Debating Buying Jeffersons on DVD

[Jefffalan]

I have been debating for the last few months on whether or not the Jeffersons is worth owning on DVD. I bought Sanford and Son, Good Times, and All In The Family, but don't remember a lot about The J's except that it lost a lot of energy in the 80s. Is it worth owning Season 1 or 2 on DVD? Thanks for any input . . .

[TVFactFan]

Originally posted by Jefffalan
I have been debating for the last few months on whether or not the Jeffersons is worth owning on DVD. I bought Sanford and Son, Good Times, and All In The Family, but don't remember a lot about The J's except that it lost a lot of energy in the 80s. Is it worth owning Season 1 or 2 on DVD? Thanks for any input . . .

GET SEASON ONE!!!!!! GET SEASON ONE!!!!!!!!!. The Best Season of any tv show. If you do buy season just remeber to watch this episode-"Piano Man"

[Jefffalan]

Thanks! I'll have to check it out. It's been YEARS since I've seen The Jeffersons, and THAT was shows from their last season which were kind of dull(around '85).

[jamesanthony]

I have both season 1 and 2 and they are very good, probably the best seasons of this series. Season one is the only opportunity to really see Mike Evans at his best in this show (he's just not the same in years 6-8) and Sherman Hemsley's acting is the best in the first 2 seasons. Solomon is right about Piano Man being one of the best episodes of the whole series. It's also one of the very few to have all the cast members in it, including Florence who is hilarious in this one and this is before she became shiftless and backtalked everybody.

[TVFactFan]

Originally posted by jamesanthony
I have both season 1 and 2 and they are very good, probably the best seasons of this series. Season one is the only opportunity to really see Mike Evans at his best in this show (he's just not the same in years 6-8) and Sherman Hemsley's acting is the best in the first 2 seasons. Solomon is right about Piano Man being one of the best episodes of the whole series. It's also one of the very few to have all the cast members in it, including Florence who is hilarious in this one and this is before she became shiftless and backtalked everybody.

good observation jamesanthony about the episode-Piano Man. You are right, all the cast members are in that episode in the same scene. George, Florence, Louise, Lionel, Jenny, Mother Jefferson, Helen and Tom. Very Powerful Episode

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by TVShow Analyzer
good observation jamesanthony about the episode-Piano Man. You are right, all the cast members are in that episode in the same scene. George, Florence, Louise, Lionel, Jenny, Mother Jefferson, Helen and Tom. Very Powerful Episode

I can't remember if Ralph is in it, but what cracks me up is Florence's hyperactive sort of role here especially her announcing everyone at the door. Her high energy eager to please manners are at a stark contrast to how her character behaved in the subsequent seasons. I can't even imagine her running to get the door in any episode after season 1.

[TVFactFan]

Originally posted by jamesanthony
I can't remember if Ralph is in it, but what cracks me up is Florence's hyperactive sort of role here especially her announcing everyone at the door. Her high energy eager to please manners are at a stark contrast to how her character behaved in the subsequent seasons. I can't even imagine her running to get the door in any episode after season 1.

Ralph wasn;t on the show until Season 2.

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by TVShow Analyzer
Ralph wasn;t on the show until Season 2.

Are you sure? He's in the pilot. I think he is in year 1 as well.

[TVFactFan]

Originally posted by jamesanthony
Are you sure? He's in the pilot. I think he is in year 1 as well.

Yeah you are right. He was seen three times in season 1. But the strange thing was he was in the pilot along with all the cast members and wasn't seen again until the 6th episode. That's what threw me off, the big gap from the pilot to his next appearance.

[robby76]

I know ratings aren't a measure of quality, but surely these Nielsen Ratings indicate The Jefferson's being at their peak in the 80's? I've been holding out on the later Seasons on dvd for this very reason. I thought the later seasons would be funnier.

#4 in the 1974-1975 Season

#21 in the 1975-1976 Season

#24 in the 1976-1977 Season

#8 in the 1979-1980 Season

#6 in the 1980-1981 Season

#3 in the 1981-1982 Season

#12 in the 1982-1983 Season

#19 in the 1983-1984 Season

[TVFactFan]

Originally posted by robby76
I know ratings aren't a measure of quality, but surely these Nielsen Ratings indicate The Jefferson's being at their peak in the 80's? I've been holding out on the later Seasons on dvd for this very reason. I thought the later seasons would be funnier.

