to the same building and get his OLD APT BACK?-lol Come on now we all know that is not realistic, they should have had the Bentley character live in a Different APT on another floor. This made no sense at all



BTW: I never even realize that Bentley was not on the show for two years, I just thought he got tired of having the door slammed in his face and didn't come to the Jeffersons Apt as much as he used to-lol

I haven't yet to see the episode...what was the reason for the actor not being on the show for two seasons?

I haven't yet to see the episode...what was the reason for the actor not being on the show for two seasons?


That I haven't found out, I have to add it on my RESEARCH TO DO list-lol

I was thinking the same thing and wondering if they explained where Mr. Bentley went or was he just there one season and gone the next.

This is what I found: He played Harry steadily from 1975 to 1981, left for two years to pursue other projects (including the Steve Martin comedy The Man With Two Brains [1983]), but returned in 1983 to remain with The Jeffersons until its final episode two years later

I guess he wanted to do movies. I loved him in The Addams Family. That's the first time I've seen him play mean.

Back to The Jeffersons- Louise and Florence tried to get the new tenant out of the apartment so Harry could move back, but they mentioned that the waiting list for the apartment was very long. Bentley still wouldn't have been able to get the apartment back so easily.

This is what I found: He played Harry steadily from 1975 to 1981, left for two years to pursue other projects (including the Steve Martin comedy The Man With Two Brains [1983]), but returned in 1983 to remain with The Jeffersons until its final episode two years later

I guess he wanted to do movies. I loved him in The Addams Family. That's the first time I've seen him play mean.

Back to The Jeffersons- Louise and Florence tried to get the new tenant out of the apartment so Harry could move back, but they mentioned that the waiting list for the apartment was very long. Bentley still wouldn't have been able to get the apartment back so easily.


Another question is-"WHy did he come back?-lol

I was thinking the same thing and wondering if they explained where Mr. Bentley went or was he just there one season and gone the next.

In the episode where he returned they stated that he was sent to Russia for fooling around with his boss' wife. I have no idea if they mentioned his leaving when he first left the show. I love The Jeffersons, it's one of my favorite tv shows (actually my favorite), but I cannot even begin to think that I know everything about the show- there are just TOO MANY episodes. Most of my favorite shows span 5 or 6 seasons, but 11 seasons of episodes is almost impossible to keep up with- especially since the show was halfway through it's run when I was born.

In the episode where he returned they stated that he was sent to Russia for fooling around with his boss' wife. I have no idea if they mentioned his leaving when he first left the show. I love The Jeffersons, it's one of my favorite tv shows (actually my favorite), but I cannot even begin to think that I know everything about the show- there are just TOO MANY episodes. Most of my favorite shows span 5 or 6 seasons, but 11 seasons of episodes is almost impossible to keep up with- especially since the show was halfway through it's run when I was born.


It would be kind of hard to realize that he left the show since he would only be in the Jeffersons APT briefly-lol The only time he was seen in the Jeffersons APT for a long period of time was the ep"THE FREEZE IN"

It would be kind of hard to realize that he left the show since he would only be in the Jeffersons APT briefly-lol The only time he was seen in the Jeffersons APT for a long period of time was the ep"THE FREEZE IN"

Yeah your right the only reason I realized he left was because his name was no longer in the credits.

It would be kind of hard to realize that he left the show since he would only be in the Jeffersons APT briefly-lol The only time he was seen in the Jeffersons APT for a long period of time was the ep"THE FREEZE IN"

He was over their apartment the whole time in Harry's Houseguest. But, he was in almost every episode when he was a cast member.

Did they ever mention him leaving the show in an episode? It just seems like he left without explanation.

I also didn't like the "how simple it was to get the apartment back" thing.

Did they ever mention him leaving the show in an episode? It just seems like he left without explanation.

I also didn't like the "how simple it was to get the apartment back" thing.


