Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Comedy
    Comedy TV Shows - 1970s 4 Mins Read

    Good Times

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 7 4 – 1 9 7 9 (USA)
    133 x 30 minute episodes

    Good Times was a spin-off from Maude, which in turn was a spin-off from All in the Family. Florida Evans (pictured) was originally Maude’s maid until she got a show of her own.

    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 (which stood for James Junior) 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.  He formed a rock group, managed a young comedian 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 “DY-NO-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 when he was killed in an auto accident.

    The entire family, which had been planning to move to their new home and start a new life, was 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 storyline, 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 sort of surrogate mother to the Evans family. Little Penny Gordon (played by future musical superstar Janet Jackson), a victim of child abuse, became Willona’s adopted daughter. JJ was working full-time at an advertising agency and Bookman, the building super, became a more prominent member of the cast.

    goodtimes_132The following fall, 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 and daughter Thelma married football star Keith Anderson.

    JJ, who was paying for the wedding, 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 jeopardised 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.

    Florida Evans 
    Esther Rolle
    J.J. (James Jr.) Evans 

    Jimmie Walker
    Thelma Evans 

    Bernadette Stanis
    Michael Evans 

    Ralph Carter
    Willona Woods 

    Ja’net DuBois
    James Evans 

    John Amos
    Carl Dixon 

    Moses Gunn
    Nathan Bookman 

    Johnny Brown
    Penny Gordon Woods 

    Janet Jackson
    Keith Anderson 

    Ben Powers
    Sweet Daddy
    Theodore Wilson

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Thea
      Thea
      1 9 9 3 - 1 9 9 4 (USA) 19 x 30 minute episodes Thea Turrell (Thea Vidale) is a…
    • Normal Life
      Normal Life
      1 9 9 0 (USA) 14 x 30 minute episodes Novelist and playwright Max Harlow (Max Gail) and his wife Anne…
    • Flash Forward
      Flash Forward
      1 9 9 5 - 1 9 9 7 (USA) 26 x 30 minute episodes Tucker (Ben Foster) and Becca (Jewel…
    • Pride of the Family, The
      Pride of the Family, The
      1 9 5 3 - 1 9 5 5 (USA) 40 x 30 minute episodes Albie Morrison (Paul Hartman) is the…
    • Gloria
      Gloria
      1 9 8 2 - 1 9 8 3 (USA) 1 x 60 minute episode 21 x 30 minute episodes Yet…
    • Vinnie & Bobby
      Vinnie & Bobby
      1 9 9 2 (USA) 7 x 30 minute episodes In this short-lived summer replacement spin-off from Top of the Heap…
    • Two In Clover
      Two In Clover
      1 9 6 9 - 1 9 7 0 (UK) 13 x 30 minute episodes Londoner Sid Turner (Carry On star Sid…
    • His Honor, Homer Bell
      His Honor, Homer Bell
      1 9 5 5 (USA) 38 x 30 minute episodes Canadian Gene Lockhart made the transition from the big screen to…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleWonder Years, The
    Next Article Neighbours

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Avengers, The (1998)
      The cult 1960s TV series gets royally shafted by Hollywood in […]
    • Sharky’s Machine (1981)
      Burt Reynolds directs and stars as Atlanta vice cop Tom Sharky […]
    • Beryl Marsden
      Merseybeat was a male-dominated sound. Cilla Black and Beryl […]
    • Mego Super Heroes
      Starting in 1972, the cream of the crop from DC and Marvel […]
    • Family Way, The (1966)
      This overlooked gem of 1960s film-making is a beautiful, […]
    • Long Gray Line, The (1955)
      For 50 years, Marty Maher (played here by Tyrone Power) served […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.