The Jeffersons

The Jeffersons
File:Jeffersons-title.jpg The Jeffersons title card
Created by	Norman Lear
Starring	Sherman Hemsley Isabel Sanford Marla Gibbs Roxie Roker Franklin Cover Paul Benedict (1975-1981), (1983-1985) Berlinda Tolbert (1975-1981) Zara Cully (1975-1977) Damon Evans (1975-1978)
Opening theme	Moving On Up
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	253
Production
Running time	approx. 0:30 (per episode)
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	January 18, 1975 – July 23, 1985

For the South Park episode of the same name, see The Jeffersons (South Park).

The Jeffersons was an American sitcom broadcast on the CBS network from January 18, 1975 until July 23, 1985, lasting 11 seasons. The show focused on a nouveau riche black husband and wife, George and Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley). It was a spin-off from All in the Family, a program on which the character Lionel Jefferson first appeared in 1971 in the premiere episode (soon followed by mother Louise), and on which George Jefferson first appeared in 1973. Like All in the Family, The Jeffersons was created and produced by Norman Lear. The Jeffersons featured a predominantly African American cast, similar to the shows 227, Sanford & Son, That's My Mama, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Hughleys, The Parkers, The Cosby Show and Good Times.

The Jeffersons was in the top ten in the Nielsen Ratings during its first season on the air, and later in itsrun, for three seasons in a row: 1979-1980, 1980-1981, and 1981-1982. During the 1981-1982 season, it was the #3 show on network television, behind only Dallas and 60 Minutes in popularity. The Jeffersons improved ratings for CBS, ruling Sunday nights from September 1979 until December 1984, when the show moved to Tuesday nights. CBS did not give the show a proper series finale, and did not tell the actors that after the July 2, 1985 episode "Red Robins" that the series was canceled. Hemsley found out that the show was canceled by reading it in the newspaper. The cast, bitter that they never got a chance to say goodbye, reunited years later in a stage play based on the sitcom. As of 2007, it still airs in syndication on channels such as TV Land.

The Jeffersons winded up becoming a successful African American sitcom airing on the CBS television network for 10 Outstanding Years, In December 1984, during the Final season, After Five Years ruling Sunday Nights, the show moved to Tuesday Nights in January 1985, in hopes of better ratings, but although coming with a total of 253 episodes (List of Episodes), and 11 Seasons, the ratings was going down, and In April 1985, the show was pulled from the Tuesday Night Schedule and returned in the Summer of 1985, the sitcom did not a proper Series finale, and after the final episode entitled: "Red Robins From Hell" aired on July 2, 1985, it marked the last and final episodes on CBS. Two Months Later, Marla Gibbs would star in a stage play named 227, which becomes a television show of the same name, unlike, The Jeffersons, 227 aired for five seasons on NBC (1985-1990) ruling Saturday Nights, A Year Later, in 1986, Hemsley would star in his own TV show Amen which also aired on Saturdays and aired for five seasons (1986-1991).

Like Most African American sitcom|sitcoms, this show improved better on The Ratings, and the main series stars (Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley), won an Emmy for their portrayal of a Wealthy African American couple in 1981.

Synopsis

Template:Spoiler The main characters were George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) and Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford) (21 years senior to Sherman Hemsley), and Lionel Jefferson, played by Mike Evans (and Damon Evans who portrayed the character in the 1975-1976 season until the fourth season in 1978). George Jefferson was the owner of a chain of seven dry cleaning stores. He and his wife lived in a luxury high-rise apartment building on Manhattan's Upper East Side, to which they had moved from a working-class section of Queens (where they had been Archie Bunker's next-door neighbors on All in the Family). On January 11 1975, Archie Bunker's wife, Edith Bunker, said goodbye to Louise, George and Lionel, when the were moving. Also on the show was interracial couple, Helen Willis (Roxie Roker) and Tom Willis (Franklin Cover), and their two children, Jenny Willis (Berlinda Tolbert) and Allan Willis (Jay Hammer). Jenny dated, and in 1976, married Lionel. Allan was rarely seen, and was not depicted until the 1978-1979 season. Jenny and Lionel had a baby daughter named Jessica Jefferson (Ebonie Smith), who was born in 1980, during the show's sixth season.

By the end of the first season, Mike Evans left to write episodes on Good Times, from the second season in 1975 until 1978, Damon Evans portrayed Lionel Jefferson. During that time, Lionel was seen less frequently, and Jenny was seen more. In the sixth season, Mike Evans, who played the original Lionel Jefferson, returned for two more seasons, from 1979 until 1981. After that time Mike Evans returned as Lionel Jefferson on special occaisions. His final appearance was on the February 5, 1985 episode, in which Lionel and Jenny decided to get a divorce, which threatens the relationship between Helen and Louise.

