I think we all agree that if James would have stayed past the third season, GT would have been better off for it and improvement for rest of the seasons.

Having said that, these are also couple of adjustments producers could have done to improve the show:

#1. Having seperate bedroom for JJ and Micheal. By having their own room, JJ would have not been in every scene that happen in main living room. It would have given other charactors a breathing room and not everything concentrated on JJ.

#2. More recurring charators. Beside sporadic apearances by Wonda and Alderman Davis, no other charactors apeared regulrarly on the show. They could have included regular apearances by James and Florida friends or relatives. Like James father Henry.

#3. Florida getting a part time job. I think I got tired of them eating oatmeal for breakfast everyday and seeing James struggling to feed 5 poeple and paying bills with low paying jobs. With Florida working, it would have given female power to improve their own family. And have Eggs and Bacon for a change :D

#4. Give Micheal charactor more air time and roles. Even Jimmie Walker said it in his interviews that Micheal charactor pretty much moves to background and apeared less as show progressed. Micheal and JJ could have made odd "strait/funny" couple.

In my opinon, those are some of things producres could have done to the show to improve it.

How about curtains, Venetian blinds or window shades for the main room?
Why would they have wanted all their neighbors in the neighboring high-rise projects to gawk at them- and vice versa?

How about curtains, Venetian blinds or window shades for the main room?
Why would they have wanted all their neighbors in the neighboring high-rise projects to gawk at them- and vice versa?

Never noticed that. But after looking at these images, curtains are definitely wide open for the world to see. Maybe the shades are up for the studio effect than practicality.

https://simkl.net/episodes/49/4920754107f6ed331_w.jpg
https://simkl.net/episodes/26/26266543483e8aea9_w.jpg
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/goodtimes/images/2/2c/Good_Times_episode_-_The_Houseguest.png

Or they could have got rid of the willona character in season 5 since Florida was gone. That's the reason Penny was added to create a reason for Willona to still be seen

This is all I would’ve done for Season 5

Have Wilona’s boyfriend, Frank appear more frequently

Introduce a character to look after J.J., Thelma, and Michael at the apartment (maybe one of Florida’s sisters)

Have more episodes with J.J. with Poppo, Cool Breeze, and Head

Give J.J. a girlfriend

Show Mrs. Bookman more

No Penny

This is all I would’ve done for Season 5

Have Wilona’s boyfriend, Frank appear more frequently

Introduce a character to look after J.J., Thelma, and Michael at the apartment (maybe one of Florida’s sisters)

Have more episodes with J.J. with Poppo, Cool Breeze, and Head

Give J.J. a girlfriend

Show Mrs. Bookman more

No Penny


JJ and Thelma were over 18 so they didnt need anyone to look after that lol

Have Thelma appear in a bikini.

This is all I would’ve done for Season 5

Have Wilona’s boyfriend, Frank appear more frequently

Introduce a character to look after J.J., Thelma, and Michael at the apartment (maybe one of Florida’s sisters)

Have more episodes with J.J. with Poppo, Cool Breeze, and Head

Give J.J. a girlfriend

Show Mrs. Bookman more

No Penny

Good suggestions. Definently agree with showing more Mrs. Bookman. The episode where she suspect Bookman cheating is one of the funniest episode.

https://img.sharetv.com/shows/episodes/standard/228630.jpg

JJ and Thelma were over 18 so they didnt need anyone to look after that lol

I think Wilona did admirible job taking over Florida spot as head of family in the fifth season-as to tone down JJ, Thelma and Micheal shenanigans. Other wise the show would have turned into black version of Three Stooges :D

Have Thelma appear in a bikini.

I don't think Evans were too big on swimming :D

Good suggestions. Definently agree with showing more Mrs. Bookman. The episode where she suspect Bookman cheating is one of the funniest episode.

https://img.sharetv.com/shows/episodes/standard/228630.jpg



I think Wilona did admirible job taking over Florida spot as head of family in the fifth season-as to tone down JJ, Thelma and Micheal shenanigans. Other wise the show would have turned into black version of Three Stooges :D

They added the penny character because the actress wanted a bigger role and the kids were too old for her to try and take Florida's place. To me they should have just got rid of the character or decreased the role.

They added the penny character because the actress wanted a bigger role and the kids were too old for her to try and take Florida's place. To me they should have just got rid of the character or decreased the role.

I agree that Penny didn't add anything to show, but getting rid of Willona charactor as an "adult" and authority on show might have not been a good move. Remeber what happened to the What's Happening show when they got rid of Mabel King as the parental figure. The show nose dived in the third season and it got cancelled afterward.

They could have brought in Henry (James's father) to look after the kids after Florida left. He could fill in Florida and James shoes at the same time :)

I agree that Penny didn't add anything to show, but getting rid of Willona charactor as an "adult" and authority on show might have not been a good move. Remeber what happened to the What's Happening show when they got rid of Mabel King as the parental figure. The show nose dived in the third season and it got cancelled afterward.

They could have brought in Henry (James's father) to look after the kids after Florida left. He could fill in Florida and James shoes at the same time :)

you keep saying look after the kids and thelma and JJ was over 18 in season 5:lol:

you keep saying look after the kids and thelma and JJ was over 18 in season 5:lol:
Well Michael wasn’t. And J.J. and Thelma sure as hell wasn’t fit enough to take care of him by themselves.

Well Michael wasn’t. And J.J. and Thelma sure as hell wasn’t fit enough to take care of him by themselves.

He was 16. The point is willona wasnt need in season lol I would never watch those season 5 penny eps again unless someone sends me an original CBS broadcast with all commercials lol

Here are some elements I would have added to the show (or changed) as time went on:

Willona would have adopted a child, but that child would have been a boy, not a girl; and instead of bringing back the biological mother to try and take back custody, as the producers did in season six with Linella Gordon, I would have Willona's adopted son's biological father turn up, claiming that he never relinquished his parental rights.

Thelma would get married (since I never found her aspirations to go to medical school to be all that believable). Instead of marrying an aspiring professional football player who winds up sidelined by injury, however, I would have had her marry a rookie police officer with the Chicago P.D. The two would have met when he mistakenly arrests her for prostitution. (Naturally, sparks would fly, lol.) Together, the newlyweds would have lived in the same building as Florida and Willona, but probably not on the same floor. And there would have been conflicts galore: over the dangerous nature of his work (perhaps, an episode where he is shot in a drug bust, a hold-up, or during a "turf war" between gangs); over the fact that Thelma wants to go to work or continue her education while he wants a wife to be just that -- his wife; over their struggles to start a family or even afford their own house.

Michael would gain a regular love interest...who's white, and from a middle-class family. (His almost-roommate, Cindy, would have been a likely candidate, but I would have had to recast.)

J.J. would land a new gig (after getting fired from the ad agency, I guess, or maybe instead of working at the ad agency) teaching art to kids at a local community center.

Mrs. Bookman would have left Bookman at some point, forcing Bookman to re-adjust to life as a bachelor...and there would even be an episode (call it "Bookman's Crush") where he develops an infatuation with Florida, and she has to let him down gently.

And instead of becoming a substitute kids' bus driver, Florida might get a clerical job at James' old loading dock.

Bring in Eddie as a main character.