The Norman Lear Book has ended the Spinoff Debate - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TVFactFan · 06-19-2021, 01:39 AM

I purchased a great book called "The Sitcoms on Norman Lear" and now in the Good Times Chapter and on page 99 it was stated that Lear did not believe Good Times was a true spinoff. His statement was....."I got the idea for this show two and a half years ago before there was a Maude from Mike Evans" Lear Told reporters in 1974. Lear also stated that "we never seen a black family on TV before and it sounded like a good idea. Its taken two years to develop it and went through 30 drafts of the story for the first episode. The idea for Good Times undergone many script changes before Florida ever arrived in Tuckahoe. As the show evolved and continued season after season, Lear was appalled by anyone who called Good Times a spinoff. By the third season he went around Hollywood telling people that he would throw up if he heard it called that one more time.

Well that ends the Debate

The Sitcoms of Norman Lear, Sean Campbell, 2014

TVLegend · 06-19-2021, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

I purchased a great book called "The Sitcoms on Norman Lear" and now in the Good Times Chapter and on page 99 it was stated that Lear did not believe Good Times was a true spinoff. His statement was....."I got the idea for this show two and a half years ago before there was a Maude from Mike Evans" Lear Told reporters in 1974. Lear also stated that "we never seen a black family on TV before and it sounded like a good idea. Its taken two years to develop it and went through 30 drafts of the story for the first episode. The idea for Good Times undergone many script changes before Florida ever arrived in Tuckahoe. As the show evolved and continued season after season, Lear was appalled by anyone who called Good Times a spinoff. By the third season he went around Hollywood telling people that he would throw up if he heard it called that one more time.

Well that ends the Debate

The Sitcoms of Norman Lear, Sean Campbell, 2014

It’s a spinoff.

The end.

If it wasn’t at least an inconsistent spinoff, then explain Florida and Henry, played by Esther Rolle and John Amos.

And also, if he said that, then why did he say otherwise in the interview?

TVFactFan · 06-19-2021, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVLegend

It’s a spinoff.

The end.

If it wasn’t at least an inconsistent spinoff, then explain Florida and Henry, played by Esther Rolle and John Amos.

And also, if he said that, then why did he say otherwise in the interview?

What Interview

TVLegend · 06-19-2021, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

What Interview

I thought there was an interview Norman Lear did where he speaks on Good Times.

TVFactFan · 06-19-2021, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVLegend

I thought there was an interview Norman Lear did where he speaks on Good Times.

I heard of no such interview

TVLegend · 06-19-2021, 12:54 PM

Norman Lear must’ve been drunk while writing that book because he specifically said he originated the Florida Evans character from Eric Monte’s original The Black Family scripts, put her on Maude, then after a year or two SPUN her off to her own show, Good Times. Nothing that ANYONE provides can ever change Maude’s Florida Evans and Henry Evans, once again, played by both Esther Rolle and John Amos.

TVFactFan · 06-19-2021, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Norman Lear must’ve been drunk while writing that book because he specifically said he originated the Florida Evans character from Eric Monte’s original The Black Family scripts, put her on Maude, then after a year or two SPUN her off to her own show, Good Times. Nothing that ANYONE provides can ever change Maude’s Florida Evans and Henry Evans, once again, played by both Esther Rolle and John Amos.

He didnt write it, the author is Sean Campbell and included an interview with Lear inside the book

TVLegend · 06-19-2021, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

He didnt write it, the author is Sean Campbell and included an interview with Lear inside the book

Oh, okay.

TVFactFan · 06-19-2021, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Oh, okay.

Fun Fact

The Author of the Book was a member of this site in 2006

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009TB1AUA/ref=docs-os-doi_0

TVLegend · 06-19-2021, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Fun Fact

The Author of the Book was a member of this site in 2006

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009TB1AUA/ref=docs-os-doi_0

What was his username?

TVFactFan · 06-19-2021, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVLegend

What was his username?

nlearfan

https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards...=Sean+Campbell

GoldenTV · 06-20-2021, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

I purchased a great book called "The Sitcoms on Norman Lear" and now in the Good Times Chapter and on page 99 it was stated that Lear did not believe Good Times was a true spinoff. His statement was....."I got the idea for this show two and a half years ago before there was a Maude from Mike Evans" Lear Told reporters in 1974. Lear also stated that "we never seen a black family on TV before and it sounded like a good idea. Its taken two years to develop it and went through 30 drafts of the story for the first episode. The idea for Good Times undergone many script changes before Florida ever arrived in Tuckahoe. As the show evolved and continued season after season, Lear was appalled by anyone who called Good Times a spinoff. By the third season he went around Hollywood telling people that he would throw up if he heard it called that one more time.

Well that ends the Debate

The Sitcoms of Norman Lear, Sean Campbell, 2014

That pretty much sums it up. Lear was working on Goodtimes probably even before Maude hit the airwaves.

One thing does bothers me though. Why would the book author (Sean Campbell) in post #3 still believe Goodtimes is spin off Maude if in his book Lear say other wise?

https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards...=Sean+Campbell

TVLegend · 06-21-2021, 05:11 PM

I’m getting sick of this.

We will NEVER hear the end of this, because there’s one side that keeps on bringing up this evidence that has been TRIED and TRIED over and over again, not willing to except history or the other side’s evidence. How many times are we gonna go through this?

