I can't put my finger on it but the Florence character was not the same as she was in the 75-77 era once the 81-85 era started. I don't know what it is. Was it that she didn't talk back as much in the 80's?

She was more like part of The Jefferson family by then so maybe she lost some of her early edge.

She was more like part of The Jefferson family by then so maybe she lost some of her early edge.


Yeah George and Florence lost their edge in the 80's. I have to say Florence made me laugh a lot watching the season 3 dvd

Yeah George and Florence lost their edge in the 80's. I have to say Florence made me laugh a lot watching the season 3 dvd
Wait a minute! You are contradicting yourself! Florence made YOU laugh?! I remember you posted a thread saying she never made you laugh! You are not even a Florence fan! Explain yourself on this one!

Wait a minute! You are contradicting yourself! Florence made YOU laugh?! I remember you posted a thread saying she never made you laugh! You are not even a Florence fan! Explain yourself on this one!



Maybe I should have said she wasn't funny when he was insulting George. Only when she not following his orders. Example


George-"Where are you going Florence?

Florence Says to Louise:"Is he my Daddy?

George:"I want you to get back in the kitchen right now, this is your boss talking"

Florence: Like Hell I am, and that's the Liquor talking because Florence don;t cuss"



LOL-LOL

She was a part of the family in the 80s era. They took her with them on their vacations (what couple who don't have nanny aged kids does that in real life?) Marla's delivery was much more hyped up in the earlier years. She got slower in her movements and let's face it, she lived there and joined them for many social events including going to formal events (Florence would show up with her mink stole and evening gown on just like Weezy and Helen Willis)

She was whitewashed like the rest of the series. If you notice, the way she talked in the earlier seasons was different than the later. Almost taking some of her ethnicity out of her.

She was whitewashed like the rest of the series. If you notice, the way she talked in the earlier seasons was different than the later. Almost taking some of her ethnicity out of her.

Something changed about this show between years 8 and 9 and I can't quite figure out what it is. Personally I liked year 8 alot when I saw it in primetime (I saw the episode where Whittendale's dog jumps off the balcony and laughed out loud at it), but from year 9 onward the staleness was very noticeable and it gets worse in the last 2 seasons. It's not the cast changes (Bentley, Lionel) because they were already gone in year 8, and it's not even the deracialization because that was going on since year 7 or maybe earlier. The show became much more cartoonish. I always thought they should have bowed out after year 9 when it was clear the show was starting to sink.

Something changed about this show between years 8 and 9 and I can't quite figure out what it is. Personally I liked year 8 alot when I saw it in primetime (I saw the episode where Whittendale's dog jumps off the balcony and laughed out loud at it), but from year 9 onward the staleness was very noticeable and it gets worse in the last 2 seasons. It's not the cast changes (Bentley, Lionel) because they were already gone in year 8, and it's not even the deracialization because that was going on since year 7 or maybe earlier. The show became much more cartoonish. I always thought they should have bowed out after year 9 when it was clear the show was starting to sink.
In addition to Florence becoming a member of the family so to speak, George and Tom had become friends so the insults between them weren't as big as they were in the earlier years.

Come to think of it I know what it might be: in those last years you'd never think that the Jeffersons had ever been poor. They were too settled into their upper class lifestyle by then, the show had lost its edge, Louise was a snob, George was wimpish and Florence was more like George's sister-in-law who lived there than his employee. And there was very little if any real tension between the Willises and George.

In addition to Florence becoming a member of the family so to speak, George and Tom had become friends so the insults between them weren't as big as they were in the earlier years.


I read in a 1982 Jet Magazine that the producers decided that before the 1982-83 season, George would no longer insult the Willises because by that point in the show, he should have accepted them as part of the Family.

I read in a 1982 Jet Magazine that the producers decided that before the 1982-83 season, George would no longer insult the Willises because by that point in the show, he should have accepted them as part of the Family.

This is a case of what might logically happen in real life being a poor idea for a tv series. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing because the last 3 years are weak, but the show still had a certain something to it that most shows now don't.

I read in an interview with Marla Gibbs that Sherman Hemsley went to the producers in the early 1980s and told them to cut down the honkie jokes because they were friends on and off the show.

I read in an interview with Marla Gibbs that Sherman Hemsley went to the producers in the early 1980s and told them to cut down the honkie jokes because they were friends on and off the show.

He could have cut down on the honkie jokes but his character didn't have to become so NICE!-lol Damm that was boring to watch

It's more than the honkie jokes. In Anatomy of A Stain (the first show filmed for year 9) Louise says to George that he's wrong for taking Tom on a video court show because Tom is his friend and George doesn't contest this statement. George became a shadow of his former self and that episode begins to show it. Later in that same season there is a show where George comes out of his mouth and calls the Willises his friends. Then by the next season he and Tom were calling each other "buddy".

I saw a retrospective on the show where Sherman said that he didn't like doing the honkie jokes and felt it was getting tired.

It's more than the honkie jokes. In Anatomy of A Stain (the first show filmed for year 9) Louise says to George that he's wrong for taking Tom on a video court show because Tom is his friend and George doesn't contest this statement. George became a shadow of his former self and that episode begins to show it. Later in that same season there is a show where George comes out of his mouth and calls the Willises his friends. Then by the next season he and Tom were calling each other "buddy".

I saw a retrospective on the show where Sherman said that he didn't like doing the honkie jokes and felt it was getting tired.



The strange thing about George Jefferson is he got along better with Archie Bunker than Tom willis.-lol And George never made fun of Archie's Weight Like he did Tom's.

The strange thing about George Jefferson is he got along better with Archie Bunker than Tom willis.-lol And George never made fun of Archie's Weight Like he did Tom's.

Archie Bunker wasn't his brother-in-law and Tom was nicer which made George look worse in comparison which no doubt got under George's skin more. I remember the episode when Jessica was born; George was scared that Jessica was going to be white looking. There's an All in the Family where Lionel dated Archie's niece or younger cousin but I think this one was before George was in the series. Henry probably had a fit though.

Archie Bunker wasn't his brother-in-law and Tom was nicer which made George look worse in comparison which no doubt got under George's skin more. I remember the episode when Jessica was born; George was scared that Jessica was going to be white looking. There's an All in the Family where Lionel dated Archie's niece or younger cousin but I think this one was before George was in the series. Henry probably had a fit though.



Yeah Henry did have a fit.

He could have cut down on the honkie jokes but his character didn't have to become so NICE!-lol Damm that was boring to watch

Didn't he replace them with fat jokes???

Didn't he replace them with fat jokes???


You know I think u are right because I don't remember too many fat jokes in season 1, 2, and 3. So I think the fat jokes was the replacement.

Didn't he replace them with fat jokes???


By the way, Welcome to the Boards. Hope to see more of you

By the way, Welcome to the Boards. Hope to see more of you

Awwww...Thanks Retro
You'll see a lot of me, especially in the 1970's section.

Awwww...Thanks Retro
You'll see a lot of me, especially in the 1970's section.


I hope so because the Jeffersons and Good Times board has been dead for months