Season 5 DVD... When?

[Edster2973]

Hello all,

I just got done watching the Season 4 DVD set. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, what with the death of James and all. I really like how the show would mention him from time to time. It wouldn't have been natural or right not to.

In any case, all of this Good Times watching has made me very eager for Season 5. I know it's super early since we just got Season 4 a week ago, but are there any projected release dates set for Season 5? I hope it's soon. We're almost through the whole series and I can't wait to own all of the episodes...

Ed

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Edster2973

Hello all,

I just got done watching the Season 4 DVD set. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, what with the death of James and all. I really like how the show would mention him from time to time. It wouldn't have been natural or right not to.

In any case, all of this Good Times watching has made me very eager for Season 5. I know it's super early since we just got Season 4 a week ago, but are there any projected release dates set for Season 5? I hope it's soon. We're almost through the whole series and I can't wait to own all of the episodes...

Ed

You shuld save that question until June or July

[GARFIELDKOOL]

Originally Posted by Edster2973

Hello all,

I just got done watching the Season 4 DVD set. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, what with the death of James and all. I really like how the show would mention him from time to time. It wouldn't have been natural or right not to.

In any case, all of this Good Times watching has made me very eager for Season 5. I know it's super early since we just got Season 4 a week ago, but are there any projected release dates set for Season 5? I hope it's soon. We're almost through the whole series and I can't wait to own all of the episodes...

Ed

I would think by August. It seems like they are released every six months.

[Edster2973]

Originally Posted by TVShow Analyzer

You shuld save that question until June or July

Why is that? Lots of other shows have prior advance release dates for them. Take Greatest American Hero for instance. Season 2, which is out in April, was announced before Season 1 came out, which was on the same day that Season 4 of Good Times.

I even said in my post that I may be jumping the gun here, but in the case that someone already knew about Season 5, I thought I'd ask. No harm in doing so I think...

Ed

[Edster2973]

Originally Posted by GARFIELDKOOL

I would think by August. It seems like they are released every six months.

Sometimes, but then they get all flaky on us, like with All in the Family and especially The Jeffersons. Then they'll go ahead with other shows like Sanford & Son. I'm thrilled we're getting all of these series, but it sure as heck hard to detect a pattern as to when they'll see release. I hope Season 5 is out by August, if not sooner...

Ed

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Edster2973

Sometimes, but then they get all flaky on us, like with All in the Family and especially The Jeffersons. Then they'll go ahead with other shows like Sanford & Son. I'm thrilled we're getting all of these series, but it sure as heck hard to detect a pattern as to when they'll see release. I hope Season 5 is out by August, if not sooner...

Ed

Take it from a person who seen the UNCUT eps of season 5, you will only watch that DVD one time-LOL

[Edster2973]

Originally Posted by TVShow Analyzer

Take it from a person who seen the UNCUT eps of season 5, you will only watch that DVD one time-LOL

lol... I see what you mean. I'm not expecting it to be my favorite season, not by a long shot, but I am eager to have it, along with Season 6. I guess the greedy Good Times fan in me wants to have the series in its entirety, even the bad episodes.

I haven't seen this show in over 15 years (except for the seasons that have been released on DVD of course... I own all 4 seasons thus far) but I do remember the introduction of Penny, whom Willona adopted, and Keith, who became Thelma's husband. I don't remember hating those episodes per se, but tastes change the more one matures. Heck, I remember being actually glad to see James die when I first saw the Season 4 episodes. But, and here's the reason, I was only 7 or 8 years old at the time. My immature perspective thought of James only as a mean, grumpy, abusive parent. Now, as a 32 year old, I think the departure of James was one of the worst blows ever perpetrated on the series. It definitely took something out of it. And oddly enough, James is one of my favorite characters on the show. Go figure...

Either way, I just want the show completed.

Any word yet on which character will be featured on the spine? By all rights, it should be Ralph Carter (Michael), if you're going in order by way of the Evans family, but then again, Season 5 is when Willona took center stage, so her mug shot may be the one that graces the spine. Anyone know or care to speculate?

Ed

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Edster2973

lol... I see what you mean. I'm not expecting it to be my favorite season, not by a long shot, but I am eager to have it, along with Season 6. I guess the greedy Good Times fan in me wants to have the series in its entirety, even the bad episodes.

