Best Black Comedy Of The 70's - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

troopoleon8897 · 07-02-2005, 06:18 PM

Good Times (1974-1979)
The Jeffersons (1975-1985)
Sanford And Son (1972-1977)
That's My Mama (1974-1975)
What's Happening (1976-1979)
Other

James"Thunder"Early · 07-02-2005, 06:25 PM

Most definately the Jeffersons

troopoleon8897 · 07-02-2005, 06:50 PM

1. The Jeffersons
2. Sanford And Son

Ant-Lox · 07-02-2005, 07:37 PM

What's happening....and goodtimes......

I never did like The Jeffersons....too much Anger on that show.....plus george always came off as a fake archie bunker too me....

supershaun86 · 07-02-2005, 08:10 PM

1:Sanford and Son
2:The Jeffersons

Penny Lane · 07-02-2005, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leland McKenzie

Most definately the Jeffersons

Yup, I agree! With Sanford and Son a close second!

Penny Lane · 07-02-2005, 08:44 PM

I preferred Sanford and Son and The Jefferson's because they were entertaining without being "preachy" like Good Times was. I watched these shows to be entertained not preached to! I have always disliked "message "sitcoms. I can think for myself thank you very much........................

But I know that "All In The Family" was very preachy sometimes. But I just loved that show! Carroll O'Connor was hysterical!

But the way that the show was presented was funny and not preachy like I felt that Good Times was.JMO

gidgetgrape · 07-02-2005, 09:01 PM

I can't choose between The Jeffersons and Sanford and Son. I love them both so much and in different ways. George and Fred are awesome respectively.

I like Good Times, but sometimes I get frustrated and depressed watching it. It's like "Ugghhh! Can't they get a break? Can't some food fall off a truck or something? Why can't Florida do the health tonic commercial? Aghhhh!"

I don't like What's Happening and I've never seen That's My Mama.

robyrob · 07-02-2005, 09:21 PM

Jeffersons
Goodtimes

barwars · 07-02-2005, 09:48 PM

The Jeffersons.... by a mile. I like many other "black" sitcoms of the 70s, but The Jeffersons was far and away the greatest.

Tweety · 07-02-2005, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troopoleon8897

Good Times (1974-1979)
The Jeffersons (1975-1985)
Sanford And Son (1972-1977)
That's My Mama (1974-1975)
What's Happening (1976-1979)
Other

I guess I would say:

1) The Jeffersons
2) Good Times
3) What's Happening
4) Sanford and Son & That's My Mama

1) I think the Jeffersons was a very funny show when it started...great supporting characters... I loved the rivalry between Louise and George's Mother...

Seems like a lot of sitcoms that featured mothers-in-law as a main or semi-regular character always showed the mother of the wife, who would then bash the son-in-law... was the Jeffersons the first sitcom which featured a mother of the husband who constantly bashed her daughter-in-law? The interplay between her and Louise was priceless!

But alas, I think the show went on way too long... but I loved watching it for the first 3-4 years it was on.

2) Good Times - I thought this show was very good when it first started...I think they ruined it by killing off James, the father. He was a very strong father figure and role model, very hard-working guy... when they killed him off, it was certainly a shock to all of us who were watching that show. And the show was never the same. I think we probably watched some of the following season (they killed James off in the final episode of the 75-76 season, I believe) but soon stopped watching altogether. And this show went on far too long as well, I thought (although the term "jump the shark" hadn't been invented yet, certainly not copyrighted).

3) What's Happening - I liked this show when it first started. Dee had a lot of great lines... I didn't like it as much when the guys got out of high school (just like Happy Days), but I enjoyed the first couple of seasons. One episode I particularly remember was one in which Dwayne invented a system for picking NFL winners... he apparently knew next to nothing about football, but his system involved figuring out which team had the cooler helmets... and one of the other characters on the show (I think it was Raj's father) wagered a huge amount of money on the Tampa Bay Bucs (who were a terrible expansion team at the time) against the Oakland Raiders (a perenial powerhouse in those days)... and Oakland won something like 60-0... Dwayne picked Tampa Bay because he liked their helmets and team colors...

This show didn't have a long run (although it was reincarnated as What's Happening Now, or something like that)... but it was ok for a couple of years. After that it got stale.

4/5) Sanford and Son and That's My Mama

I didn't particularly like either of these shows... My folks loved Sanford & Son and would never miss it on Friday nights, but although I kind of liked Red Fox and Demond Wilson, I never liked any of the other characters... I just never got into the show at all, and I don't watch the TV Land reruns today.

That's My Mama was only on for a season, and my family watched this show, hoping it would be good and become a hit... my family (except for me) had met Clifton Davis, the star of this show, when he was on Broadway playing in Two Gentlemen of Verona a couple of years before this show debuted... my memory of the show was that it was not that good, but I would like to see the show again to see if it was any better than I remember it.

Well, there you have it... my two cents...

Magnum · 07-02-2005, 11:43 PM

Sanford And Son, no question about it. Red Foxx was very funny. I never watched any of those other shows, except Whats Happening. I thought Rerun and Sherly were funny.

Janice · 07-03-2005, 12:08 AM

The Jeffersons is one of my all time favorite sitcoms ever.

Tweety · 07-03-2005, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnum

Sanford And Son, no question about it. Red Foxx was very funny. I never watched any of those other shows, except Whats Happening. I thought Rerun and Sherly were funny.

