The Jeffersons

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"Jeffersons" redirects here. For other uses, see Jefferson (disambiguation).
For the South Park episode, see The Jeffersons (South Park).
The Jeffersons
Jeffersons-title.jpg
Seasons 3–11 title card
GenreSitcom
Created byDon Nicholl
Michael Ross
Bernie West
Developed byNorman Lear
Directed byBob Lally
Oz Scott
Jack Shea
Tony Singletary
Arlando Smith
StarringIsabel Sanford
Sherman Hemsley
Marla Gibbs
Roxie Roker
Franklin Cover
Paul Benedict
Mike Evans
Berlinda Tolbert
Zara Cully
Damon Evans
Ned Wertimer
Jay Hammer
Danny Wells
Theme music composerJeff Barry
Ja'net Dubois
Opening theme"Movin' On Up" performed by Ja'net Dubois
Composer(s)Don Great
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons11
No. of episodes253 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)David Duclon
Ron Leavitt
Jay Moriarity
Mike Mulligan
Don Nicholl
Michael Ross
George Sunga
Bernie West
Producer(s)David Duclon
Ron Leavitt
Michael G. Moye
Jerry Perzigian
Donald L. Seigel
Jack Shea
Location(s)CBS Television City, Hollywood, California (1975)
Metromedia Square, Hollywood, California
(1975–1982)
Universal City Studios, Universal City, California
(1982–1985)
Camera setupVideotape
Multi-camera setup
Running time22–24 minutes
Production company(s)T.A.T. Communications Company
(1975–1982)
(seasons 1-8)
NRW Productions
(1975–1979)
(seasons 1-5)
Ragamuffin Productions
(1980–1981)
(season 7)
Embassy Television
(1982–1985)
(seasons 9-11)
DistributorT.A.T. Communications Company (1981–1984)
Embassy Telecommunications
(1984–1986)
Embassy Communications
(1986–1988)
Columbia Pictures Television
(1988–1995)
Columbia TriStar Television
(1995–2002)
Sony Pictures Television
(2002–present)
Release
Original networkCBS
Audio formatMonaural
Original releaseJanuary 18, 1975 – July 2, 1985
Chronology
Preceded byAll in the Family
Followed byChecking In
Related showsMaude
Good Times
Archie Bunker's Place
Gloria
E/R
704 Hauser
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes.[1] The Jeffersons is one of the longest-running sitcoms,[2] the second-longest-running American series with a primarily African American cast (surpassed in 2012 by Tyler Perry's House of Payne by one episode, though The Jeffersons ran for more seasons),[1][3] and the first to prominently feature a married interracial couple.[1][4]

Show[edit]

The show focuses on George and Louise Jefferson, a prosperous African-American couple who have been able to move from Queens to Manhattan owing to the success of George's dry-cleaner chain. The show was launched as the second spin-off of All in the Family, on which the Jeffersons had been the neighbors of Archie and Edith Bunker.[5][6] The show was the creation of Norman Lear.[5][7] The Jeffersons eventually evolved into more of a traditional sitcom but did reference such issues as alcoholism, racism, suicide, gun control, being transgender, and adult illiteracy. The epithets "nigger" and "honky" were used occasionally, especially during the earlier seasons.[2][4]
The Jeffersons had one spin-off, titled Checking In. The series was centered on the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence.[8] Checking In only lasted four episodes, after which Florence returned to The Jeffersons.[9] The Jeffersons also shared continuity with the show E/R, which featured Lynne Moody, who made a guest appearance in one episode of The Jeffersons.[10] Sherman Hemsley guest-starred as George in two episodes of the series, which lasted for one season.[11]
The Jeffersons ended in controversy after CBS abruptly canceled the series without allowing for a proper series finale. The cast was not informed until after the July 2, 1985, episode "Red Robins", and actor Sherman Hemsleysaid he found out that the show was canceled by reading it in the newspaper.[12] Sanford, who heard about the cancellation through her cousin who read about it in the tabloids, has publicly stated that she found the cancellation with no proper finale to be disrespectful on the network's part.[13]
The cast reunited in a stage play based on the sitcom.[14] In the 1996 series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the Jeffersons made a guest appearance and bought the house from the Banks family.[1] In an episode of Tyler Perry's House of Payne in 2011, Sherman Hemsley and Marla Gibbs reprised their roles of George Jefferson and Florence Johnston.[15]
In 1985, Hemsley and Sanford made a special joint guest appearance in the Canale 5 comedy show Grand Hotel, starring Italian actors Paolo Villaggio, Franco & Ciccio comic duo and Carmen Russo. They were guests in the fictional hotel, and appeared just twice during the show, for a total of five minutes. Their voices were dubbed by Italian actors Enzo Garinei (George) and Isa di Marzio (Louise), who also dubbed their characters for the full series.[citation needed]