I haven't seen this show in over 15 years (except for the seasons that have been released on DVD of course... I own all 4 seasons thus far) but I do remember the introduction of Penny, whom Willona adopted, and Keith, who became Thelma's husband. I don't remember hating those episodes per se, but tastes change the more one matures. Heck, I remember being actually glad to see James die when I first saw the Season 4 episodes. But, and here's the reason, I was only 7 or 8 years old at the time, and so my immature perspective thought of him only as a mean, grumpy, abusive parent. Now, as a 32 year old, I think the departure of James was one of the worst blows ever perpetrated on the series. It definitely took something out of it. And oddly enough, James is one of my favorite characters on the show. Go figure...

Either way, I just want the show completed.

Any word yet on which character will be featured on the spine? By all rights, it should be Ralph Carter (Michael), if you're going in order by way of the Evans family, but then again, Season 5 is when Willona took center stage, so her mug shot may be the one that graces the spine. Anyone know or care to speculate?

Ed

It probably would be Willona since it was her show in season 5. I think that was proably why I hated this season because the took a MINOR character from seasons 1-4 and gave that a character a leading role in season 5 and I just was unable to get into the show. That's Like the producers of the Jeffersons giving a huge role to Helen Willis

[vashti1999]

Originally Posted by Edster2973

I guess the greedy Good Times fan in me wants to have the series in its entirety, even the bad episodes.

I haven't seen this show in over 15 years (except for the seasons that have been released on DVD of course... I own all 4 seasons thus far) but I do remember the introduction of Penny, whom Willona adopted, and Keith, who became Thelma's husband. I don't remember hating those episodes per se, but tastes change the more one matures. Either way, I just want the show completed.

I echo every word. I grew up with Good Times and enjoyed it all as I watched it. I wasn't conscious, at least back then, of later seasons being not as enjoyable as earlier ones. The Willona/Penny storyline was just as memorable to me as J.J. getting shot or James' death. When the final two seasons worth of dvds are released, I'll buy them both and watch them often.

Originally Posted by Edster2973

Any word yet on which character will be featured on the spine? By all rights, it should be Ralph Carter (Michael), if you're going in order by way of the Evans family, but then again, Season 5 is when Willona took center stage, so her mug shot may be the one that graces the spine. Anyone know or care to speculate?

Ed

We were speculating about that awhile ago in an older thread. I'm thinking they stick with the family first and put Michael on the season 5 spine. I can see them going with Willona since she was prominent that season, but my early guess right now is Michael, just to complete the family over the first five releases.

[vashti1999]

Originally Posted by TVShow Analyzer

It probably would be Willona since it was her show in season 5. I think that was proably why I hated this season because the took a MINOR character from seasons 1-4 and gave that a character a leading role in season 5 and I just was unable to get into the show.

That's the reason why I liked it. They took a character who was known for nothing more than being a gossip and showed that she could be deep. The character matured in terms of her desire to adopt Penny and battle Penny's mother. I thought it was good to see Willona in a more serious light.

[Edster2973]

Originally Posted by TVShow Analyzer

It probably would be Willona since it was her show in season 5. I think that was proably why I hated this season because the took a MINOR character from seasons 1-4 and gave that a character a leading role in season 5 and I just was unable to get into the show. That's Like the producers of the Jeffersons giving a huge role to Helen Willis

Yeah, I see your point, but I look at this as the show trying to make the best of a bad situation. They had lost Esther Rolle for whatever reason. Some claim she wanted more money and thought she was more invaluable since the show lost John Amos the season prior. Others say it was because she was upset over how the JJ was portrayed. Who knows? Do you happen to know the real story behind this TVShowAnalyzer?

In any case, they took Willona and made her center stage. Unnatural, of course, but minor character or not, she was likeable. I'm not saying I prefer her to be the star (again, I haven't seen these episodes in over 15 years so I can't give a fair assessment about the show's diminished quality) but I can understand why they chose that route.

One thing I don't understand, if Esther Rolle left in Season 5 because she was unhappy with the JJ character, then why did she come back in Season 6? I don't remember anything different being done with JJ by then. Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

Ed

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Edster2973

Yeah, I see your point, but I look at this as the show trying to make the best of a bad situation. They had lost Esther Rolle for whatever reason. Some claim she wanted more money and thought she was more invaluable since the show lost John Amos the season prior. Others say it was because she was upset over how the JJ was portrayed. Who knows? Do you happen to know the real story behind this TVShowAnalyzer?

