really took off? Since we normally talk about when a show lost steam let's talk about when it took off. I personally feel this show really took off running in the episode-"Piano Man". When George and Florence is trying to answer the door at the same time was IMO the funniest sitcom moment ever. But The episode Piano Man is when I feel took off.

I agree. I liked the episode about the former neighbors from Harlem. I forgot the name of the episode. But George had invited that snobby dude over for business, and Louise invited the former neighbors over. It got good at the end of the episode when George put the dude out, and the four started singing and dancing, "Let's shake, rattle and roll." I believe this is in the same season as piano man.

I vote for day 1. The very first episode is classic stuff. I've seen it like 6 times and I still laugh out loud at a lot of the jokes: Weezy telling George to zip up hs mouth, Florence thinking Mother Jefferson is household help, the Willises conversation with Louise who is clearly uncomfortable being high class, the joke with the N word, George's obnoxious behavior throughout the entire episode, Lionel and Jenny's small but funny bit. Every character is on point from the start. There aren't too many first episodes of shows that hold up so well with age to me.

I think it was a good thing that they gave the core characters 4 years to marinate in All in the Family before spinning them off, that gave audiences a chance to get used to them and for the writers to really come up with a spinoff filled with characters and situations that gelled immediately and popped off the screen from the jump.

Originally posted by jamesanthony
I vote for day 1. The very first episode is classic stuff. I've seen it like 6 times and I still laugh out loud at a lot of the jokes: Weezy telling George to zip up hs mouth, Florence thinking Mother Jefferson is household help, the Willises conversation with Louise who is clearly uncomfortable being high class, the joke with the N word, George's obnoxious behavior throughout the entire episode, Lionel and Jenny's small but funny bit. Every character is on point from the start. There aren't too many first episodes of shows that hold up so well with age to me.

I think it was a good thing that they gave the core characters 4 years to marinate in All in the Family before spinning them off, that gave audiences a chance to get used to them and for the writers to really come up with a spinoff filled with characters and situations that gelled immediately and popped off the screen from the jump.



The TV Guide Critic criticized George Jefferson for being so snobbish in the first episode. This is one of the statements that the critic had a problem with, when george told louise

"I'm not telling you to look down on people, i'm just saying shift your angle and let people start looking up to you"

LOL!!!!!

I do agree the first episode is when George Jefferson really arrived.

The Jeffersons were great beginning with the first episode.

Originally posted by mr roper
The Jeffersons were great beginning with the first episode.


Yeah the first episode was great but then in the second episode it fell off because it was about Louise not having anything to do so that was an extremly boring episode. Then the episode about African Royalty was dry but then the show picked up steam with Piano Man and didn;t miss a beat for a while.

I agree with the rest of the post, this show took off from the beginning, it was funny, innovative with likable characters.:D

I think the show took off when Mother Jefferson became a regular in season two. I just love her and Louise getting under each other's skin. Their little digs are hysterical. They both despise each other in the funniest way possible!

Originally posted by savy333
I think the show took off when Mother Jefferson became a regular in season two. I just love her and Louise getting under each other's skin. Their little digs are hysterical. They both despise each other in the funniest way possible!

Mother Jefferson was a regular in season 1. She is seen as much as Lionel is. This show benefitted from those characters being on All in the family for so long. In the first episode Lionel comes in when George and Louise are arguing and he inquires, "what are you all fighting about NOW?" Because we knew those characters from the other show that line had real meaning to it because audiences knew how they would rip into it on All in the Family. I dare say when Mother Jefferson first appears viewers probably remembered her from her single All in the family appearance a whole year earlier because she was so memorable!