Good Times
1 9 7 4 - 1 9 7 9 (USA)
133 x 30 minute episodes
A spin-off of a spin-off. Good Times came
to the small screen by way of All in the Family and Maude.
Nevertheless, this series about the struggles of Maude's former maid,
Florida Evans, easily equalled the controversy created by its
predecessors.
Florida and James Evans were lower-middle-class
blacks living in a high-rise on the South Side of Chicago with their
three children: JJ was the oldest at 17; Thelma, 16 and Michael,
10. Trying to make ends meet was a difficult task because
James was always in and out of jobs - but there was plenty of love in
the family. JJ was an accomplished amateur painter who, though going
to trade school, was always looking for some get-rich-quick scheme
that would help get him and his family out of the ghetto.
 JJ
formed a rock group, managed a young comic and tried various other
money-making ideas after he got out of school. He did manage to earn
money with his painting and was also quite popular with the girls.
His catchphrase "Dyn-o-mite!" became very popular in
the mid-1970s.
Florida's neighbour and best friend was Willona
Woods. At the start of the 1976-77 season, there was a major cast
change. James found a job working as a partner in a garage in
Mississippi but was killed in a car accident.
The entire family had been planning to move to
their new home and start a new life but the Evans children were now
fatherless. JJ became the man of the house and was even more
determined to find a way out of the ghetto for his family. Some of his
not-so-legal schemes became very shady. Florida found a new man
in her life in the spring of 1977 - Carl Dixon, the owner of a small
appliance repair shop. They were married during the summer of 1977 and
in the fall, were referred to on the show as being "on their
honeymoon."
 Esther
Rolle had become upset with the role model for young blacks provided
by JJ's woman-chasing, less-than-honest character and, on the pretence
of illness, left the series prior to the start of the 1977-1978
season. In the story line, Carl had developed lung cancer and he and
Florida were living in a Southern location that was better for his
health.
Friend and neighbour Willona became a surrogate
mother to the Evans family. Little Penny Gordon, a victim of child
abuse, became Willona's adopted daughter and Bookman, the building
super, became a more prominent member of the cast.
The following autumn, Esther returned to the cast
without Carl (and no explanation on where he was) with the promise
that JJ would be a more respectable character (he was given a
respectable job in advertising).
 Daughter
Thelma married football star Keith Anderson. JJ, who was meant to be
paying for the wedding, but had lost his job at the agency when a
business slowdown forced them to lay him off. He had to borrow money
from loan shark Sweet Daddy to pay for the wedding.
To make matters worse, JJ accidentally tripped
Keith during the ceremony, resulting in a leg injury that jeopardized
Keith's million-dollar pro-football contract.
Money was hard to come by and the newlyweds were
living in the Evans apartment while Keith recuperated. Keith, while
depressed by his physical ailments, drove a taxi to help out, while JJ
taught art at home and Florida got a job as a school bus driver.
In the last episode, everything finally worked
out. Keith got his big contract as a running back and moved into his
own place with Thelma, who was expecting their first child; JJ sold
the comic strip he had developed to a syndicate for a healthy advance
and neighbour Willona got promoted to head buyer at the clothing
boutique where she worked.
|
