Tv Fact Fan claims that he feels that Penny acted too immature for her age, and acted more like a very little girl, rather than the 11 year old girl she was. It turns out that Kim Fields, who was about 7 was supposed to play Penny, but, the producers felt the audience would be disturbed to see a woman playing an abusive mom to a girl who looked like she could be her biological mother. The fact that Chip Fields was Kim Fields's biological mother only hurt matters more. They also feared having Kim's biological mother playing an abusive mother to her could scar very young Kim psychologically, so she didn't get the part of Penny.

Having Kim play Penny would have been ideal in "Stomach Mumps," the episode where Willona tries to shield Penny from the knowledge of sex, fearing she could get pregnant like her 13 year old friend. The GT fans didn't buy the idea that Penny who was about 12 and already had a rough life didn't know about sex. Even Penny mentioned she thought her friend looked pregnant while the audience and Florida gasped. Having Kim Fields who was around 8 being portrayed as being shielded from knowing about sex would have been believable.

Kim Fields said in an interview that her mother really hit her in real life. She said "One day my room was not clean, and my mother came in and said Kim Clean your ROOM"! Well I said and not even in an sarcastic way, "doesn't the maid do that", she than reached back and slapped me in the face!

it was obvious she wasn't needed because when Florida returned Penny's role was reduced

Tv Fact Fan, the writers of Good Times didn't actually know that Esther would come back in the 6th Season when they created the Penny character...

Tv Fact Fan, the writers of Good Times didn't actually know that Esther would come back in the 6th Season when they created the Penny character...

I know but when she did come back it was funny how she has a smaller role than Bookman

Tv Fact Fan, Penny wasn't really needed anymore when Esther came back. I agree with you on that observation also. Penny was Florida's replacement, so she could have just been written out when Florida came back. Though, audiences would have wondered why Willona no longer had an adopted daughter.

Tv Fact Fan, Penny wasn't really needed anymore when Esther came back. I agree with you on that observation also. Penny was Florida's replacement, so she could have just been written out when Florida came back. Though, audiences would have wondered why Willona no longer had an adopted daughter.


They could have just always said she was out playing with her friends lol

Or, send her on an extended Summer Camp. :P