Jeffersons in the 70s or the 80s...which do you think were better? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

88survivor · 08-29-2006, 10:12 PM

Just curious to know.

jamesanthony · 08-31-2006, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88survivor

Just curious to know.

The 70s. I've been watching the show in syndication and while I enjoy the show all the way through when they cycled back and showed a few episodes from season 4 recently the difference in quality was quite noticeable- the live studio audience really affected the actors more - they put more zest into their performances. The studio audience lasted through year 5. The real demarkation for me is after year 7, that's when the quality shifts most dramatically and the actors begin to slow down- but even in its more seasoned era it is still good TV- better than what is being made now.

88survivor · 08-31-2006, 03:22 PM

Interesting. Anymore?

Brian Damage · 08-31-2006, 04:15 PM

The 70's

selena2078 · 08-31-2006, 10:17 PM

the 70's, but i like them both

PrettyinPink55 · 09-01-2006, 01:21 AM

I prefer the 70's episodes.

mstewart · 09-04-2006, 05:05 PM

The 70s episodes of the Jeffersons rocked. After the 6th season the show became more whitewashed and the cutting edge of it was gone. George changed too drastically and it was done overnight. Louise became more unlikeable becoming too snobbish and holier than thou. When Louise wore her hair in a bun when she was on All In the Family and in the first season of the Jeffersons she showed more backbone towards George compared to the later seasons.

71dude · 09-04-2006, 10:45 PM

The later years had too many high-concept and fantasy episodes and guest stars, and I think they used a laugh track instead of a studio audience.

Brent88 · 09-04-2006, 11:29 PM

The 70's... and through 1981. After that it was still good, but a different show IMO.

JoJoBear · 09-05-2006, 08:46 PM

I like the 70's episodes better.

Skywalker · 09-05-2006, 09:17 PM

The 70's episodes were much better. I saw the 80's episodes for the first time during the marathon and it was like watching a different show. George was nice and I forget the name of the episode, but George was saying that Tom was his best friend. I was like what am I watching here?

That's not to say the 80's episodes were bad, just different.

GCW · 09-05-2006, 09:42 PM

I like the 70's episodes much better.

88survivor · 09-06-2006, 08:57 AM

Could it also be that some of the characters became stereotypes of their former selves? Or do you think keeping it firmly in the 80s might have something do with it...just curious to know.

jamesanthony · 09-06-2006, 09:11 AM

The 80s were a more conservative era which is why they moved away from race issues. I noticed that after Reagan came into office in 1981 this show began to move away from race issues. There's an episode in year 8 where Louise and Helen consider quitting the Help Center and they actually say that since Reagan took over the social service agencies have been suffering. That episode has Lynne Moody in it as a hooker who looks down on Louise and Helen and truthfully the two of them are very out of place in a bar in a poor neighborhood (what on earth were they thinking anyway?) The characters did get more watered down by the 80s, but the actors were some of the best working in situation comedies at that time so the show kept on going and going and had CBS not moved it I think it would have ran a couple seasons more.
In his few appearances in seasons 7 and 8 Mike Evans still brought some soul to the show (and to a lesser extent in his last 2 episodes), but once he was gone except for an appearance by someone like Garrett Morris or an occasional episode written around Florence this show could have just as easily been about white people.

88survivor · 09-06-2006, 10:19 AM

Could it also be that since the race jokes were put aside, they made Mr. Willis a target for fat jokes? In somewhere in either 8 or 9 Season, the Jeffersons and Willises both appeared on reality court T.V about a chocolate stain on Tom's pants.

08-29-2006, 10:12 PM	#1
88survivor Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 03, 2006 Location: NY Posts: 1,849	Jeffersons in the 70s or the 80s...which do you think were better? Just curious to know.

08-31-2006, 04:15 PM	#4
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	The 70's
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

09-01-2006, 01:21 AM	#6
PrettyinPink55 Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 11, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 24,601	I prefer the 70's episodes.
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09-04-2006, 11:29 PM	#9
Brent88 Member Forum Star Join Date: Aug 01, 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 16,174	The 70's... and through 1981. After that it was still good, but a different show IMO.
	__________________ Brent

08-31-2006, 03:22 PM	#3
88survivor Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 03, 2006 Location: NY Posts: 1,849	Interesting. Anymore?

08-31-2006, 10:17 PM	#5
selena2078 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 03, 2006 Location: PA Posts: 21	the 70's, but i like them both

09-04-2006, 05:05 PM	#7
mstewart mstewart Senior Member Join Date: Jan 25, 2002 Location: California Posts: 1,780	The 70s episodes of the Jeffersons rocked. After the 6th season the show became more whitewashed and the cutting edge of it was gone. George changed too drastically and it was done overnight. Louise became more unlikeable becoming too snobbish and holier than thou. When Louise wore her hair in a bun when she was on All In the Family and in the first season of the Jeffersons she showed more backbone towards George compared to the later seasons.

09-04-2006, 10:45 PM	#8
71dude Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 29, 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 116	The later years had too many high-concept and fantasy episodes and guest stars, and I think they used a laugh track instead of a studio audience.

09-05-2006, 08:46 PM	#10
JoJoBear Member Forum Hawk Join Date: Sep 05, 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 4	I like the 70's episodes better.

09-05-2006, 09:17 PM	#11
Skywalker Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2003 Posts: 14,204	The 70's episodes were much better. I saw the 80's episodes for the first time during the marathon and it was like watching a different show. George was nice and I forget the name of the episode, but George was saying that Tom was his best friend. I was like what am I watching here? That's not to say the 80's episodes were bad, just different.

09-05-2006, 09:42 PM	#12
GCW Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 14, 2004 Posts: 708	I like the 70's episodes much better.

09-06-2006, 08:57 AM	#13
88survivor Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 03, 2006 Location: NY Posts: 1,849	Could it also be that some of the characters became stereotypes of their former selves? Or do you think keeping it firmly in the 80s might have something do with it...just curious to know.

09-06-2006, 09:11 AM	#14
jamesanthony Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 30, 2004 Posts: 2,180	The 80s were a more conservative era which is why they moved away from race issues. I noticed that after Reagan came into office in 1981 this show began to move away from race issues. There's an episode in year 8 where Louise and Helen consider quitting the Help Center and they actually say that since Reagan took over the social service agencies have been suffering. That episode has Lynne Moody in it as a hooker who looks down on Louise and Helen and truthfully the two of them are very out of place in a bar in a poor neighborhood (what on earth were they thinking anyway?) The characters did get more watered down by the 80s, but the actors were some of the best working in situation comedies at that time so the show kept on going and going and had CBS not moved it I think it would have ran a couple seasons more. In his few appearances in seasons 7 and 8 Mike Evans still brought some soul to the show (and to a lesser extent in his last 2 episodes), but once he was gone except for an appearance by someone like Garrett Morris or an occasional episode written around Florence this show could have just as easily been about white people.

09-06-2006, 10:19 AM	#15
88survivor Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 03, 2006 Location: NY Posts: 1,849	Could it also be that since the race jokes were put aside, they made Mr. Willis a target for fat jokes? In somewhere in either 8 or 9 Season, the Jeffersons and Willises both appeared on reality court T.V about a chocolate stain on Tom's pants.