#4 in the 1974-1975 Season

#21 in the 1975-1976 Season

#24 in the 1976-1977 Season

#8 in the 1979-1980 Season

#6 in the 1980-1981 Season

#3 in the 1981-1982 Season

#12 in the 1982-1983 Season

#19 in the 1983-1984 Season

Don;t be fooled by the numbers, there is nothing funny about the eps in the 80's

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by TVShow Analyzer
Don;t be fooled by the numbers, there is nothing funny about the eps in the 80's

I wouldn't go that far, I was one of the people who watched the show in the 80s (well from season 6 to season 9 anyway) and it wasn't all downhill. The show had a good timeslot, but there had to be more to it than that. It was the highest rated entertainment show on CBS' Sunday night schedule in the first 1/2 of the 80s (more Neilsen families watched it than Alice, Trapper John, Archie Bunker, One Day at A Time or whatever else was on). As for the lower ratings in the 70s maybe someone could tell us what the show was competing with in the 75-76, 76-77, 77-78 and 79-80 seasons because competition is a factor in the ratings.

I saw a last season episode a little while ago after not having seen those late season shows in a while and while the plot was cartoonish I was struck by how good Isabel Sanford's acting was, better than the average acting in today's series. So I think that while the show was certainly not what it once was (one could really argue that it was stale, running on fumes etc) I think the quality of the performances were what kept people tuning in. I always found it telling that the actors were repeatedly nominated for acting emmies in the 80s, not the 70s.

[TVFactFan]

Originally posted by jamesanthony
I wouldn't go that far, I was one of the people who watched the show in the 80s (well from season 6 to season 9 anyway) and it wasn't all downhill. The show had a good timeslot, but there had to be more to it than that. It was the highest rated entertainment show on CBS' Sunday night schedule in the first 1/2 of the 80s (more Neilsen families watched it than Alice, Trapper John, Archie Bunker, One Day at A Time or whatever else was on). As for the lower ratings in the 70s maybe someone could tell us what the show was competing with in the 75-76, 76-77, 77-78 and 79-80 seasons because competition is a factor in the ratings.

I saw a last season episode a little while ago after not having seen those late season shows in a while and while the plot was cartoonish I was struck by how good Isabel Sanford's acting was, better than the average acting in today's series. So I think that while the show was certainly not what it once was (one could really argue that it was stale, running on fumes etc) I think the quality of the performances were what kept people tuning in. I always found it telling that the actors were repeatedly nominated for acting emmies in the 80s, not the 70s.

In 75-76, the competition was
Emergency on NBC and Howard Cosell on ABC

In 76-77, it was Emergency on NBC and Homles & Yo-Yo on ABC

in 77-78 it was Starksy and Hutch on ABC and NBC Saturday Night Movie

In 78-79, it was Eight is Enough on ABC and Dick Clark's Show on NBC

In 79-80 it was ABC Sunday Night Movie and NBC's Big Event

[jamesanthony]

Originally posted by TVShow Analyzer
In 75-76, the competition was
Emergency on NBC and Howard Cosell on ABC

In 76-77, it was Emergency on NBC and Homles & Yo-Yo on ABC

in 77-78 it was Starksy and Hutch on ABC and NBC Saturday Night Movie

In 78-79, it was Eight is Enough on ABC and Dick Clark's Show on NBC

In 79-80 it was ABC Sunday Night Movie and NBC's Big Event

Emergency ended in 1977 so I suspect Jeffersons had higher ratings. Starsky and Eight is Enough may have had better ratings than the Jeffersons, but I don't know. Solomon, would you happen to know what the ratings and the shares were for these shows (or at least the ones that were in the top 30 at the time)? I think that something to consider is not just how high a show ranked in order but what ratings and share of the audience it got. For example, it is possible that more people may have watched the Jeffersons in 1975-76 than in 1981-82 even though it was #21 in 1976 and #3 in 1982.

[TVFactFan]

Originally posted by jamesanthony
Emergency ended in 1977 so I suspect Jeffersons had higher ratings. Starsky and Eight is Enough may have had better ratings than the Jeffersons, but I don't know. Solomon, would you happen to know what the ratings and the shares were for these shows (or at least the ones that were in the top 30 at the time)? I think that something to consider is not just how high a show ranked in order but what ratings and share of the audience it got. For example, it is possible that more people may have watched the Jeffersons in 1975-76 than in 1981-82 even though it was #21 in 1976 and #3 in 1982.

The shares are not listed just the rating.