I saw "Florida's Departure" for the first time since 1974 yesterday (whew!) and watched with great interest. It was stated that Florida was quitting her job because her husband Henry got a big promotion (he's a fireman) and she wouldn't need to work any longer, and could stay home with her children.

So how the you-know-what did Henry the fireman suddenly become James the janitor, and how did the Evans family go from being middle-class New Yorkers to dirt-poor Chicago project-dwellers in a matter of a few days? (Actually, I think "Good Times" debuted BEFORE Florida's last appearance on "Maude".)

I know producers/writers sometimes take great dramatic license, especially when spinning off characters, but I would expect a bit more from Norman Lear.

I never knew this. That's bad. He should have continued with Florida leaving the Maude show exactly as she did. Then spin off to Good times and continue from there.

I have noticed this for years. James went from being a fireman to a Janitor. They messed up there. The family could have at least moved to Chicago rather than just saying that they lived there all those years because Florida and Henry(James) lived in NY.

LP Bear. I checked it out and you are right. Good Times airied 2/1/74 and "Florida's Goodbye aired 2/5/74.

Originally posted by LPBear:
I saw "Florida's Departure" for the first time since 1974 yesterday (whew!) and watched with great interest. It was stated that Florida was quitting her job because her husband Henry got a big promotion (he's a fireman) and she wouldn't need to work any longer, and could stay home with her children.

So how the you-know-what did Henry the fireman suddenly become James the janitor, and how did the Evans family go from being middle-class New Yorkers to dirt-poor Chicago project-dwellers in a matter of a few days? (Actually, I think "Good Times" debuted BEFORE Florida's last appearance on "Maude".)

I know producers/writers sometimes take great dramatic license, especially when spinning off characters, but I would expect a bit more from Norman Lear.
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You are so funny.I laughed so hard when I read this post.Well let's remember this is fantasy.Mayby they moved to Chicago because Henry-James lost his job because he could not handle his new promotion to whatever a fireman could be promoted to,and Florida flew back to New York to pick up her dust mop to clean their new ghetto apt in Chicago

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trm37

Originally posted by trm37:
You are so funny.I laughed so hard when I read this post.Well let's remember this is fantasy.Mayby they moved to Chicago because Henry-James lost his job because he could not handle his new promotion to whatever a fireman could be promoted to,and Florida flew back to New York to pick up her dust mop to clean their new ghetto apt in Chicago


Ha Ha Ha1 OMG. That is so funny. Where did you get that?

Maybe he burned out one to many buildings?

And the Henry/James thing I guess could make sense. A lot of people go by two names, Like say, a Dorothy Sue. Some might call her Sue, or Dorothy.

So, it's Henry James?

Nope that statement is wrong. Good Times did not debut until February 8, 1974. Believe me, February 8th is correct. I checked old issues of TV Guide and on February 1, 1974, CBS aired other programs. The week of February 8th, TV Guide ran an ad for it's premiere. Back then TV Guide usually never ran ads for programs.

Numerous sources are wrong about the debut date of Good Times. However, TV Guide and the book Total Television, back me up.

It's a horrid show and the supposedly enlightened Norman Lear should be ashamed of himself for turning the hardships of ghetto life into a comedy with the intention of soothing well-to-do (largely white) tv executives with the notion that the entire country would find this hah-ha funny.

I'm sorry to step on any toes. This issue has perpetually bugged me since I was little b/c one of my friends lived in a public housing project and her life was not oneliners.

I agree with the statement of how did florida and james all of a sudden become poor in chicago. I really don't considered good times a spinoff of maude because the transition makes no sense vat all. Plus florida never makes any reference back to maude once good times started. more like a crossover than a spinoff

Here is my take on the Henry(James) names. Well James dads name on good times was Henry. So maybe he was name after his dad. His 1st name was James and his middle name was Henry. So when he was on Maude Florida would call him by his middle name Henry. and then on good times by his 1st name James Henry Evans.

About the job maybe he lost it? or about them in New York city I don't know but all this info don't add up .... Anyways it was nice to have them part of the Maude show.

I just feel that florida could have made some reference back to maude when good times started-like saying to james-i sure miss working for maude- feel that would make it a real spinoff instead of a crossover.

It was a mystery but i think Maude should have made a crossover to the Good Times show and see her friend florida. That would have been nice to see.:wave:

It would've been nice to see a crossover of sorts, too bad Maude couldn't have showed up for James' funeral. I don't know the dates off hand, but was "Maude" still on when the funeral episodes aired?

Originally posted by TVJunkie101
It would've been nice to see a crossover of sorts, too bad Maude couldn't have showed up for James' funeral. I don't know the dates off hand, but was "Maude" still on when the funeral episodes aired?


