Watching the last episode of Maude and it's stated that Florida lives in

[TVFactFan]

But I do know why the location of Good times is not in NYC, its because the show was created before Maude existed and the location was Chicago with Different names. So since lear got involved he used a character from a show that was already on TV to take credit for it and never changed the location

[opus]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Thank you for providing that link. Unfortunately, knowing TVFactFan, that’s not gonna change his opinion.

I'm trying to track down the original Good Times TV Guide review. Anyone got that lying around?

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

But I do know why the location of Good times is not in NYC, its because the show was created before Maude existed and the location was Chicago with Different names. So since lear got involved he used a character from a show that was already on TV to take credit for it and never changed the location

I explained this to you already man. You see, Henry and Florida announced that they were relocating to Chicago to be closer to Henry’s new job nearby. So out of generosity, Walter and Maude throw them a surprise farewell party. Things later backfire when Henry finds out that he got laid off from his new job and he turns into his alter ego James, unwilling to adjust to project life. The lost original CBS pilot episode does start with Henry and Florida saying goodbye to Walter, Maude, Carol, Arthur, and Vivian and Cousin Wilbert relocating James, Florida, J.J., Thelma and Michael to the Chicago Projects by custom wagon. LOL.

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by opus

Here's the original Good Times review from the NY Daily News in 1974. They toss a new word in to the mix. They say it's derived from Maude.

https://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...icle-1.2524466

Thank you thank you

That was the word I was looking for.

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Yup no spinoff term just a new show and the names of the creators

LOL, I seriously cant believe you are sticking to your guns. Most of us have been saying its loosely a spin off which means derived.

Derived definition: Obtain something from a specific source. A logical extension or modification (from websters)

Those definitions define what a spin off is. Yes we know the characters did not appear on each other's show. But the very popular character from Maude was spun off to have her own show. There is really no debate about this. Its all in good fun though.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by opus

I'm trying to track down the original Good Times TV Guide review. Anyone got that lying around?

These days seriers aren't created-they're fathered, or as the case may be, mothered. All in the Family fathered Maude, for example, and now Maude has up and mothered this show. Just as Maude was a first character in one episode of All in the Family and then had her own show, so no has Florida(Esther Rolle), who was just a maid in Maude. Since the great white father of it all is Norman Lear, what you probably expected him to come up with this time was a Black All in the Family. You don't quite get it-It's not just satire. But neither is it just another situation comedy. We'd call it a remarkable combination o both-part sitcom, part satcom.


One thing is certain. Good Times is the best of the new second-season shows, and it has a first-rate cast. Miss Rolle plays the mother not only as if she knows what one is, but as if she enjoys it. As a result, we do too. "What a Day!" she says in one scene. "James Jr. hassling me to go out and do something illegal. James Sr. is out hussling pool, which is immoral. You're trying to drag me off to welfare , which is embarassing. And do you know what my horoscope said this morning? "Let a smile be your umbrella." John Amos is no slouch as her husband. He is Forceful and forth-right, and Florida describes him best: "Don't all magazines say that our woman are head of the house?" she askes her friend. "They sure do," her friend says. "Well says Florida, "somebody better tell James." After all these years of nambys for mothers and pambys for fathers, this couple is something else.

The children too are formidable. The scene stealer is perhaps the youngest, Michael, who is played by Ralph Carter, but don't overlook the eldest, "J.J." (Jimmie Walker). He's at his best when he's tormenting his sister, Thelma, ("Look who got back from her honeymoon with the bathroom mirror"). But Thelma (played by Bernadette) can return the compliment. "If you was born in Detroit," she tells him, "you'd have been recalled for being dangerously ugly." Finally, there's their divorced neighbor, Willona, who is excellently played by Janet Dubios. "Don't you ever come in without making a joke?" Florida asked her. "No," she replies, "but last night I went out wth one."

All the performers are fine, and they often do whole vignettes with one another-little shows within the main virtue here is the fine dialouge. They're a bit strong on the toilet jokes, but satire is not neglected. The white establishment gets its lumps-from Mayor Daley ("what did you do James," Willona asked in one show, when he's got a fistful of money, "go partners with the Chicago Police?") all the way to television. At the end of one episode, Michael declares he would like, for a change, to see an all-black show. "Where you gonna find one?" asks James. "Here's one," replies Michael, "The Los Angeles Lakers against the Milwaukee Bucks." We've got a feeling he'd like watching this show to. He should.


Cleveland Amory, April 1974, TV Guide Critic

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Yup no spinoff term just a new show and the names of the creators

Further proof of what we already know. It is NOT a spin-off. It was "derived" which means it's just inspired by the show Maude.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Wawwie

Further proof of what we already know. It is NOT a spin-off. It was "derived" which means it's just inspired by the show Maude.