Series development[edit]

Louise Jefferson, played by Isabel Sanford, first appeared in the All in the Family episode "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood", which was broadcast on March 2, 1971. The episode, the eighth of the series, centers on Louise, her son Lionel, and her husband George's moving next door to Archie and Edith Bunker in the working-class section of Queens.[2] Lionel, played by Mike Evans, first appeared in "Meet the Bunkers", the premiere episode of All in the Family.[2]
Norman Lear created the character of George Jefferson specifically for Hemsley. Lear originally intended for George to appear in the first season of the series; however, Hemsley was starring in the Broadway musical Purlie at the time, and Lear decided to postpone introduction of the character until Hemsley was available. Lear created the character of Henry Jefferson, George's younger brother, and replaced George with Henry in the series's scripts until Purlie finished its run. Mel Stewart was cast as Henry.[2][3] George was introduced in the episode "Henry's Farewell", and Hemsley and Stewart share their only scene together in its final minutes. The episode marked the final appearance of Henry.
George, Louise, and Lionel continued to appear on All in the Family until 1975, when the spin-off The Jeffersons, also created by Lear, premiered.[8] The characters of Lionel's biracial fiancée, Jenny, and her family, all of whom first appeared in the 1974 All in the Family episode "Lionel's Engagement", were also written into the new series.[16] However, the roles were all recast, with Berlinda Tolbert taking over the role of Jenny, veteran actor Franklin Cover playing her father, Tom Willis, whose first name was changed from Louis, as it was in their first AITF appearance, and Roxie Roker as her mother, Helen.

Synopsis[edit]

Cast of The Jeffersons, clockwise from top: Mike Evans, Sherman Hemsley, and Isabel Sanford (1975)
During the January 11, 1975 episode of All in the Family, titled "The Jeffersons Move Up", Edith Bunker gave a tearful good-bye to her neighbor Louise Jefferson, as her husband George, their son Lionel, and she moved from a working-class section of Queens, New York into a luxury apartment in Manhattan.[17] The Jeffersons premiered the following week, on January 18, 1975.[8]
George's career as a dry-cleaner began in the first season of All in the Family, in the third episode, "Oh, My Aching Back" (though the character himself did not appear on-camera). After his car was rear-ended by a bus, he filed a civil action and won $3200, enough to open his first store in Queens.[3] At the beginning of The Jeffersons, he was operating five stores throughout New York City, with another two opening during the following seasons.
Louise made friends with Tom and Helen Willis, an interracial couple with two adult children of their own[8] (whom George insultingly called "zebras"):[1][18] son Allan (played by Andrew Rubin in the first-season finale, and by Jay Hammer throughout season 5), a white-passing college drop-out; and daughter Jenny, an aspiring fashion designer. Jenny and Lionel became a couple, were married on December 24, 1976, and later became the parents of a daughter, Jessica (played in later seasons by Ebonie Smith).[8][19] Lionel and Jenny experienced marital issues, and filed for divorce in 1985.[8]
Marla Gibbs portrayed the role of Florence Johnston, the Jeffersons' back-talking, wisecracking, and devoutly religious housekeeper. Florence often teased George, mostly about his short stature and receding hairline.[20] Paul Benedict arrived as Harry Bentley, a loyal, kind, friendly yet somewhat dimwitted British next-door neighbor,[8] who worked as an interpreterat the United Nations.[21]
A common sight-gag of the show was George slamming the door in Bentley's face mid-conversation.[21] Bentley also had a bad back, and frequently needed George to walk on his back.[22][23] He also became known for addressing the Jeffersons as "Mr. J" and "Mrs. J".[23] Zara Cully played George's mother, Olivia "Mother" Jefferson, who constantly disparaged her daughter-in-law.[6][18][19] Cully, who had first appeared in the 1974 All in the Family episode, "Lionel's Engagement", reprised her role.[24] She appeared regularly in the first two seasons, but made sporadic appearances over the next two years and was written out in the fifth season (Cully died in 1978, from lung cancer; no episode was centered on Mother Jefferson's death, but it was mentioned that she had died in season 5). Ned Wertimer played the doorman, Ralph Hart, throughout the series,[25] along with Danny Wells who played Charlie the bartender.[26]

