I dont think I seen any other family sitcoms on TV beside GT that portrait struggling low income family to such a degree.

There were many working class family sitcoms on TV such as Married With Children or Roseanne that comes to mind. But they own their homes and finance was not a big issue.

But family in GoodTime was set in the most deprive and crime ridden part of Chicago. With theme of daily financial difficulties to boot, and children sleeping on the couch and not having their own rooms.

TV producers usually steer clear of shows that portrait poor people as they claim that it make audience sad and turned away. But Norma Lear probably deserve credit for going against grain by producing Goodtimes, and keeping it real.

I dont think I seen any other family sitcoms on TV beside GT that portrait struggling low income family to such a degree.

There were many working class family sitcoms on TV such as Married With Children or Roseanne that comes to mind. But they own their homes and finance was not a big issue.

But family in GoodTime was set in the most deprive and crime ridden part of Chicago. With theme of daily financial difficulties to boot, and children sleeping on the couch and not having their own rooms.

TV producers usually steer clear of shows that portrait poor people as they claim that it make audience sad and turned away. But Norma Lear probably deserve credit for going against grain by producing Goodtimes, and keeping it real.

the Waltons was the poorest family on TV. There were many references made to them on the show

the Waltons was the poorest family on TV. There were many references made to them on the show

The Ingalls family from Little House were also very poor.

The Ingalls were poorer than either the Waltons or the Evans. Both Waltons and Evans had indoor plumbing and electricity. And plaster walls! The Waltons were going through the depression, but they never went hungry and had the basic necessities. John Walton owned his own lumber mill. He was able to send John Boy to college and Mary Ellen to nursing school. Charles Ingalls was a dirt farmer and was always scraping by.

The Evans were defintely the poorest black TV family of all time

The Evans were defintely the poorest black TV family of all time

We probably could also say that Evans were poorest sitcom family of all time :)

We probably could also say that Evans were poorest sitcom family of all time :)

And the welfare office didnt exist:lol:

And the welfare office didnt exist:lol:


James wouldn't have let them take Welfare. He was too prideful for that.

James wouldn't have let them take Welfare. He was too prideful for that.

In real life he would have been eligible to work and get FS but since its tv they had to create drama


I work at the welfare office now and a family of 5 with the only husband working part-time would get all kinds of food stamps

Even Old Gurdy would have been eligible because she was a single senior with low income

OP mentioned only SITCOMS...The Waltons and LHOTP were not sitcoms....and John Boy got a scholarship to go to college (he took a test while in the hospital) - can't remember how Mary Ellen even paid for Nursing School, but I remember her taking a test too (she was on "speed") in order to get accepted..

The only other sitcom I can remember who might come close would be Ralph and Alice on the Honeymooners....They had a crappy "roach motel" looking apt., even though he was a bus driver who I always thought made quite a chunk-o-change especially being in the union...

The Evans children are always wearing different styles of clothing for every episode.

The Evans children are always wearing different styles of clothing for every episode.

I thought that Thelma had kind of a magenta colored dress that she wore really often early on in the series. I also thought that JJ had a particular turtleneck that seemed to show up frequently.

I don't know. I could be remembering this wrong.

OP mentioned only SITCOMS...The Waltons and LHOTP were not sitcoms....and John Boy got a scholarship to go to college (he took a test while in the hospital) - can't remember how Mary Ellen even paid for Nursing School, but I remember her taking a test too (she was on "speed") in order to get accepted..

The only other sitcom I can remember who might come close would be Ralph and Alice on the Honeymooners....They had a crappy "roach motel" looking apt., even though he was a bus driver who I always thought made quite a chunk-o-change especially being in the union...


Forgot about the honeymooners they was defintely poor

Forgot about the honeymooners they was defintely poor

Yes, but Ralph was very cheap. Ralph and Norton made the same amount of money and Norton's apartment was much, much nicer than Ralph's. Better furniture, a telephone, curtains, etc. They didn't have much money but they did not choose to live like total paupers. Ralph chose to live like a pauper because he was a cheapskate.

Yes, but Ralph was very cheap. Ralph and Norton made the same amount of money and Norton's apartment was much, much nicer than Ralph's. Better furniture, a telephone, curtains, etc. They didn't have much money but they did not choose to live like total paupers. Ralph chose to live like a pauper because he was a cheapskate.

I thought a bus driver was considered a good job during those times

I thought a bus driver was considered a good job during those times

Found the photo below at a website discussing salaries of the past. And a different site says $62 is worth $596.72 today. So if you do that over 52 weeks, Ralph was pulling in the equivalent of $31,029.44 today.

(No idea how income tax would play into this.)

255421

Found the photo below at a website discussing salaries of the past. And a different site says $62 is worth $596.72 today. So if you do that over 52 weeks, Ralph was pulling in the equivalent of $31,029.44 today.

(No idea how income tax would play into this.)

255421

Which wouldnt be much:lol: