ChicagoGuy
01-21-2017, 09:09 PM
Hello - I'm sure many on this forum have weighed on the following thoughts on Good Times but please allow me to share my thoughts - plusses and minuses.
Altogether, great show! Still watch it in syndication. At least until the death of James. GT then went the way of All in the Family. Shame.
My thoughts on the characters, in order of least favorite:
Michael - Am I the only one that though Michael was a total racist? The way he insulted white people whenever they appeared in the show. Kind of an annoying character.
Wilona - No real issues with Wilona's character. I found it annoying that she would often laugh hard at her own lines which weren't terribly funny. But did help fill the show well.
Florida - She was annoying at times (how annoying was she when she had to do the Vita Brite commercial?!). I always thought James could've done better. He was built and a good lookin' dude. I learned later that Ester Rolle was nearly 20 years his senior when the show was being filmed. She definitely had her moments.
JJ - Good character. A bit too over the top and felt they should've throttled him back just a bit. Some of his humor missed the mark.
Thelma - Anytime she didn't have that big afro, she looked hot. Really liked the character. Good balance to her and loved her curves!
James - Far and away the best character on the show. Without John Amos, I think that show would've been mediocre at best. Great acting and very believable as a caring father and loving husband. REALLY loved this character.
Favorite episodes:
> Black Jesus
> The one where they're about to be evicted til James comes up with the rent
> Lunch Money Rip Off
I pretty much liked all of the episodes, with a few exceptions, that involved James.
A couple more thoughts:
Anyone ever notice that they made nearly ANY white person on the show come off as really lame, nerdy or racist? (True of other shows of that kind)
JA and ER leaving the show over money or disagreements with the scripts was very short-sighted. Ended up being extremely foolish for both of them as their careers went virtually nowhere afterward. Fred Berry (Re-Run) pulled the same idiotic stunt and all of them paid for it.
On "Encore Black" on cable they show it commercial free, add deleted scenes and always add a scene at the end. Best place to see GT!
Thanks all....
CG
Altogether, great show! Still watch it in syndication. At least until the death of James. GT then went the way of All in the Family. Shame.
My thoughts on the characters, in order of least favorite:
Michael - Am I the only one that though Michael was a total racist? The way he insulted white people whenever they appeared in the show. Kind of an annoying character.
Wilona - No real issues with Wilona's character. I found it annoying that she would often laugh hard at her own lines which weren't terribly funny. But did help fill the show well.
Florida - She was annoying at times (how annoying was she when she had to do the Vita Brite commercial?!). I always thought James could've done better. He was built and a good lookin' dude. I learned later that Ester Rolle was nearly 20 years his senior when the show was being filmed. She definitely had her moments.
JJ - Good character. A bit too over the top and felt they should've throttled him back just a bit. Some of his humor missed the mark.
Thelma - Anytime she didn't have that big afro, she looked hot. Really liked the character. Good balance to her and loved her curves!
James - Far and away the best character on the show. Without John Amos, I think that show would've been mediocre at best. Great acting and very believable as a caring father and loving husband. REALLY loved this character.
Favorite episodes:
> Black Jesus
> The one where they're about to be evicted til James comes up with the rent
> Lunch Money Rip Off
I pretty much liked all of the episodes, with a few exceptions, that involved James.
A couple more thoughts:
Anyone ever notice that they made nearly ANY white person on the show come off as really lame, nerdy or racist? (True of other shows of that kind)
JA and ER leaving the show over money or disagreements with the scripts was very short-sighted. Ended up being extremely foolish for both of them as their careers went virtually nowhere afterward. Fred Berry (Re-Run) pulled the same idiotic stunt and all of them paid for it.
On "Encore Black" on cable they show it commercial free, add deleted scenes and always add a scene at the end. Best place to see GT!
Thanks all....
CG