After reading this article, it now makes sense why in the beginning of the first part you hear that the Florida character was in Arizona with Carl. She did not show up for the first two episodes


http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mfs0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=BU8KAAAAIBAJ&pg=3253,5955058&dq=john+amos+was+absent+in+the&hl=en

I started searching, having become intrigued by the topic and found all sorts of stuff. My interest came from having just started watching Antenna TV which runs Good Times and Maude, as well as having TV Land.

I found a follow up article, to the one posted here, that is worth posting about Esther Rolle. It deals with her return to the show a year after quitting.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wiEmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Hv4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1124,2132092&dq=good+times+esther+rolle+quits&hl=en

Also found This one about Jimmy Walker wanting out of the show himself:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f_8cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hY4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3723,5231254&dq=good+times+jimmy+walker&hl=en

Then Walker tackling a Drama in a TV movie in 1977:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aN9NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BIsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5384,3505703&dq=jimmy+walker+good+times+drama&hl=en

And this one from 80s about Jimmy Walker in another sitcom Bustin' Loose:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f_1NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tosDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3756,273215&dq=jj+jimmy+walker+good+times&hl=en

This one about John Amos and his career following Roots:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Nn9GAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JSsNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4616,3253228&dq=john+amos+good+times&hl=en

Then this one about Esther Rolle in "I Know Why The Cage Bird Sings":
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LZ8yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6ukFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2331,4888333&dq=esther+rolle&hl=en

And a year later on her life:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F85HAAAAIBAJ&sjid=U38MAAAAIBAJ&pg=2902,7049045&dq=esther+rolle&hl=en

Interesting stuff.

Thanks you guys for these articles. I wonder if Mr. Lear thought he had some kind of hold over these black actors. Did he really say that he'd kill off the mother too even though the father was killed off? That is crazy nuts!!!
IDK, were the black actors commodities to him at the time? Wow! More "Dy-no-mites" and less parents? That is wild!