George Always made fun of everyone, including Tom and Helen, whom he called "zebra", and Tom, whom he called "honky." Also starring on the show was Mother Olivia Jefferson (played by Zara Cully), George's Mother and Louise's mother-in-law. Louise and Mother Jefferson did not get along together, but deep down Mother Jefferson really loved Louise. Florence Johnston (played by Marla Gibbs) was the Jeffersons' sharp-tongued maid, turned live-in housekeeper in the third season. Florence was remembered for making wisecracks to her bigoted boss, George, such as talking about his height. She became best friends with George and Louise (whom she always been nice to). The eccentric, kind British neighbor, Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict) was a translator at the UN. During the show's seventh year, Bentley was written out, saying that he went to Russia in 1981, which had concluded Berlinda Tolbert's final appearance as Jenny Willis Jefferson, although, she appears throughout the entire series run, In 1983, Paul Benedict returns to the series as The Jeffersons' eccentric British Neighbor, Harry Bentley.

Broadcast History

PRIMETIME

• January-August 1975: Saturdays — 8:30 p.m.
• September 1975-October 1976: Saturdays — 8:00 p.m.
• November 1976-January 1977: Wednesdays — 8:00 p.m.
• January 1977-August 1977: Mondays — 8:00 p.m.
• September 1977-March 1978: Saturdays — 9:00 p.m.
• April-May 1978: Saturdays — 8:00 p.m.
• June-September 1978: Mondays — 8:00 p.m.
• September 1978-January 1979: Wednesdays — 8:00 p.m.
• January-March 1979: Wednesdays — 9:30 p.m.
• March-June 1979: Wednesdays — 8:00 p.m.
• June 1979-September 1982: Sundays — 9:30 p.m.
• September 1982-December 1984: Sundays — 9:00 p.m.
• January-March 1985: Tuesdays — 8:00 p.m.
• June-July 1985: Tuesdays — 8:00 p.m.

DAYTIME February 1980-September 1981, Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m. Source: TV.com

Two-Part Episodes

The Jeffersons had a lot of two part episodes, either aired one week, and the next week, or aired as an Hour Long Episode, here are the list of The Jeffersons two part episodes, that aired in 1976 throughout the final season in 1985. The First Two-Part Jeffersons Episode that aired in February 1976, when Lionel (Damon Evans) decides to write a term paper, but problems accure when Jenny (Berlinda Tolbert), both decide to get to break-up, which threatens the Friendship of Helen and Louise. In The Second Half of The 1st Part Episode, George decides to find, Lionel a girlfriend, since he broke up with Jenny, he meets a girl in his cleaning store, and buys her into dating his son, Lionel, when she comes to the house, Lionel suddenly realize his father is playing a trick on him, so they pretend to dance, and Lionel pretends to like her, after hearing the truth from The Doorman, Ralph, George does not want Lionel dating her, The Next Day, Louise feels lonely, and upset, so she and George decides to forgive Tom and Helen, but instead, Tom and Helen comes downstairs, and the four decided to forgive each other, and the episode ends with a hug.

Another Two-Part episode, aired Late September 1977 as the Fourth-Season Opener. As George, opens his first (and new) Office, He tells Charlie, about how much money he has now, overhearing George speaking to Charlie, Two Robbers, decide to Kindap Louise, and the first-part ends, with a threating phonecall revealing that, Louise has been kidnapped. The Next Week, George and the gang, waits by the Phone, and George tries to get the Ransom Money, when everyone starts to argue about Louise Being Kidnapped, Louise returns, and The Two Robbers is unaware that they have The Jeffersons' Housekeeper, Florence (Marla Gibbs).

The Third Two-Part episode, that was a Three-Part Episode, aired in February 1978. In The First-Part of The Three-Parter, George and Louise have an argument, about their Anniversary, Louise goes up to Tom and Helen's Apartment, but when she forgives and decides to call George on The Phone, George is held hostage by a Robber, Louise thinks that George does not want her around, and the both of them is tied up by the burgular.

In The Second Part: As Being Tied Up, and Held Hostage by a Robber, George and Louise reminisce flashbacks from previous episodes, hilarious times with Mother Jefferson, and Their Lives when they and Lionel lived across the street from Archie Bunker.

In The Conclusion, George and Louise keep on Reminiscing flashbacks from past episodes, but when The Burgular disappears from the Apartment, Florence finally comes to the rescue, and frees both George and Louise, as they both realize being tied up has brung them closer together.