Cast changes[edit]

Berlinda Tolbert and Damon Evans as Jenny and Lionel (1976)
Mike Evans ("Lionel") left the show after the first season; his replacement was Damon Evans (no relation),[6] who took over the role until halfway through the fourth season.[8] Damon Evans's last episode was "Lionel Gets the Business".
Mike Evans and Tolbert returned in the 1979–1980 season, with Tolbert's character, Jenny, pregnant with a daughter named Jessica. However, Mike Evans appeared for only one more season, along with Tolbert.[8] The Jeffersons' sixth season peaked at #8 in the summer of 1980. The characters of Lionel and Jenny were written out by stating that they had marital problems, the result of which became a two-part episode storyline as the series' eighth-season premiere. The series' eighth season was the first African-American sitcom in years (since Sanford and Son) to peak in the top 5 (the series' eighth season debuted at #3).
Evans and Tolbert appeared in the two-part episode together; Evans also appeared in one episode during the series' ninth season in 1982, and made his final appearance in two episodes during the series' eleventh and final season. Tolbert became a regular guest star throughout the rest of the series. In the spring of 1981, Paul Benedict left the show for a season and a half, returning in the final two seasons of the series.[8] However, the ratings sank below the top 30, and The Jeffersons aired its last episode, "Red Robins", on July 2, 1985.[27]

Main cast[edit]

Actor/ActressCharacterSeasons
1234567891011
Isabel SanfordLouise JeffersonMain
Sherman HemsleyGeorge JeffersonMain
Mike EvansLionel JeffersonMain
MainRecurring
Guest
Damon Evans
Main
Roxie RokerHelen WillisMain
Franklin CoverThomas "Tom" WillisMain
Zara CullyOlivia "Mother" JeffersonMain
Berlinda TolbertJenny Willis JeffersonMainRecurring
Paul BenedictHarry BentleyMain
Main
Marla GibbsFlorence JohnstonRecurringMain
Jay HammerAllan Willis
Main
Ned WertimerRalph HartRecurring
Danny WellsCharlie the bartenderRecurring
Ebonie SmithJessica Jefferson
Recurring

Notable guest appearances[edit]

Source[30]

Episodes[edit]

Main article: List of The Jeffersons episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedNielsen ratings[31]
First airedLast airedRankRatingTied with

113January 18, 1975April 12, 1975427.6N/A

224September 13, 1975March 6, 19762121.5N/A

324September 25, 1976April 11, 19772421.0N/A

426September 24, 1977March 4, 1978N/AN/AN/A

524September 20, 1978April 18, 1979N/AN/AN/A

624September 23, 1979April 13, 1980824.3N/A

720November 2, 1980March 29, 1981623.5N/A

825October 4, 1981May 16, 1982323.4N/A

927September 26, 1982May 1, 19831220.0Newhart

1022October 2, 1983May 6, 19841916.6N/A

1124October 14, 1984July 2, 1985N/AN/AN/A
The Jeffersons had many two-part episodes, either over two consecutive weeks, or aired as an hour-long episode.
George and Louise with Mother Jefferson (1976)

Theme song[edit]

Ja'net Dubois (from Good Times) and Jeff Barry co-wrote The Jeffersons theme song, "Movin' on Up", which was sung by Dubois with a gospel choir.[32] The song was covered by Sammy Davis, Jr., in 1978.[33]

Broadcast history and Nielsen ratings[edit]

