, autograph-seeker sensation!

"Mother Jefferson", "Mother Dexter", I've never heard of anyone call anyone this way before these show and after they ended still haven't.

HELLO!

Namaste.

Vivian Vance

Hello!

Was Vivian Vance on one of these shows?

Good Times. I despised The Jefferson’s and I never watched What’s Happening.

[quote] You’ve got your details wrong [R9]. Isabelle Sanford said no TO the Jeffersons as a spin-off of All In The Family. She was forced into it when Norman Lear said he would replace her as Louise and create the Jeffersons anyway. Lear does sound like a cunt.

What are you talking about? You said exactly what R9 said.

That's My Mama

"The Jeffersons" is probably the one I'd rewatch, out of the 3 listed. 2nd place would be "What's Happenin'." 3rd place would be "Good Times."

What's Happenin' had cheap-looking sets and so did Good Times, frankly. I always liked The Jeffersons' apartment (kitchen was kinda so-so, though).

Yes, I realize that the Thomases (WH) and the Evanses (GT) were poor and the Jeffersons were rich, but still. Rhoda (on MTM Show) had a very tiny, studio, budget-type apartment that didn't look cheap.

I always felt like I needed to bathe after I watched one of these shows.

We are all weezy.

The bulging crotches and outlines of dicks made "What's Happening" appointment television for this 13 year old boy!

(zoom in on the white pants)

[quote] "Mother Jefferson", "Mother Dexter", I've never heard of anyone call anyone this way before these show and after they ended still haven't.

Don't forget "Mother Stevens," which was how Sam addressed and referred to her mother-in-law Phyllis (Mabel Albertson) on "Bewitched."

And yes, that was a real way to address older women in the family back in the day, even if you personally never heard of it.

Good Times was more popular with younger people. My sisters and I never missed it as adolescents. My mom watched The Jeffersons with me.

What R1 said

I liked back n forth between George & Florence on the Jefferson s

I liked the bickering between Thelma & JJ on Goodtimes

I liked Dee and Shirley on What’s Happenin’

I had such a crush on Clifton Davis back in the day, R25.

I also loved Clifton Davis in Amen. Anna Marie Horsford was an underrated comedienne. She held her own in her scenes with Sherman Hemsley.

The best of the three What's Happening!

The Jeffersons was only funny when Mother Jefferson was on the show. After Zara Cully died in February1978 the show was NEVER as funny.

I watched and loved all three shows growing up in the 70s. I loved Dee & Mother Jefferson, and if I randomly flipped onto an episode of any of them I’d stop and watch it; but they are hard to rank because they are each a very different kind of comedy.

Good Times is a classic Lear “issues” show, like AITF and Maude - it is the most family focused of the three, and like other Lear shows of this ilk often veers into dramady.

The Jeffersons is much less issue (and family) driven - it is a fish-out-of-water comedy of manners. Like the situation, the humor is more sophisticated but also more frothy than Good Times.

What’s Happening has the, broadest, most classic sit-com humor of the three; with the group of friends and physical comedy predominating over family & class / cultural situations. It’s more like Happy Days, but much better and funnier.

[quote] Yes, I realize that the Thomases (WH) and the Evanses (GT) were poor and the Jeffersons were rich, but still. Rhoda (on MTM Show) had a very tiny, studio, budget-type apartment that didn't look cheap.

You cannot compare Rhoda's bohemian lifestyle, at the top of a Victorian house, to the Evanses, who were living in a slum of an inner city.

None. They were all crap. Written for white people's idea of how Blacks should be, still entertaining the crackers.

If you want a REALLY successful show for African Americans, then you need to take a look at my 100% heterosexual husband's hit series THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR. He is the best black actor ever and should have won several Emmys, Oscars, and Tonys. But, since it's the Jews who decide who wins, we know that all works.

As I said earlier once Zara Cully was gone the Jeffersons was never as funny. The maid was not in the same league as Mother Jefferson. She had one funny line in 1981 when Mrs. Willis asked her if she ever go to Hawaii and Florence responds by saying- Child the closest I'll ever get to Hawaii is the Pineapple section at the A&P!

[quote]Dee was the very worst actress in the history of tv.

Liar

Why couldn't James get a job? He was young, strong and could have least got some minimum age work.

Good Times showrunner Irma Kalish died this week at age 96.

What am I, chopped chitlins?

r44

Sanford and Son was funnier than all three of them, but it really wasn't a "black" show. I know you all will disagree, but if you watch the original "Steptoe and Son," some scripts of Sanford and Son are taken line for line from it. Sanford and Son just replaced white English with black Americans.

In fact the original Steptoe is much more darker and somber than Sanford. Sure Fred lives in a mess but it's a TV sitcom messy house. Look at the home Steptoe and son live in and you feel the poverty. When Lamont complains about Fred it's funny, the way Lucy cries but you know she's not really sad. When Harold complains about his dad, you really feel his pain and how he's trapped.

Fred and Lamont are funny characters of a poor family. But Harold and Albert can be truly horrible people both to each other and to everyone around them.

I grew up watching reruns of good times and what’s happening now and I liked both. I was never a fan of the Jeffersons or Sanford and son.

Dwayne on “What’s Happening” was so cute.

Esther Rolle left Good Times at the end of season 4 and didn't come back until season 6.Esther Rolle supposedly left because she thought that the JJ Evans character was a bad role model and influence for young black people. She only came back after producers guaranteed that they would fix the JJ character and make him more "respectable".

"Dwayne on “What’s Happening” was so cute."

He was literally the ONLY reason I watched that dreck.

My teenage viewing habits could be described as "any show with a cute teen guy" and "Rhoda."

"The Jeffersons" had one of the best theme songs in sitcom history, which was sung by Ja'net DuBois.

I always wanted James Evans from "Good Times" to have his way with me.

I wanted to have my way with Dwayne from "What's Happenin'."

I like the with Jackee. The shows confuse me.

I always wanted to be the vanilla in the middle of a Dwayne and Michael (",Good Times") Oreo cookie. Except it would be the chocolate part melting in my mouth....

George Jefferson is one of TV's greatest characters. Hilarious. And the show's theme is TV's best ever.