His absence wasn't explained until he returned-lol

i remember that they did talk about his being transfered in a sesaon 7 ep because weezie was reading a letter from mr bentley and she told george that it was the first lettler that thaey had gotten from mr bentley since he was transfered i dont remember wich ep that it was though but they did write him out that way

i remember that they did talk about his being transfered in a sesaon 7 ep because weezie was reading a letter from mr bentley and she told george that it was the first lettler that thaey had gotten from mr bentley since he was transfered i dont remember wich ep that it was though but they did write him out that way


So he must have left shortly before seasion 7 ended since he was gone season 8 and 9. Season 7 was the Shortest Season of the Full seasons because of Florence Spinoff

Did he sublet his apartment?

Did he sublet his apartment?


Now that I don't know

Now that I don't know


I thought he sublet it and that he was trying to get the guy to move out so that he could have his apartment back.

Did they ever mention him leaving the show in an episode? It just seems like he left without explanation.

I also didn't like the "how simple it was to get the apartment back" thing.
Yes they did. In one show in year 8 they get a post card from him in Russia. That same show re-introduced Frank DeVol as Sammy the songwriter (He was in I Buy The Songs in season 7) Sammy moved into Bentley's apartment (I guess they were trying him out as a replacement for Bentley but he didn't click so they got rid of him. They learned their lesson about bringing in replacement people. Carmen the other maid didn't click either although I get the feeling that when they hired her they knew that Marla Gibbs would be back so she was only hired for 3 shows.
In a way they were fortunate that Checking In failed because they lost 1/2 the cast at once (Mike Evans and Paul Benedict both left at the same time, Marla Gibbs got her own show and Berlinda Tolbert couldn't contribute much to the series one way or the other). I remember watching the 8th year on CBS and Harry Bentley was in all of the 4 episodes that year that were all produced at the end of season 7 but held back for year 8 because of a writers strike in 1981. All of those shows are of a better quality than the average year 8 episodes. I must not have been paying attention to the main titles because I could almost swear that in year 8 they kept the year 7 opening that list Mike Evans, Paul Benedict and Berlinda Tolbert. All I remember was that once I realized that those actors were no longer in the cast it became very obvious to me that the show just wasn't as good. To me, having seen most of the episodes again in syndication recently years 8 and 9 are the worst (9 especially- there are simply no classic episodes that year IMO)
Another oddity about Paul Benedict, he came back in year 10 but not until several episodes into the season. In syndication they air the episodes in production order and The Return of Bentley isn't the first show he taped upon returning. Still he was definitley a welcome face to have back.
This show was very good about letting cast members take leaves and come back. I guess they learned from Damon Evans and Jay Hammer that it was better to keep who they had and who the audience liked than to toy around with new people.

Yes they did. In one show in year 8 they get a post card from him in Russia. That same show re-introduced Frank DeVol as Sammy the songwriter (He was in I Buy The Songs in season 7) Sammy moved into Bentley's apartment (I guess they were trying him out as a replacement for Bentley but he didn't click so they got rid of him. They learned their lesson about bringing in replacement people. Carmen the other maid didn't click either although I get the feeling that when they hired her they knew that Marla Gibbs would be back so she was only hired for 3 shows.
In a way they were fortunate that Checking In failed because they lost 1/2 the cast at once (Mike Evans and Paul Benedict both left at the same time, Marla Gibbs got her own show and Berlinda Tolbert couldn't contribute much to the series one way or the other). I remember watching the 8th year on CBS and Harry Bentley was in all of the 4 episodes that year that were all produced at the end of season 7 but held back for year 8 because of a writers strike in 1981. All of those shows are of a better quality than the average year 8 episodes. I must not have been paying attention to the main titles because I could almost swear that in year 8 they kept the year 7 opening that list Mike Evans, Paul Benedict and Berlinda Tolbert. All I remember was that once I realized that those actors were no longer in the cast it became very obvious to me that the show just wasn't as good. To me, having seen most of the episodes again in syndication recently years 8 and 9 are the worst (9 especially- there are simply no classic episodes that year IMO)
Another oddity about Paul Benedict, he came back in year 10 but not until several episodes into the season. In syndication they air the episodes in production order and The Return of Bentley isn't the first show he taped upon returning. Still he was definitley a welcome face to have back.
This show was very good about letting cast members take leaves and come back. I guess they learned from Damon Evans and Jay Hammer that it was better to keep who they had and who the audience liked than to toy around with new people.


I wish they had shown the ep with Carmen during the marathon