A Perfect Way for "The Jeffersons"'s Cancellation to Have Been Avoided - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

James28 · 11-11-2021, 12:36 AM

Once Alice had finished its nine-season run in March of 1985, why couldn't CBS have moved The Jeffersons to Wednesdays at 8 for the last 7 episodes of its Season 11? I don't know if Jeffersons's ratings had recovered if that happened (The ratings for Jeffersons and Alice were at the bottom of the weekly ratings charts on the Tuesday-at-8 hour). Under that scenario, Double Dare (a mystery drama series completely unrelated to either of the Alex Trebek or Nickelodeon game shows that was slotted on the Wednesday-at-8 hour during April and May of '85) would've aired on Tuesdays against The A-Team instead. If CBS had renewed The Jeffersons for a 12th year instead of cancelling, it would likely have stayed on that Wednesday slot, with Charlie & Company following it at 8:30, and then CBS's comedy division in 1985-86 wouldn't have been as dismal as it was in real life with just two returning sitcoms from 1984-85 (Kate & Allie and Newhart).

TVFactFan · 11-22-2021, 12:43 AM

It was time for the show to end and it was probably already decided before the last season started

SitcomsHeydayfan · 11-26-2021, 02:40 AM

I can't believe Lionel was supposed to come back & live at home for Season 12 at age 35 or whatever!

hch · 01-12-2026, 03:05 AM

Your strategy addresses several key failures CBS faced during that transition. Moving The Jeffersons to Wednesdays at 8 PM might have provided the stability that CBS’s sitcom lineup desperately needed in 1985.

Here is how your scenario likely would have played out:

Escaping the "A-Team" Trap: In real life, The Jeffersons saw a massive ratings plunge—dropping from #19 in Season 10 to #59 in Season 11—specifically because it was moved to Tuesday nights against NBC's top-10 powerhouse, The A-Team. Shifting to Wednesdays would have removed them from that "death slot".

A Stronger Lead-In for New Comedies: CBS struggled to find a successor to its aging hits. As you noted, Charlie & Company was a disaster, largely because it was thrown into the Wednesday night lineup without a strong lead-in and got "clobbered" by ABC’s Dynasty. Having a legendary, established hit like The Jeffersons at 8:00 PM could have anchored that night and given new shows a fighting chance.

Avoiding the "Dismal" 1985-86 Season: You’re right that CBS’s comedy division was in trouble. By 1985, NBC was dominating with The Cosby Show and Family Ties. CBS aggressively moved away from sitcoms to hour-long dramas like The Twilight Zone and Murder, She Wrote, leaving only Kate & Allie and Newhart as returning sitcom survivors. A 12th season of The Jeffersons would have provided much-needed continuity.

The Problem with "Double Dare": Your idea to swap Double Dare (the 1985 drama) to Tuesdays is logically sound for a network looking to "sacrifice" a new, unproven show against The A-Team while protecting a long-running asset like George and Louise.

Ultimately, CBS executives at the time felt the show had reached its narrative end and "unceremoniously canceled" it without even notifying the cast, a move still considered one of the most disrespectful in TV history.

TVFactFan · 01-12-2026, 04:15 AM

The writers should have come up with a way to lead up to a ending like ALICE and ONE DAY AT A TIME. How long did they think they would stay on the air?

I always said the Hawaii episodes should have been the finale

11-11-2021, 12:36 AM	#1
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,973	A Perfect Way for "The Jeffersons"'s Cancellation to Have Been Avoided Once Alice had finished its nine-season run in March of 1985, why couldn't CBS have moved The Jeffersons to Wednesdays at 8 for the last 7 episodes of its Season 11? I don't know if Jeffersons's ratings had recovered if that happened (The ratings for Jeffersons and Alice were at the bottom of the weekly ratings charts on the Tuesday-at-8 hour). Under that scenario, Double Dare (a mystery drama series completely unrelated to either of the Alex Trebek or Nickelodeon game shows that was slotted on the Wednesday-at-8 hour during April and May of '85) would've aired on Tuesdays against The A-Team instead. If CBS had renewed The Jeffersons for a 12th year instead of cancelling, it would likely have stayed on that Wednesday slot, with Charlie & Company following it at 8:30, and then CBS's comedy division in 1985-86 wouldn't have been as dismal as it was in real life with just two returning sitcoms from 1984-85 (Kate & Allie and Newhart).
	__________________ "When the run of a network TV show has ended, some go out with a bang, some with a whimper, but all are...Future Endeavored." "Stay Safe"? More like "Stay Sad". #2020Hurts Last edited by James28; 11-12-2021 at 11:06 PM.

01-12-2026, 03:05 AM	#4
hch Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 07, 2001 Location: Montross, VA 22520 Posts: 983	Your strategy addresses several key failures CBS faced during that transition. Moving The Jeffersons to Wednesdays at 8 PM might have provided the stability that CBS’s sitcom lineup desperately needed in 1985. Here is how your scenario likely would have played out: Escaping the "A-Team" Trap: In real life, The Jeffersons saw a massive ratings plunge—dropping from #19 in Season 10 to #59 in Season 11—specifically because it was moved to Tuesday nights against NBC's top-10 powerhouse, The A-Team. Shifting to Wednesdays would have removed them from that "death slot". A Stronger Lead-In for New Comedies: CBS struggled to find a successor to its aging hits. As you noted, Charlie & Company was a disaster, largely because it was thrown into the Wednesday night lineup without a strong lead-in and got "clobbered" by ABC’s Dynasty. Having a legendary, established hit like The Jeffersons at 8:00 PM could have anchored that night and given new shows a fighting chance. Avoiding the "Dismal" 1985-86 Season: You’re right that CBS’s comedy division was in trouble. By 1985, NBC was dominating with The Cosby Show and Family Ties. CBS aggressively moved away from sitcoms to hour-long dramas like The Twilight Zone and Murder, She Wrote, leaving only Kate & Allie and Newhart as returning sitcom survivors. A 12th season of The Jeffersons would have provided much-needed continuity. The Problem with "Double Dare": Your idea to swap Double Dare (the 1985 drama) to Tuesdays is logically sound for a network looking to "sacrifice" a new, unproven show against The A-Team while protecting a long-running asset like George and Louise. Ultimately, CBS executives at the time felt the show had reached its narrative end and "unceremoniously canceled" it without even notifying the cast, a move still considered one of the most disrespectful in TV history.
	__________________ "You don't own the rights or the patent on scuffling!" Willona from "Good Times"

11-22-2021, 12:43 AM	#2
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,983	It was time for the show to end and it was probably already decided before the last season started

11-26-2021, 02:40 AM	#3
SitcomsHeydayfan Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 19, 2018 Location: The Show Me state Posts: 2,966	I can't believe Lionel was supposed to come back & live at home for Season 12 at age 35 or whatever!

01-12-2026, 04:15 AM	#5
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,983	The writers should have come up with a way to lead up to a ending like ALICE and ONE DAY AT A TIME. How long did they think they would stay on the air? I always said the Hawaii episodes should have been the finale