The Jeffersons changed time slots at least 15 different times during its 11-year run, unusual for a popular long running series.[34] The most common time slot was on Sunday night.[7]
In its first season (1974–75), the show ranked at number four, surpassed by its parent series All in the Family (which landed at number one for the fifth year in a row).[35] The show's ratings for the following two seasons placed it in the Top 30, but during the 1977–78 and 1978–79 seasons (the show's fourth and fifth seasons), it fell out of the top 30.[19]
It returned to the Top 10 in 1979–80, and at the end of the 1981–82 season, The Jeffersons finished third overall, only surpassed by fellow CBS series Dallas and 60 Minutes. As a result, the series remained among the Top 20 for the next two seasons.[19]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by The Jeffersons
Harry Bentley and Mother Jefferson (1975)
The Jeffersons received 14 Emmy Award nominations during its time on the air.[36] Marla Gibbs was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series each year from 1981-85. Sherman Hemsley was nominated for Best Actor in 1984. Larry M. Harris won the Emmy for Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series in 1983.[36]
Isabel Sanford was nominated for seven consecutive Best Actress Emmys, from 1979 until 1985.[36] Her victory in 1981 made her the first African-American actress to win an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series,[1][19][37] and the second to win any Emmy Award; Gail Fisher, who played Peggy on the TV show Mannix, preceded her in 1970. Sanford was also the recipient of five of the eight Golden Globe Awards nominations the program received.[38]

DVD and Internet releases[edit]

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first six seasons of The Jeffersons on DVD in Region 1 between 2002 and 2007.[39] These releases have been discontinued and are now out of print.
On August 27, 2013, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including The Jeffersons.[40] They subsequently re-released the first two seasons on DVD on May 20, 2014.[41]
On August 8, 2014, it was announced that Shout! Factory had acquired the rights to the series; they subsequently released the complete series on DVD in a 33-disc collection on December 9, 2014.[42][43]
On April 28, 2015, Shout! released season 7 on DVD in Region 1.[44] Season 8 was released on August 11, 2015.[45]
As of 2016, all eleven seasons of The Jeffersons are available for online streaming on the STARZ network.[46][47]
DVD NameEp #Release Date
The Complete First Season13August 6, 2002
May 20, 2014 (re-release)
The Complete Second Season24May 13, 2003
May 20, 2014 (re-release)
The Complete Third Season24April 12, 2005
The Complete Fourth Season26October 11, 2005
The Complete Fifth Season24August 15, 2006
The Complete Sixth Season24March 27, 2007
The Complete Seventh Season20April 28, 2015
The Complete Eighth Season25August 11, 2015
The Complete Series253December 9, 2014