Im going to start digging up my old articles that had a quote from alan manings the producer........"it's really not a spinoff"

[opus]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

These days seriers aren't created-they're fathered, or as the case may be, mothered. All in the Family fathered Maude, for example, and now Maude has up and mothered this show. Just as Maude was a first character in one episode of All in the Family and then had her own show, so no has Florida(Esther Rolle), who was just a maid in Maude. Since the great white father of it all is Norman Lear, what you probably expected him to come up with this time was a Black All in the Family. You don't quite get it-It's not just satire. But neither is it just another situation comedy. We'd call it a remarkable combination o both-part sitcom, part satcom.


One thing is certain. Good Times is the best of the new second-season shows, and it has a first-rate cast. Miss Rolle plays the mother not only as if she knows what one is, but as if she enjoys it. As a result, we do too. "What a Day!" she says in one scene. "James Jr. hassling me to go out and do something illegal. James Sr. is out hussling pool, which is immoral. You're trying to drag me off to welfare , which is embarassing. And do you know what my horoscope said this morning? "Let a smile be your umbrella." John Amos is no slouch as her husband. He is Forceful and forth-right, and Florida describes him best: "Don't all magazines say that our woman are head of the house?" she askes her friend. "They sure do," her friend says. "Well says Florida, "somebody better tell James." After all these years of nambys for mothers and pambys for fathers, this couple is something else.

The children too are formidable. The scene stealer is perhaps the youngest, Michael, who is played by Ralph Carter, but don't overlook the eldest, "J.J." (Jimmie Walker). He's at his best when he's tormenting his sister, Thelma, ("Look who got back from her honeymoon with the bathroom mirror"). But Thelma (played by Bernadette) can return the compliment. "If you was born in Detroit," she tells him, "you'd have been recalled for being dangerously ugly." Finally, there's their divorced neighbor, Willona, who is excellently played by Janet Dubios. "Don't you ever come in without making a joke?" Florida asked her. "No," she replies, "but last night I went out wth one."

All the performers are fine, and they often do whole vignettes with one another-little shows within the main virtue here is the fine dialouge. They're a bit strong on the toilet jokes, but satire is not neglected. The white establishment gets its lumps-from Mayor Daley ("what did you do James," Willona asked in one show, when he's got a fistful of money, "go partners with the Chicago Police?") all the way to television. At the end of one episode, Michael declares he would like, for a change, to see an all-black show. "Where you gonna find one?" asks James. "Here's one," replies Michael, "The Los Angeles Lakers against the Milwaukee Bucks." We've got a feeling he'd like watching this show to. He should.


Cleveland Amory, April 1974, TV Guide Critic

Thanks. Looked like TV Guide liked it better then the Daily News did.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Im going to start digging up my old articles that had a quote from alan manings the producer........"it's really not a spinoff"

Did he create the show? Is he Norman Lear or Eric Monte?

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by opus

Thanks. Looked like TV Guide liked it better then the Daily News did.

Yup its from TV Guide, April of 74

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Did he create the show? Is he Norman Lear or Eric Monte?

Executive producer

[BestTVever]

Wikipedia calls the Show a full spin off of Maude. It even names episodes in Good Times where Florida recalls her prior work as a maid. From Maude, Florida's husband name was changed from Henry to James. For us that were alive and watching in real time, we remember Florida was really the main reason Maude was a success. Once she left for her own show, it was never the same. Maude was the liberal Archie Bunker and the black maid had none of it. She would put Maude in her place and counter Maude's liberal stereotypes.
Here is the wikipedia link. I seriously cannot believe we are even discussing this. A hit character on a hit tv show gets their own show and people doubt the origins? Strange.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Times

[BestTVever]

double post

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by Wawwie

Further proof of what we already know. It is NOT a spin-off. It was "derived" which means it's just inspired by the show Maude.

According to Merriam-Webster:

derive-to take, receive, or obtain especially from a specified source (in this case Maude).

I’ll say it again. It doesn’t matter that The Evans Family relocated from NYC to Chicago without an explanation. As much as I would’ve loved for the family to relocate to Harlem instead of Chicago and crossover and make direct references to Maude here and there, as long as Florida appeared on Maude, it’s a spinoff. It doesn’t matter if Henry’s name was James in Good Times and he worked at low paying, unrewarding jobs such as the garage and the car wash and washed dishes instead of being a fireman. It doesn’t matter if the name Henry was given to James’s father after Henry and Florida transitioned to Good Times and Henry’s name was changed to James. It doesn’t matter if Florida was Maude’s maid on Maude but a housewife on Good Times. Florida Evans appeared on Maude AND Good Times, same first and last name, same actress, same personality, bottom line, damnit.