http://www.bonethefish.com/viewtopics.php?1548

227 (https://web.archive.org/web/20070108131429/http://www.jumptheshark.com/t/227.htm) is an American situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985 until May 6, 1990. The series starred Marla Gibbs and was produced by Embassy Television from 1985 until 1988, then ELP Communications produced the series in its final two seasons (1988-1990).

227 boned the fish when Jackee left and they brought in Stoney Jackson, that landlord and Toukie Smith.

https://web.archive.org/web/20070225141752/http://jumptheshark.com/

[LIST]
Other Thoughts:

227 boned the fish when Jackee left and they brought in Stoney Jackson, that landlord and Toukie Smith.

That was the death nail. The introduction of Alexandria in the early half of Season 4 did it for me. You know what happens when children pop up out of nowhere. Shark Bait!!

227 boned the fish when Jackee left and they brought in Stoney Jackson, that landlord and Toukie Smith.

The show already had five cast members and with Sandra gone all they had to do was add in maybe a couple people but FIVE? Then again, I think the producers/writers were trying to find a character that would be the breakout like Sandra was and just lost their minds. With five, they had to have some one from the batch be a breakout. But on the same token, having five characters be introduced all at the same time into the show was an overload.

That was the death nail. The introduction of Alexandria in the early half of Season 4 did it for me. You know what happens when children pop up out of nowhere. Shark Bait!!

Encore Black is currently airing Season 4 with Alexandria (Countess Vaughn), and I too wonder if this was the first real sign of trouble (it's basically, the classic "Cousin Oliver (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CousinOliver)" trick) so to speak. Alexandra was one of those know-it-all, adult acting kids we all love to hate (basically, a "Mary Sue (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue)")! She perhaps, was kind of like a female 1980s version of Franklin on My Wife and Kids.

"Day 1" or "Never"? That's it? What about other options, like Countess Vaughn enters as Alexandria, or Sandra leaves the show, or Marla stops wearing wigs?

"Day 1" or "Never"? That's it? What about other options, like Countess Vaughn enters as Alexandria, or Sandra leaves the show, or Marla stops wearing wigs?

I think that otherwise, most would agree that Sandra leaving during the final season was the real jump the shark/bone the fish moment. W/ Sandra out the picture, a lot of the sex appeal and dare I say, "flavor" was gone.

That was the death nail. The introduction of Alexandria in the early half of Season 4 did it for me. You know what happens when children pop up out of nowhere. Shark Bait!!

Countess Vaughn had been on Star Search in the kids category (I don't remember much about what the kids were supposed to do - sing?? - I never liked Star Search but my mom watched it religiously), and she would imitate Jackee' when Ed would talk to the kids before the scores came through. I'm sure that got the attention of the producers. Her character on the show just sucked - so bratty. At least they had the smarts to get her character off after a bit.

While this was never one of my favorite shows, it was watchable, and I appreciated the lessons the show tried to impart without being sickeningly family friendly. I never cared for Sondra - I'd have liked her better if Jackee' wasn't so over-the-top. I liked the character of Pearl, but the comedy timing of the actress who played her was often "off", IMO.

For me, the show absolutely jumped when they brought Barry Sobel on (the young teacher Mary gets fired, then re-hired). I first saw him on the old MTV Half Hour Comedy Hour, and found nothing funny about him. That didn't change when he joined 227.

I liked the character of Pearl, but the comedy timing of the actress who played her was often "off", IMO.

That's funny, because they actually highly praise her timing in one of the DVD bonus features.

That's funny, because they actually highly praise her timing in one of the DVD bonus features.

I just don't see it. I don't mind the character - every apartment building has a busybody older woman in it - and she fits that part well. But her one-liners always seem a bit forced, and her delivery is....flat, often.

Yesterday, there was an ep on about a Santa Claus robber (played by Reginald Vel Johnson) - it was one of the crappy Countess Vaughan episodes. At one point, someone mentions the robber coming back. The line for Pearl is: "For what? The TV!?!". But she says it very flat, and without timing, so it comes out essentially as "For what the TV?". There should be a pause after "For What", and her voice should have gone up and down.

Maybe it was the way they wrote for her.

For me the Countess being added was when it jumped the shark but Sandra leaving definitely didn't help

Countess Vaughn had been on Star Search in the kids category (I don't remember much about what the kids were supposed to do - sing?? - I never liked Star Search but my mom watched it religiously), and she would imitate Jackee' when Ed would talk to the kids before the scores came through. I'm sure that got the attention of the producers. Her character on the show just sucked - so bratty. At least they had the smarts to get her character off after a bit.

While this was never one of my favorite shows, it was watchable, and I appreciated the lessons the show tried to impart without being sickeningly family friendly. I never cared for Sondra - I'd have liked her better if Jackee' wasn't so over-the-top. I liked the character of Pearl, but the comedy timing of the actress who played her was often "off", IMO.

For me, the show absolutely jumped when they brought Barry Sobel on (the young teacher Mary gets fired, then re-hired). I first saw him on the old MTV Half Hour Comedy Hour, and found nothing funny about him. That didn't change when he joined 227.

I'm starting to wonder if you can pinpoint the moment that 227 began to unravel (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125202/http://www.jumptheshark.com/t/227.htm) from a quality standpoint when Embassy merged into Columbia and Coca-Cola sold it to Sony. By the end, the show felt less like a closely-knit community than in the earlier seasons produced under Embassy.

It never boned. I do prefer the earlier seasons, but the show was good from the beginning to the end.