In The Fifth Season Opener, in a Two-Part Episode in September 1978, Allan Willis (Jay Hammer), returns from New Mexico with his Mother, Helen who returned from Syracuse, that he inherited a Warehouse, but when the Relationship between his Father, Tom, Allan decides to move back to New Mexico, "where no one hassles him", George follows him, and decides to let Allan Stay with him and Louise.

In The Conclusion, Louise and Helen run into a Stubborn Landlord at the Help Center, which that the Help Center is Closing down, but the Money, Allan has for the Warehouse, he decides to give Louise the Money to save the Help Center, unless if he could live with her and George, until he works things out with his father, Tom.

Another Two-Part Episode aired late October 1979, (during the show's sixth season) when The Jeffersons, Florence, Harry, Tom and Helen all dress up as old Hollywood Movie Stars for Halloween, but when Louise sees a Killer Rabbit, shoots a man on Harry's Telescope, he hunts for her, and the first part ends with The Killer Rabbit coming out in the open, after Louise and Bentley leaves Charlie's Bar. In The Conclusion, After Harry, Helen, Florence, George and Tom leaves for The Halloween Costume Party, The Killer Rabbit helds her hostage, and threatens to kill her: by having her jump off the Apartment Building, Harry comes back upstairs, and becomes the Killer Rabbit's Second Victim, and when Everyone else returns The Jeffersons' Apartment, all of them is being held, but The Gang Saves the day, by Having Tom sit on The Killer Rabbit, and Florence holding the gun.

Another Jeffersons Two-Part episode aired on February 3 and February 10, 1980, when Jenny is about to give birth to her Baby Daughter, Jessica, without Lionel, George has no choice but to help Jenny with her Baby. The Next Week, The Gang makes a visit to the Hospitial, when, Lionel finally makes it in time for the Birth of Jessica.

In the 1980-81 season, which was the Jeffersons 7th season, A Four Part Episode aired in November 1980, when George, Louise, Helen and Tom, decided to go to Hawaii for a vacation, George decides to sell his business, and George and Tom are lost at sea, somewhere in the island, but both of them return safe.

In The Seventh Season Finale, with Marla Gibbs short-lived sitcom Checking In, The Hour-Long episode aired on March 29, 1981, which the episode centers on Florence getting a new Job, as the Executive Housekeeper at a Hotel, George Finally becomes nice to her, but a surprise twist comes when Florence winds up with The Jeffersons' as The Housekeeper.

In The 1981-82 season opener, The Two-Part Episode airs in Late 1981, when Florence decides she wants her old job back (since the Hotel burned down), but she finds out that she is replaced, with a brand new Spanish Housekeeper, Carmen, but when Louise tells stories about Florence handling George (in previous episodes), Carmen decides to let Florence keep her old job, but George decides to keep Carmen, as the New Housekeeper.

Another Two-Parter aired in March 1982, when George realizes one of his employees, has been robbed by a Female Gang, he decides to stop The All-Female gang, for messing with one of his employees, but his bodyguard, Hugo (Irwin Keyes), runs away in fear, but George is stabbed by The Female hoods, who tries to steal Louise's Wedding Ring, in The Second Part: George is in Stable Condition, and tries to get back his Anniversary Ring for Louise from the Female Hoods.

In September 1982, Another Two Part-Episode aired when George decides to sell his Cleaning business, after learning that a new cleaning store wants to run him out of business.

Another Two-Part Episode, which is a 3-Part episode, aired on October 2, October 3 and October 10, 1983, in which former Saturday Night Live cast member, and future Jamie Foxx Show co-star, Garrett Morris who portrays Jimmy, has bought trouble when Tom (Franklin Cover) and George (Sherman Hemsley) goes on a trip with ransom money that was used to invest a house for Tom and Helen, Back at The Apartment, George tells Florence not to tell Louise and Helen, about the money, Florence "spills the beans" and the three follows George, Jimmy and Tom.

The Final Two-Part episode aired on February 5 and February 12, 1985, when the late Mike Evans who makes his final occasional appearance as George and Louise's son, Lionel, and Helen and Tom's daughter, Jenny (played by Berlinda Tolbert), both decide to get a divorce, when the marriage between Lionel working in Japan as an Engineer, and Jenny raising her daughter, Jessica (played by Ebonie Smith), in which threatens the long-life friendship and relationship between George and Louise, and Helen and Tom.

In The Second Part: The constant bickering between the divorce of Lionel and Jenny, becomes a feud, when Young Jessica runs out of school, during Family Night, and onto the streets of New York City, which became the decline ratings of the show during the 1984-85 season on the CBS television network.

