Did you like it better before or after he was killed off?

Did you like it better before or after he was killed off?


Yes and the answer is obvious. I don;t know anyone who would say they liked the show better without James. That's like asking me-"Was cable better before Digital or After digital was installed"-LOL-LOL

The show was DEFINITELY better WITH James(John Amos). I may be biased however, as he was and is one of my favorite television characters of all time. The show had a nice mixture of drama and comedy, as well as meaningful episodes during the Amos years.

I won't necessarily say the show was worse without James, but it certainly was not the same. it was basically a different show. The interplay between James and JJ was what made the show. If you watch the early eps it appears they were trying to make Michael the featured child (probably because RC was the most established actor among the "kids") but it didn't take off. The JJ character took off and the rest is history. When James was killed off, the show lost that interaction between those two characters and the show was never the same.

The show went downhill after John Amos was dismissed from the show. It got worse when Esther Rolle left the following season. The show without Rolle and Amos was not good at all. When Esther returned for the final season the damage was done that started with killing James Evans off. On the E True Hollywood Story the writers had even said the show was never the same without John Amos.

It was worse without him.

The show was worst without James

Worse.

It was better with James, although I have to say that the show still had something going for it that it could keep going on without him. There are actually more episodes after James left than they were with him in it.

I'm going to go with the masses and say that it was better with James. He was the backbone of that family, I missed the strong presence that he portrayed.

Worse. The Norman Lear brain trust should have listened to Esther Rolle and John Amos. They were two fine actors who cared more about artistic quality and realism than goofy catchphrases. It's a shame. I would've loved to see what the show would've been had James been there the entire run.

I think it was better with James too.

worse

The Show Was At It Best When James was there.
and plus The Ratings was it Best Before John Amso left.

The show was so much better when James was there. I hated it after he left....especially the addition of Ben Powers. :dizzy:

I liked the show better with James, but I still thought the show was good to the very end. However, I do prefer the episodes with James.

The show didn't have the same chemistry. Good Times lost a key component when James was killed off of the show. The good thing about Good Times was that it showed an African American family with a mother and father. After John Amos left the show it through off that balance.

WOW, reading all the comments, it is obvious that when James was killed off (John Amos), this show lost its soul, for the most part.

I totally agree. I watched this show from begining to almost end (not the last season, it got boring).

Once John Amos left, it began the decline. This isn't a bust on the rest of the cast, they were awesome and did a great job carrying on the show. But, when you lose such a strong figure like James Evans, you can't help but lose your viewers. It would be like John Walton leaving the Waltons after two years or so How long would they have lasted?

Good Times was a great sitcom, but lost its luster after Mr. Amos left.

I think it was better with James on it. He added drama and realism to the show. I thought James Evans seemed more like a real person one might meet up with on the street than a cliche sitcom character. It was a shame both he and Esther Roll left the show in the hands of the younger generation who could do nothing but act like cliche cardboard cutouts, volleying catch phrases around.

TV needs solid character actors like Amos and Roll, not hacks who have catch phrases and cute tricks.

Didn't John Amos die in real life in the middle of season three, forcing them to rework the show around his death?

I think it was better with James on it. He added drama and realism to the show. I thought James Evans seemed more like a real person one might meet up with on the street than a cliche sitcom character. It was a shame both he and Esther Roll left the show in the hands of the younger generation who could do nothing but act like cliche cardboard cutouts, volleying catch phrases around.

TV needs solid character actors like Amos and Roll, not hacks who have catch phrases and cute tricks.

Didn't John Amos die in real life in the middle of season three, forcing them to rework the show around his death?
No John Amos is still alive. He still appears on TV from time to time. They killed his character off though because of backstage problems.

No John Amos is still alive. He still appears on TV from time to time. They killed his character off though because of backstage problems.
That's right - I recall he had a recurring role on The West Wing a few years back. He also starred as Anthony Anderson's father on All About the Andersons.