Yesterday, I was watching "The Announcement", which was apparently the episode where Mike Evans made his return as Lionel Jefferson after four years. And I don't think I've ever seen a more anti-climatic return. Lionel doesn't even show up until the last act, and he just strolls in with Jenny (to absolutely no reaction from the audience, surprisingly) as if he never left at all. Granted, in storyline he really didn't, but still you'd think that the return of a series original would be a much bigger deal. And even though the story was about Lionel and Jenny expecting, Lionel was a periphery character at best in the story, and the final scene was between George and Jenny!

Maybe this was Norman Lear's way of sending him a message?

Yesterday, I was watching "The Announcement", which was apparently the episode where Mike Evans made his return as Lionel Jefferson after four years. And I don't think I've ever seen a more anti-climatic return. Lionel doesn't even show up until the last act, and he just strolls in with Jenny (to absolutely no reaction from the audience, surprisingly) as if he never left at all. Granted, in storyline he really didn't, but still you'd think that the return of a series original would be a much bigger deal. And even though the story was about Lionel and Jenny expecting, Lionel was a periphery character at best in the story, and the final scene was between George and Jenny!

Maybe this was Norman Lear's way of sending him a message?
The scene between Lionel and Jenny on the roof I cried. That was very touching and it was the beginning of George softening up.

The scene between Lionel and Jenny on the roof I cried. That was very touching and it was the beginning of George softening up.

Don't get me wrong, it was a good episode and a significant one in terms of the evolution of the show in general and the George Jefferson character in particular (although they would revisit the theme again during the actual birth episode). I just thought that the handling of ME's return was a bit strange.

It would have been strange to see the audience react to the return of Mike Evans when the character on the show was not missing at all for the 3 seasons he was gone.

It would have been strange to see the audience react to the return of Mike Evans when the character on the show was not missing at all for the 3 seasons he was gone.

Actually, Lionel had been off-screen for an entire season and more before ME returned (though he was frequently referenced). Which is why we got Replacement Scrappies (thank you, TV Tropes!) in the forms of streetwise Marcus and the unbearable Alan Willis (both of whom thankfully disappeared once ME returned) during Season Five. You'd think that the return of Lionel in general would've garnered a reaction, but apparently not.

I also wonder if there were multiple takes and maybe the audience DID react the first time, but as you noted it wasn't supposed to be a big deal that Lionel was back (since he never really left in canon). So maybe they just reshot the scene for a more subdued take? Lord knows I've been dead wrong before about such things, but it just seems odd to me...

Actually, Lionel had been off-screen for an entire season and more before ME returned (though he was frequently referenced). Which is why we got Replacement Scrappies (thank you, TV Tropes!) in the forms of streetwise Marcus and the unbearable Alan Willis (both of whom thankfully disappeared once ME returned) during Season Five. You'd think that the return of Lionel in general would've garnered a reaction, but apparently not.

I also wonder if there were multiple takes and maybe the audience DID react the first time, but as you noted it wasn't supposed to be a big deal that Lionel was back (since he never really left in canon). So maybe they just reshot the scene for a more subdued take? Lord knows I've been dead wrong before about
such things, but it just seems odd to me...


You are right, I forgot Lionel was not on the sow during the 78-79 season which was why stupid Marcus was there. I guess maybe there was no longer a live studo audience during the 79-80 season which explains no reaction?

At some point, "The Jeffersons" did abandon a live studio audience. I don't remember when it was, maybe around 1981. I think it was in an effort to keep production costs down. But, I don't think it affected the comedy. Live audience or laugh track...who cares? Live audiences are prompted when to respond anyway....might as well just used canned laughs....

The scene between Lionel and Jenny on the roof I cried. That was very touching and it was the beginning of George softening up.

That was indeed a sweet, touching scene. Everyone did a great job. :D

It was late 1981 or perhaps very early 1982; I'm quite sure the piano intro appended to the beginning of the closing theme in the eighth season was to divert attention from the deletion of Isabel Sanford's familiar voiceover informing us that the show had been recorded before a studio audience.

They may very well have ditched the studio audience by the time this episode aired - because Isabel Sanford's voiceover is not over the credits at the end:

i0vNOLPvWzU

They may very well have ditched the studio audience by the time this episode aired - because Isabel Sanford's voiceover is not over the credits at the end:

i0vNOLPvWzU


They were still in front of a studio audience in the 80's

They were still in front of a studio audience in the 80's

Hmmmm...I wonder if they only used a studio audience for some of the episodes and then dropped the audience altogether, or what.

Hmmmm...I wonder if they only used a studio audience for some of the episodes and then dropped the audience altogether, or what.


I was watching a 1981 episode the other night and heard her in the closing credits say it was taped in front of a studio audience

I was watching a 1981 episode the other night and heard her in the closing credits say it was taped in front of a studio audience

OK.