Occurred in the episode when when Thelma found James Evans' father. Amos' performance was riveting. While he was acting, it all seemed real. Unfortunately, it seemed the audience laughed at some of his lines that were meant to be serious.

Occurred in the episode when when Thelma found James Evans' father. Amos' performance was riveting. While he was acting, it all seemed real. Unfortunately, it seemed the audience laughed at some of his lines that were meant to be serious.

That was an ongoing problem with the show, the audience laughing when they weren't supposed to.

That was an ongoing problem with the show, the audience laughing when they weren't supposed to.
Bunch of idiots they were. What I don't get, is the audience was filled with different people on each taping...so why were a different group of people laughing at inappropriate times?

I guess it was Hard not to laugh when James Screamed at his Dad-"HOW COME YOU NEVER TRIED TO FIND ME MAN??


LOL

I guess it was Hard not to laugh when James Screamed at his Dad-"HOW COME YOU NEVER TRIED TO FIND ME MAN??


LOL
WTF???? I find that line so damn hard to hear, even though it was only a show.

WTF???? I find that line so damn hard to hear, even though it was only a show.


You have to remember that John Amos character was the FUNNIEST when he was UPSET so that's why some were Laughing

You have to remember that John Amos character was the FUNNIEST when he was UPSET so that's why some were Laughing

I totally disagree.

You have to remember that John Amos character was the FUNNIEST when he was UPSET so that's why some were Laughing
He was funny when he was pissed...but not when he was hurt.

He was funny when he was pissed...but not when he was hurt.



His Father's reactions was another reason they were lauhging

His Father's reactions was another reason they were lauhging
Like I said, a bunch of idiots in the audience.

John Amos' performance in that episode is the kind that would get an emmy nomination if it were another actor on another series. I have always found it odd that Good Times is the only one of Norman Lear's hit shows that was never nominated for an emmy. Esther Rolle and John Amos both shou;d've been nominated. The year that episode aired someone who worked for Norman Lear screwed up and threw the nomination ballots in the garbage so that most of his shows were left out (that was the only season that the All in the Family stars weren't nominated). In 1974 there were only 4 shows nominated for best comedy series rather than the usual 5 and only 3 nominees for best actress. Good Times was in the top 20 and should've been nominated in both categories but wasn't. Maybe the tv academy looked down their noses at it because it was about poor African Americans and because they equated the show with JJ's antics, but Sanford and Son was about poor blacks and it got several nominations.

I agree with that 100 percent. I've always felt Amos has been a tremendously underrated actor. He's been good in every part I've ever seen him in, even Mary Tyler Moore (he didn't get a lot of face time there) and the World's Greatest Athlete!!

I agree with that 100 percent. I've always felt Amos has been a tremendously underrated actor. He's been good in every part I've ever seen him in, even Mary Tyler Moore (he didn't get a lot of face time there) and the World's Greatest Athlete!!Also, out of the surviving regular cast, John Amos seems to be seen more as far as acting post-Good Times.

That indeed was a powerful performance. Kudos to Mr. Amos. :clap

Unfortunately, it seemed the audience laughed at some of his lines that were meant to be serious.

I just watched this episode.

When Florida and James were talking in the bed room and Florida asked "What happened?" James said "My father left to go to the store for a loaf of bread and never came back!"

They laughed at that. wtf??

To me, I thought another good John Amos acting moment was the episode where he smashed the chair against the wall. And when he was about to do it again, he subsided and started feeling bad about himself, almost about to cry. I actually FELT his pain when I saw this, which makes what I thought was an Emmy-winning performance.

James was the heart of the show and Florida was the soul. John Amos brought a gritty realism to Good Times that kept it a few miles away from just being "another sitcom". When I watch the show in reruns, the episodes seem to have so much energy when he comes into the room. There was a range to his character that could be funny (even hilarious) and later be serious and embittered with his lot in life, almost heartbreaking (particularly this episode). This is a quality none of the later characters (Kieth, Penny, Carl) could ever convey. The only other character I felt this from was Esther Rolle (Florida). I don't think the producers realized how essential these two characters were to this show until it was too late.

Another great Amos moment was when JJ was hired to paint a mural for a certain amount of money. James SR. was feeling down that JJ wasn't proud of him. The guy who hired JJ hated the mural and refused to pay him and James stepped in and told that guy that he will pay him. JJ told his dad he was proud of him because he could never do that. I just feel that with John Amos on the show, it was more grounded.

james is great what about when he slammed the thugs off of jj when they found the money and audiance went nuts he schould of stayed on dam them producers