A Friend in need

[Danisel331]

Hi everyone!
I was watching Good Times not too long ago and one particular show stands out. The show that goes by the name in my title here...A Friend In Need. In case you don't recognize the title, here's a lil bit about the show....
The Evans kids are home alone and decide to throw a party. Thinking that they've tricked Willona into going out, they have the party, but she hears them and comes over to chaperone. While the party is going, an old friend of JJ's comes in. His name is Robert and back in school, he was the basketball hero of the school. Now he's is supposed to be in college and everyone assumes that he is doing so great, but he's not. When he gets JJ off by himself, he tells him that he was cut from the team and he's flunking out of college. He feels he can't go home and tell his family because he feels his father will be very disappointed in him. Then comes in Robert's girlfriend, only she's with another guy. She didn't tell him, though, that she had been dating this guy for over a month, so now with everything else, he finds out his girl left him. Robert disappears and the party winds down. The people are leaving and the Evans kids are assessing the mess they have to pick up when Michael tries to go to the bathroom. The door is locked. It's then that they find out where Robert went to, he's taken a bottle of sleeping pills. Panicking, they try to find their medical book which says to keep him up and call the rescue crew. Thelma calls and she and Michael go outside to wait for them, leaving JJ to keep Robert up. Throughout this sequence, JJ tries and tries to talk to Robert about what he's done and tells him he has to live. The rescue crew arrives and take Robert off, but before he goes, he tell JJ thanks for all he tried to do.
As you see, it's a very dramatic show and the episode was done on January 13, 1977; however it aired February 2, 1977. A very sad timing indeed. Throughout the scenes where JJ is screaming at Robert though, I can't help feeling that Freddie wasn't far from thought there. Does anyone remember them showing this show so close to that time? Did you ever feel like I did?

[Cheryl Harrell]

I remember that ep and have seen it a number of times. I'm not sure if it was origionally aired close to Freddies death or not. Maybe someone else knows. You right it does parallel what happened to him...

[Joy]

you know i thought i heard Jimmie say on true hollywood saying that freddie called him and he said enough of this....or something to the affect that he was getting frustrated with all the calls...if i'm wrong please correct me.
but anyway if that is true and this story aired that closely to Freddie;s death i wonder what affect that must have had on Jimmy they were friends...it had to be difficult.
if i am mistaken in the show or jimmy's response please let me know. but it had to be hard

[Pitooey]

The only thing I ever heard Jimmy say about Freddie was he was a good friend and he was sad to see him go. I never remembered Jimmy saying Freddie would call him countless times.