Yes, I forgot about Shriley (the waitress at the local burger joint). She was great on that show!

mstewart · 07-03-2005, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tweety

I guess I would say:

1) The Jeffersons
2) Good Times
3) What's Happening
4) Sanford and Son & That's My Mama

1) I think the Jeffersons was a very funny show when it started...great supporting characters... I loved the rivalry between Louise and George's Mother...

Seems like a lot of sitcoms that featured mothers-in-law as a main or semi-regular character always showed the mother of the wife, who would then bash the son-in-law... was the Jeffersons the first sitcom which featured a mother of the husband who constantly bashed her daughter-in-law? The interplay between her and Louise was priceless!

But alas, I think the show went on way too long... but I loved watching it for the first 3-4 years it was on.

2) Good Times - I thought this show was very good when it first started...I think they ruined it by killing off James, the father. He was a very strong father figure and role model, very hard-working guy... when they killed him off, it was certainly a shock to all of us who were watching that show. And the show was never the same. I think we probably watched some of the following season (they killed James off in the final episode of the 75-76 season, I believe) but soon stopped watching altogether. And this show went on far too long as well, I thought (although the term "jump the shark" hadn't been invented yet, certainly not copyrighted).

3) What's Happening - I liked this show when it first started. Dee had a lot of great lines... I didn't like it as much when the guys got out of high school (just like Happy Days), but I enjoyed the first couple of seasons. One episode I particularly remember was one in which Dwayne invented a system for picking NFL winners... he apparently knew next to nothing about football, but his system involved figuring out which team had the cooler helmets... and one of the other characters on the show (I think it was Raj's father) wagered a huge amount of money on the Tampa Bay Bucs (who were a terrible expansion team at the time) against the Oakland Raiders (a perenial powerhouse in those days)... and Oakland won something like 60-0... Dwayne picked Tampa Bay because he liked their helmets and team colors...

This show didn't have a long run (although it was reincarnated as What's Happening Now, or something like that)... but it was ok for a couple of years. After that it got stale.

I agreed that The Jeffersons stayed on too long and it was showing its age. Too bad it did not have a series finale. That was one show that should had a series finale.

You had a point about the interplay between Mother Jefferson and Louise. It is the first sitcom, to my knowledge, where the mother-in-law bashes her daughter-in-law. You see it more with the son-in-law.

Good Times was very good but it got too preachy in a heavy handed way and when it became the J.J. show it went downhill. With the backstage fighting that led to John Amos being fired took the show into a nosedive and it never recovered. John Amos was the heart and soul of Good Times. Esther Rolle was not quite the same on the show as Florida after Amos' character was killed off.

What's Happening was a horrible show and a poor stereotype of blacks. I get mad watching that show to this day.

07-02-2005, 06:18 PM	#1
troopoleon8897 Let's Go!! Senior Member Join Date: Jun 28, 2004 Location: Not Hell, But the same Zip Code Posts: 1,751	Best Black Comedy Of The 70's Good Times (1974-1979) The Jeffersons (1975-1985) Sanford And Son (1972-1977) That's My Mama (1974-1975) What's Happening (1976-1979) Other
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07-02-2005, 06:25 PM	#2
James"Thunder"Early Whoever's In New England Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 23, 2004 Location: The Apollo Posts: 7,087	Most definately the Jeffersons
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07-02-2005, 07:37 PM	#4
Ant-Lox Cloud Watcher Senior Member Join Date: Feb 18, 2004 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,824	What's happening....and goodtimes...... I never did like The Jeffersons....too much Anger on that show.....plus george always came off as a fake archie bunker too me....
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07-02-2005, 09:21 PM	#9
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,179	Jeffersons Goodtimes
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07-02-2005, 06:50 PM	#3
troopoleon8897 Let's Go!! Senior Member Join Date: Jun 28, 2004 Location: Not Hell, But the same Zip Code Posts: 1,751	1. The Jeffersons 2. Sanford And Son

07-02-2005, 08:10 PM	#5
supershaun86 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 25, 2005 Posts: 30	1:Sanford and Son 2:The Jeffersons

07-02-2005, 08:44 PM	#7
Penny Lane Butter Pie Forum Icon Join Date: Jul 03, 2001 Location: Beneath the blue suburban skies Posts: 51,048	I preferred Sanford and Son and The Jefferson's because they were entertaining without being "preachy" like Good Times was. I watched these shows to be entertained not preached to! I have always disliked "message "sitcoms. I can think for myself thank you very much........................ But I know that "All In The Family" was very preachy sometimes. But I just loved that show! Carroll O'Connor was hysterical! But the way that the show was presented was funny and not preachy like I felt that Good Times was.JMO

07-02-2005, 09:01 PM	#8
gidgetgrape Forever Gidget Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 20, 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 3,503	I can't choose between The Jeffersons and Sanford and Son. I love them both so much and in different ways. George and Fred are awesome respectively. I like Good Times, but sometimes I get frustrated and depressed watching it. It's like "Ugghhh! Can't they get a break? Can't some food fall off a truck or something? Why can't Florida do the health tonic commercial? Aghhhh!" I don't like What's Happening and I've never seen That's My Mama.

07-02-2005, 09:48 PM	#10
barwars .. Forum Star Join Date: May 04, 2002 Posts: 13,273	The Jeffersons.... by a mile. I like many other "black" sitcoms of the 70s, but The Jeffersons was far and away the greatest.

07-02-2005, 11:43 PM	#12
Magnum Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 23, 2005 Posts: 120	Sanford And Son, no question about it. Red Foxx was very funny. I never watched any of those other shows, except Whats Happening. I thought Rerun and Sherly were funny.

07-03-2005, 12:08 AM	#13
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	The Jeffersons is one of my all time favorite sitcoms ever.