In any case, they took Willona and made her center stage. Unnatural, of course, but minor character or not, she was likeable. I'm not saying I prefer her to be the star (again, I haven't seen these episodes in over 15 years so I can't give a fair assessment about the show's diminished quality) but I can understand why they chose that route.

One thing I don't understand, if Esther Rolle left in Season 5 because she was unhappy with the JJ character, then why did she come back in Season 6? I don't remember anything different being done with JJ by then. Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

Ed

Yes I read in a 1978 Jet Magazine that Esther Rolle left after season 4 because the J.J character was still too silly. So when she returned in season 6, you will notice that the J.J character no longer says DYNOMITE, and doesnt wear that Blue Hat. He also has a Job that doesn't involve him walking around with a Chicken bouncing up and down on top of his head. So yes the J.J character was changed a lot in season 6.

[vashti1999]

Originally Posted by TVShow Analyzer

Yes I read in a 1978 Jet Magazine that Esther Rolle left after season 4 because the J.J character was still too silly. So when she returned in season 6, you will notice that the J.J character no longer says DYNOMITE, and doesnt wear that Blue Hat.

It seemed like he started to say DYNOMITE a lot less in season 4. Up until that point it was almost like he said it every episode. Watching the season 4 dvd, it didn't seem like he said it so much.

[Edster2973]

Originally Posted by vashti1999

It seemed like he started to say DYNOMITE a lot less in season 4. Up until that point it was almost like he said it every episode. Watching the season 4 dvd, it didn't seem like he said it so much.

Even if he did, I must confess that I think this would be a silly reason for Esther Rolle to want to leave the show. I've heard some of her arguments, as well as some from the other cast members, and I agree that JJ was too cartoony and helped to stereotype the show as far as black family sitcoms go, but come on, it was still an 1/2 hour sitcom, not War and Peace. I think some of them, particularly Esther Rolle & John Amos, were jealous of Jimmie Walker's fame and tried to create another gripe that masked that.

I think there was a lot of EGO involved as well. Esther Rolle is said to have gone to Norman Lear and asked for more money. She banked on him caving in to her since she felt that, after losing John Amos the season before, Lear wouldn't want to lose her as well. Doesn't this smack of greed and ego? It's almost as if JJ could've said a 1000 'dyn-o-mites' for Season 5 and Esther Rolle would've gone along with it IF she had gotten her way and had received her raise. Instead she got turned down and then tried to make it seem like she quit the show out of principle.

I think the show could've benefited from her input, as well as John Amos'. They were black and the writers weren't, so their input would've been valuable. But clearly, the writers weren't the only ones to have acted like jerks. This battle had more to do with who was top dog rather than about depicting black life accurately. Funny, someone should have informed them that white folks fight over the same thing.

If anyone has anything that refutes this, I'd love to hear it...

Ed

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Edster2973

Even if he did, I must confess that I think this would be a silly reason for Esther Rolle to want to leave the show. I've heard some of her arguments, as well as some from the other cast members, and I agree that JJ was too cartoony and helped to stereotype the show as far as black family sitcoms go, but come on, it was still an 1/2 hour sitcom, not War and Peace. I think some of them, particularly Esther Rolle & John Amos, were jealous of Jimmie Walker's fame and tried to create another gripe that masked that.

I think there was a lot of EGO involved as well. Esther Rolle is said to have gone to Norman Lear and asked for more money. She banked on him caving in to her since she felt that, after losing John Amos the season before, Lear wouldn't want to lose her as well. Doesn't this smack of greed and ego? It's almost as if JJ could've said a 1000 'dyn-o-mites' for Season 5 and Esther Rolle would've gone along with it IF she had gotten her way and had received her raise. Instead she got turned down and then tried to make it seem like she quit the show out of principle.

I think the show could've benefited from her input, as well as John Amos'. They were black and the writers weren't, so their input would've been valuable. But clearly, the writers weren't the only ones to have acted like jerks. This battle had more to do with who was top dog rather than about depicting black life accurately. Funny, someone should have informed them that white folks fight over the same thing.

If anyone has anything that refutes this, I'd love to hear it...

Ed

I was laughing when I heard Norman Lear asked the writers-"can you do a show wihout a mother and father"?-LOL What the hell did he think the writrs were going to say? No? Hell, they wanted to keep working so they just had to lie because it was obvious that they couldn't-lol