Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Classic TV: The Jeffersons (1975)

 The 2nd spin-off from All in The Family (after Maude), The Jeffersons became a Sunday night fixture on CBS toward the end of its run, and would, in turn, beget a spin-off of its own.

George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) was as much of a bigot as ex-neighbor Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor), but unlike Bunker, George moved out the working class neighborhood in Queens in favor of a high rise apartment building in Manhattan. On top of that, George was now in the dry cleaning business. Changing boroughs also brought a new set of issues, particularly neighbors Tom & Helen Willis (Franklin Cover & Roxie Roker), Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict), and George's own tart-tongued maid, Florence (Marla Gibbs), whose zingers became a popular part of the show.

The series began as a mid-season replacement in January 1975, and ran for 11 seasons total, a full decade on the air (1975-85). The iconic theme, "Movin' on Up", was co-written & sung by Ja'net DuBois (Good Times), who co-authored the song with 60's pop songwriter Jeff Barry.

Isabel Sanford (Louise) had gone the guest star route years earlier, with guest appearances on shows such as Bewitched, before landing on Family

Let's check the intro from the first season, courtesy of Shout! Factory:


Rating: A.

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