If you wanna believe Good Times and Maude are not in the same universe, then fine, believe it, but I believe that Good Times and Maude are indeed connected, and I’ll stand by my opinion, but I’m not gonna do this back and forth. It wasn’t Norman Lear who was working on Good Times, it was Eric Monte. Eric Monte had wrote scripts entitled “The Black Family”, based off of his childhood living in a Chicago housing project located in a high crime area, dating way back to 1971. In 1972, the TV show Maude was created. Coincidentally, soon after it’s premiere, Eric Monte went out to sell his scripts to Hollywood and he ran into one guy and had him read his scripts, long story short, the man suggested that he bring it to Norman Lear. So Eric did just that, but Lear said the scripts called for more work, so after some improvising and compromising, they eventually, in the end came out with Good Times. But right off the bat, Lear noticed character Mattie Black from Monte’s original Black Family scripts and turned her into Florida Evans, and decided it would be a better idea to bring her onto his brand new show called Maude, as mentioned earlier, before giving her her own show. And in the blink of an eye, a new character named Florida Evans debuted on Maude as Maude’s housekeeper, and immediately became a household name. Nearly two years later, Lear felt it was time for Florida Evans to be spun off to her own show, Good Times after seeing the popularity of her character. So instead of being consistent about it, he took Eric Monte’s Black Family premise and made it the overall premise of Good Times, wanting a different background. Even Monte himself stated that Lear took his Black Family premise, took Mattie Black and turned her into Florida Evans, introduced her on Maude, and later spun her off onto her own show, pretty much taking his idea, but somehow keeping it within the Maude universe to an extent.

I’m sorry, but to be blunt, I’m sick of this sh*t topic.

opus · 06-21-2021, 05:33 PM

Haven't we covered the fact that Norman Lear took pre existing material and twisted it in the Maude universe? So spinoff.

By the way, I have that book. Bought it for the One Day At A Time chapter. Disappointing though, because it only covers season one.

TVFactFan · 06-21-2021, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by opus

Haven't we covered the fact that Norman Lear took pre existing material and twisted it in the Maude universe? So spinoff.

By the way, I have that book. Bought it for the One Day At A Time chapter. Disappointing though, because it only covers season one.

Im on the Good Times Chapter working my way to the Jeffersons. I see that ODAAT is the last chapter

06-19-2021, 01:39 AM	#1
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,951	The Norman Lear Book has ended the Spinoff Debate I purchased a great book called "The Sitcoms on Norman Lear" and now in the Good Times Chapter and on page 99 it was stated that Lear did not believe Good Times was a true spinoff. His statement was....."I got the idea for this show two and a half years ago before there was a Maude from Mike Evans" Lear Told reporters in 1974. Lear also stated that "we never seen a black family on TV before and it sounded like a good idea. Its taken two years to develop it and went through 30 drafts of the story for the first episode. The idea for Good Times undergone many script changes before Florida ever arrived in Tuckahoe. As the show evolved and continued season after season, Lear was appalled by anyone who called Good Times a spinoff. By the third season he went around Hollywood telling people that he would throw up if he heard it called that one more time. Well that ends the Debate The Sitcoms of Norman Lear, Sean Campbell, 2014

06-19-2021, 12:54 PM	#6
TVLegend Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 06, 2020 Location: United States Posts: 4,306	Norman Lear must’ve been drunk while writing that book because he specifically said he originated the Florida Evans character from Eric Monte’s original The Black Family scripts, put her on Maude, then after a year or two SPUN her off to her own show, Good Times. Nothing that ANYONE provides can ever change Maude’s Florida Evans and Henry Evans, once again, played by both Esther Rolle and John Amos.

06-21-2021, 05:11 PM	#13
TVLegend Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 06, 2020 Location: United States Posts: 4,306	I’m getting sick of this. We will NEVER hear the end of this, because there’s one side that keeps on bringing up this evidence that has been TRIED and TRIED over and over again, not willing to except history or the other side’s evidence. How many times are we gonna go through this? If you wanna believe Good Times and Maude are not in the same universe, then fine, believe it, but I believe that Good Times and Maude are indeed connected, and I’ll stand by my opinion, but I’m not gonna do this back and forth. It wasn’t Norman Lear who was working on Good Times, it was Eric Monte. Eric Monte had wrote scripts entitled “The Black Family”, based off of his childhood living in a Chicago housing project located in a high crime area, dating way back to 1971. In 1972, the TV show Maude was created. Coincidentally, soon after it’s premiere, Eric Monte went out to sell his scripts to Hollywood and he ran into one guy and had him read his scripts, long story short, the man suggested that he bring it to Norman Lear. So Eric did just that, but Lear said the scripts called for more work, so after some improvising and compromising, they eventually, in the end came out with Good Times. But right off the bat, Lear noticed character Mattie Black from Monte’s original Black Family scripts and turned her into Florida Evans, and decided it would be a better idea to bring her onto his brand new show called Maude, as mentioned earlier, before giving her her own show. And in the blink of an eye, a new character named Florida Evans debuted on Maude as Maude’s housekeeper, and immediately became a household name. Nearly two years later, Lear felt it was time for Florida Evans to be spun off to her own show, Good Times after seeing the popularity of her character. So instead of being consistent about it, he took Eric Monte’s Black Family premise and made it the overall premise of Good Times, wanting a different background. Even Monte himself stated that Lear took his Black Family premise, took Mattie Black and turned her into Florida Evans, introduced her on Maude, and later spun her off onto her own show, pretty much taking his idea, but somehow keeping it within the Maude universe to an extent. I’m sorry, but to be blunt, I’m sick of this sh*t topic.

06-21-2021, 05:33 PM	#14
opus VB Forum Superstar Join Date: May 16, 2015 Location: VB Galaxy Posts: 32,066	Haven't we covered the fact that Norman Lear took pre existing material and twisted it in the Maude universe? So spinoff. By the way, I have that book. Bought it for the One Day At A Time chapter. Disappointing though, because it only covers season one.