DVD releases

Season Releases

DVD Name	Release Date	Additional Information
The Complete First Season	August 6 2002	Includes all 13 episodes from Season 1.
The Complete Second Season	May 13 2003	Inlcudes all 24 episodes from Season 2
The Complete Third Season	April 12 2005	Includes all 24 episodes from Season 3.
The Complete Fourth Season	October 11 2005	Includes all 24 episodes from Season 4.
The Complete Fifth Season	August 15 2006	Includes all 24 episodes from Season 5.
The Complete Sixth Season	March 27 2007	Includes all 24 episodes from Season 6.
The Complete Seventh Season
The Complete Eighth Season
The Complete Ninth Season
The Complete Tenth Season
The Complete Eleventh Season

Theme Song

written by Jeff Barry & Ja'net DuBois (lyrics found in the "First Season" box)

Well we're movin' on up! (We're movin' on up!)
To the east side! (We're movin' on up!)
To a dee-luxe apartment in the sky,
We're movin' on up! (We're movin' on up!)
To the east side! (We're movin' on up!)
We've finally got a piece of the pie.

Fish don't fry in the kitchen,
Beans don't burn on the grill.
Took a whole lotta tryin'
Just to get up that hill.
Now we're up in the big leagues,
Gettin' our turn at bat!
As long as we live,
It's you and me, baby!
There ain't nothin' wrong with that!

Well we're movin' on up! (We're movin' on up!)
To the east side! (We're movin' on up!)
To a dee-luxe apartment in the sky,
We're movin' on up! (We're movin' on up!)
To the east side! (We're movin' on up!)
We've finally got a piece of the pie.

Trivia

(Some entries from IMDb)