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g Kathleen Fearn-Banks; Anne Burford-Johnson (October 3, 2014). Historical Dictionary of African American Television. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810879171.
  2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e David J. Leonard; Lisa Guerrero (April 23, 2013). African Americans on Television: Race-ing for Ratings. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780275995157. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  3. ^ Jump up to:a b c Kara Kovalchik (December 10, 2015). "11 Deluxe Facts About 'The Jeffersons'". Mental Floss. Retrieved January 23,2017.
  4. ^ Jump up to:a b Danielle Cadet (July 25, 2012). "'The Jeffersons': How Sherman Hemsley And The Sitcom Changed The Landscape Of American Television". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  5. ^ Jump up to:a b Val Adams (January 18, 1975). "'The Jeffersons' premiere on CBS in 1975". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 22,2017.
  6. ^ Jump up to:a b c Louie Robinson (January 1976). "The Jeffersons: A look at life on black America's new 'Striver's Row'". Ebony. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b Pam Deane. "The Jeffersons". Encyclopedia of Television. The Museum of Broadcast Communications. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  8. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j Tim Brooks; Earle F. Marsh (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307483201. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  9. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Donald Bogle (1988). Blacks in American films and television: An encyclopedia. Garland Publishing, Inc. ISBN 0824087151. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  10. Jump up^ "Lynne Moody List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  11. Jump up^ Patrick Kevin Day (July 24, 2012). "Sherman Hemsley dies: Watch George Jefferson at his finest". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  12. Jump up^ "The Jeffersons and Happy Days and Valerie Bertinelli Bio". bio. Retrieved January 24, 2017 – via YouTube.
  13. Jump up^ "Isabel Sanford interview". Archive of American Television. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  14. Jump up^ Bruce Fretts; Alan Carter (April 16, 1993). "The Jeffersons take the stage". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  15. Jump up^ Trevor Kimball (August 10, 2012). "Tyler Perry's House of Payne: Paying Homage to Sherman Hemsley". TV Series Finale. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  16. Jump up^ Bob McCann (December 8, 2009). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland. ISBN 9780786458042.
  17. Jump up^ "All in the Family Season 5, Episode 16 The Jeffersons Move Up". TV Guide. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  18. ^ Jump up to:a b Marla Brooks (March 30, 2005). The American Family on Television: A Chronology of 121 Shows, 1948-2004. McFarland. ISBN 9781476606903. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  19. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Kathleen Fearn-Banks (August 4, 2009). The A to Z of African-American Television. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810863484. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  20. Jump up^ "Two Sisters Star On TV". Jet. December 10, 1984. pp. 60–61. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  21. ^ Jump up to:a b Dan Neil (December 17, 2016). "'All In The Family,' 'The Jeffersons,' 'Good Times' And More Classic Sitcoms' Reboot In Talks; To Be Made As Miniseries By Sony Pictures". iTech Post. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  22. Jump up^ "Paul Benedict". Playbill. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  23. ^ Jump up to:a b Lauren Martin (December 4, 2008). "Actor Paul Benedict, 70, Leaves the Stage". Vineyard Gazette. Retrieved January 23,2017.
  24. Jump up^ Jae Jones (November 17, 2016). "Zara Cully: Known For Role as "Mother Jefferson" On The Jeffersons". Black Then. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  25. Jump up^ Mike Barnes (January 9, 2013). "Ned Wertimer, character actor known as 'The Jeffersons' doorman, dies at 89". Today. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  26. Jump up^ "Danny Wells, Luigi on 'Super Mario Bros.' Show, Dies at 72". Variety. December 4, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  27. Jump up^ "The Jeffersons Episodes Season 11". TV Guide. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  28. Jump up^ IMDb, The Jeffersons, "Louise's Sister"
  29. Jump up^ "The Jeffersons Season 10 Episode 16: My Guy, George". TV Guide. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  30. Jump up^ "The Jeffersons Cast and Characters". TV Guide. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  31. Jump up^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (Ninth Edition). Ballantine Books. p. 1687-1690. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
  32. Jump up^ "Movin' On Up (Theme to The Jeffersons)". Songfacts. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  33. Jump up^ Movin' on Up (Theme from "The Jeffersons") version by Sammy Davis Jr. 1978
  34. Jump up^ "The Jeffersons come (back) to the neighborhood". Entertainment Weekly. April 2, 1999. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  35. Jump up^ Michele "Wojo" Wojciechowski (July 28, 2015). "The Norman Lear Experience: His Shows, His Honesty and One Thing He Wanted to Do". Parade. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  36. ^ Jump up to:a b c "The Jeffersons". Emmys. Television Academy. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  37. Jump up^ Kenneth Jones (July 12, 2004). "Isabel Sanford, Emmy-Winning Actress Who Created "Weezie" Jefferson on TV and Stage, Dead at 86". Playbill. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  38. Jump up^ "The Jeffersons". Golden Globe Awards. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  39. Jump up^ "Sony Pictures - Catalog". Sony Pictures. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  40. Jump up^ Gord Lacey (August 27, 2013). "Mill Creek Entertainment Signs Deals With Sony Pictures Home Entertainment To Expand Their Distribution Partnership". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  41. Jump up^ David Lambert (April 15, 2014). "Mill Creek's Re-Releases for Next Month Get Great DVD Package Art". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  42. Jump up^ David Lambert (August 8, 2014). "The Jeffersons - CORRECT DATE, Packaging for 'The Complete Series: The Deee-luxe Edition'". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  43. Jump up^ David Lambert (September 15, 2014). "Great Extras Revealed for 'The Complete Series: The Deee-luxe Edition'". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on September 20, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  44. Jump up^ David Lambert (January 1, 2015). "The Jeffersons - Shout! is Movin' On Up to a 'Season 7' Separate Release!". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  45. Jump up^ David Lambert (May 5, 2015). "The Jeffersons - 'The Complete 8th Season' Getting a DVD Release this Summer". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  46. Jump up^ "The Jeffersons". STARZ. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  47. Jump up^ Christian Zibreg (April 5, 2016). "Cable network Starz launches $9 per month streaming package for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV". iDownloadBlog. Retrieved January 23, 2017.

Further reading[edit]

  • Newcomb, Horace (Ed.). (1997). Encyclopedia of Television. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers: Chicago, IL; ISBN 1-884964-26-5.
  • Mitchell, Gordon Whitey. (2008). Hackensack to Hollywood-My Two Show Business Careers. BearManor Media: Albany, NY; ISBN 1-59393-121-2.

External links[edit]