Yeah Maude was still on James died in 76, Maude ended in April of 78. Yeah but it would ave been nice to see some type of crossover bewteen the shows

Originally posted by SOLOMON
Yeah Maude was still on James died in 76, Maude ended in April of 78. Yeah but it would ave been nice to see some type of crossover bewteen the shows

Okay, i thought so. Yeah, it would've been nice to see crossovers.

Originally posted by TVJunkie101
It would've been nice to see a crossover of sorts, too bad Maude couldn't have showed up for James' funeral. I don't know the dates off hand, but was "Maude" still on when the funeral episodes aired?


Your right that would have been a nice time for Maude to crossover to Good Times at James funeral .... I wish Maude was still on Tv land ... I MISS MAUDE :(

Originally posted by SOAPDYNASTY



Your right that would have been a nice time for Maude to crossover to Good Times at James funeral .... I wish Maude was still on Tv land ... I MISS MAUDE :(

We know of course that would have been impossible. However, Florida could have paid a visit to Maude and made a reference to James Henry passing away. That would have worked.

Yeah, I could see the exchange now:

Maude: "How's Henry Florida?
Florida: "Who?"
Maude: "Henry"
Florida: "James?"
Maude: "No, Florida, Henry!"
Florida: "OH! James!"

etc. It could have been a funny exchange, LOL. Hey, it's 7:30am, whadda ya expect, poetry, LOL ;)

Originally posted by TVJunkie101
Yeah, I could see the exchange now:

Maude: "How's Henry Florida?
Florida: "Who?"
Maude: "Henry"
Florida: "James?"
Maude: "No, Florida, Henry!"
Florida: "OH! James!"

etc. It could have been a funny exchange, LOL. Hey, it's 7:30am, whadda ya expect, poetry, LOL ;)

I laughed when I saw that. That is funny!

IMHO (in my humble opinion), Good Times should not really be considered a spinoff of Maude because although Esther Rolle's character had the same name on both shows (Florida Evans) she was obviously not the same person because her husband had a different name and they lived in a different location. Maybe Norman Lear intended Good Times to be a direct spinoff at first but then decided that to make the Evans family struggling in Chicago. It would have made no sense for Florida to move from upscale suburban New York (even if she was a maid) to the ghettos of Chicago. That's why she probably was playing a different character.

As far as Maude attending James(Henry's) funeral, Norman Lear didn't like to cross-pollinate his shows. The Bunkers and Stivics never visited Maude on her show despite how close Maude and Edith were, they didn't attend Lionel's wedding on the Jeffersons, and Archie didn't even appear on Gloria's show when that spun off. So Maude wouldn't have appeared on Good Times since the Florida on Good Times was a probably a different Florida who never met Maude in the first place.

Who was the lady who replaced Florid On Good Times after
Florida Got Good Times.


Thanbks
Aaron

See, this is one of the things that you should try to Email CBS about. See what REALLY is going on. Cause I love maude and good times (PLZ COME TO TV LAND) and Florida is cool.

i'd Email CBS right now but our school prohibits Email and chatting (BUT NOT MESSAGE BOARDS :))



Nate

Originally posted by jon123
IMHO (in my humble opinion), Good Times should not really be considered a spinoff of Maude because although Esther Rolle's character had the same name on both shows (Florida Evans) she was obviously not the same person because her husband had a different name and they lived in a different location. Maybe Norman Lear intended Good Times to be a direct spinoff at first but then decided that to make the Evans family struggling in Chicago. It would have made no sense for Florida to move from upscale suburban New York (even if she was a maid) to the ghettos of Chicago. That's why she probably was playing a different character.

As far as Maude attending James(Henry's) funeral, Norman Lear didn't like to cross-pollinate his shows. The Bunkers and Stivics never visited Maude on her show despite how close Maude and Edith were, they didn't attend Lionel's wedding on the Jeffersons, and Archie didn't even appear on Gloria's show when that spun off. So Maude wouldn't have appeared on Good Times since the Florida on Good Times was a probably a different Florida who never met Maude in the first place.



Why didn't Norman Lear like crossovers? I always wondered why Archie and Edith never appeared on the Jeffersons or Maude.

In one Good Times episode, Florida said "When I was a maid, I was the best damn maid ther was!"

Not sure where in the run of GT she said it though.

Originally posted by Joeytrom
In one Good Times episode, Florida said "When I was a maid, I was the best damn maid ther was!"

Not sure where in the run of GT she said it though.

It was in the first season of Good Times when Florida made that statement but it still was a little inconsistent to Florida being on Maude because James was acting like she never worked as a maid before. His statement was-"My wife is not working in nobdy's kitchen"