• When the spin-off was first proposed to Sanford and Hemsley, Sanford was reluctant to leave All in the Family for a spin-off that she felt probably would not be successful. As a result, the producers told her they would replace her if she did not do it.
• Paul Benedict who portrayed the Jeffersons' British Neighbor, Bentley joined the cast from 1975 until 1981, when he was dimissed from the series until November 1983 when he returned to the cast until the final episode
• Zara Cully joined the cast from the first season in 1975 until the second season in 1976, due likely to ill health, Zara only appeared in the 1977 episode (Season 3) "Louise Vs. Jenny", and her final appearance was on The Fourth Season episode, The Last Leaf, which aired in 1977. (before her death in 1978, the next year), her title card was kept on the show from 1975-1978.
• Marla Gibbs's character on the show, Florence Johnston, was only to appear in some episodes in the first season, but, Gibbs' character improved popularity, and had a recurring role in the 1975-76 season and the 1976-77 season, that Marla Gibbs became a regular cast member from Seasons 4-11 (1977-1985).
• The sitcom's schedule moved to a whole bunch of nights: when the show premiered, it aired on Saturday Nights from 1975 until 1976, In January 1977, The show moved to Mondays, for a short time, then at the beginning of the 1977-1978 year, it went back to Saturday Nights, In 1978-1979 year, throughout the whole fifth season, it aired on Wednesdays, from the show's sixth season in September 1979 until December 1984, for the past five years, it aired on Sunday Nights, but when the ratings start to drop, in January 1985, it aired on Tuesday Nights, until its cancellation in July 1985.
• When Jay Hammer portrayed Allan Willis, and starred in the 1978-1979 season, he only appeared in six episodes, but Berlinda Tolbert, who portrayed his sister, Jenny, only appeared in Part 1 of the Fifth Season Opener entitled "Homecoming", throughout the 1978-1979 season, Berlinda Tolbert rarely appeared in any episodes, much as co-star, Jay Hammer, who only joined the cast for a short period of time, However, Tolbert appeared some episodes, and a had recurring role , although, she dropped from the show's cast in the seventh season in 1981.
• Although Passing Away in 1978, Zara Cully's Title card appeared for the rest of the season, but the title card was removed after the 1977-78 season.
• Years Later, after The Dismissial of The Jeffersons, cast members started passing away: The First cast member to pass away was Zara Cully, Olivia Jefferson, died on January 26, 1978, at 86 Years old, the second cast member was, Roxie Roker, cousin of Weatherman Personality, Al Roker, and mother of Lenny Kravitz passed away on December 2, 1995 at 66 Years Old, Isabel Sanford passed away on July 9, 2004 at 86 Years Old, Franklin Cover, passed away on February 4, 2006 at 78 Years Old, and the Fifth cast member, was Good Times co-creator, and writer, Mike Evans, who passed away on December 14, 2006, cause of heart-attack, the only cast members to still be living is: Berlinda Tolbert (Jenny Willis Jefferson), Sherman Hemsley (George Jefferson), Marla Gibbs (Florence), Ned Wertimer (Ralph) and Ebonie Smith (Jessica).
• Possibly relating to the aforementioned controversy, Isabel Sanford enjoyed top billing in the show's opening credits throughout its run, with her own title card: "Starring Isabel Sanford".
• The characters of George and Louise Jefferson returned to television in 1996 to appear on an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Ironically, Hemsley had already appeared on three episodes of the series back in 1992 as the judge running against Will Smith's uncle. George and Louise Jefferson would return on the Fresh Prince series finale in 1996 and even buy the family's house. Their final appearance together (before Sanford's death on July 9, 2004) was on March 7, 2004 for the Second Annual TV Land Awards (broadcast on March 17).
• On In Living Color, Marc Wilmore Portrayed Isabel Sanford in sketches throught the fourth and fifth season.
• Though it is rarely mentioned on the show, the name of the building the Jeffersons live in is "Colby East".
• Louise had an older sister named Maxine, who ran away from home several years earlier after she got pregnant. She eventually moved to France where she worked as a singer. On All In the Family, {Episode #98}, George Jefferson mentions that he has a brother-in-law; in a plot hole, this brother is never mentioned on The Jeffersons}. Likewise, in All in the Family, George has a brother named Henry Jefferson (played by Mel Stewart) who never once appeared on The Jeffersons. Henry was referred to when Gary Coleman (Diff'rent Strokes) appeared on the episode "Uncle George and Aunt Louise" from Season 4 and was cast as Henry's son, Raymond.
• When Zara Cully passed away during the 1977-1978 season, it was decided to write Mother Jefferson off the series by having her die as well. She only made three appearances during the season and was seen in flashbacks in the three-part episode "George and Louise In A Bind". Cully only made two appearances during the 1976-1977 season.
• The character George Jefferson was ranked #44 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" (June 20, 2004 issue).
• CBS never gave The Jeffersons a proper series finale. The cast, bitter that they never got a chance to say goodbye, reunited years later for a stage play based on the sitcom. Sherman Hemsley said he found out the show was canceled by reading it in the paper.
• When the show first started George constantly referred to Tom as a "honky". After a few seasons Sherman Hemsley asked the writers to stop having George call him that, as he felt that the characters were friends and he felt George would not use a racist term on a friend. When the writers refused to stop, Hemsley simply mumbled the word every time he said it, forcing re-shoots. Eventually, the writers stopped using the word; however, George continued to pick on Tom's weight, and Florence continued to make short jokes at George's expense.
• When Mike Evans left the show for a second time, his absence was explained by having Lionel and Jenny separate and eventually divorce.
• In 1982, episode 184 marks the first episode to be produced by Embassy Television.
• During Oprah Winfrey's "Legends Ball", Mariah Carey sang the The Jeffersons theme song much to the delight of all the guests.
• While most of Norman Lear's other properties — All in the Family, Maude, Good Times — remained sharply political in tone throughout their runs, The Jeffersons evolved into more of a traditional sitcom, relying more on the characters' interactions with one another rather than explicitly political dialogue or storylines.
• Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley reprised their roles as George and Louise "Wheezie" Jefferson for a series of commericals for Denny's Resturants in the mid 1990s, and later a popular Old Navy commercial.

• • Plot Holes:
• In an early episode, Louise remarks that George's father had talked to her about the Jefferson family African roots; in a later episode George's father died when George was about nine years old.
• In the same early episode Louise remarks that she was the daughter of a janitor; in a later episode George meets Louise's father who was a train conductor who had deserted his family.
• In the sixth-season episode "The First Store", it is revealed that Jefferson Cleaners' first store opened in 1968 on the same day that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. (The episode first aired on April 6, 1980, two days after the 12th anniversary of Dr. King's death.) However, the 1968 date contradicted a 1971 episode of All in the Family, in which Lionel revealed that his parents had just gone into the cleaning business, opening up a store with a disability settlement George had received from an injury he sustained while working as a janitor. {Likewise a 1978 episode of The Jeffersons has George Jefferson dreaming of the future {1996} in which 25 anniversary of "Jefferson Cleaners" {Store founded 1971} and the 22nd annivesary of the Jefffersons moving uptown {1974) is mentioned}

Studio Tapings

• Season 1: CBS Television City (1975)
• Seasons 2-7: Metromedia Square (1975-1982)
• Seasons 8-11: Universal City Studios (1982-1985)

External links

• The Jeffersons at IMDb
• The Jeffersons on TVLand.com