The ratings......

[BestTVever]

The Jeffersons is one of the most unique sitcoms when it comes to ratings. When it debuted as a spin off from All In The Family, the limelight from that top rated show made The Jefferson's first season a top 5 show.
However the ratings dropped for the second and third season making in the top 20. The forth and fifth season it tanks and falls out of the top 40.
The 6th, 7th, and 8th season it rebounds to the top 10. The 8th season it hits its high mark at #3. By the 11th season it drops out of the to 40 again and is cancelled without a good-bye show.

Very unusual to say the least. The show changed timeslots over 15 times so not sure with so many changes that had anything to do with the success in the later years.

What was it about this show that made it so much wildly more popular in the 7th and 8th season?

[Alan Brady's Hair]

What was it about this show that made it so much wildly more popular in the 7th and 8th season?

Edit: it found its way back to a Sunday night lineup that was very strong.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

The Jeffersons is one of the most unique sitcoms when it comes to ratings. When it debuted as a spin off from All In The Family, the limelight from that top rated show made The Jefferson's first season a top 5 show.
However the ratings dropped for the second and third season making in the top 20. The forth and fifth season it tanks and falls out of the top 40.
The 6th, 7th, and 8th season it rebounds to the top 10. The 8th season it hits its high mark at #3. By the 11th season it drops out of the to 40 again and is cancelled without a good-bye show.

Very unusual to say the least. The show changed timeslots over 15 times so not sure with so many changes that had anything to do with the success in the later years.

What was it about this show that made it so much wildly more popular in the 7th and 8th season?

During season 7 and 8 the competition wasnt as strrong..ABC movie and NBC movie

During season 5 when it was almost cancelled, the Jeffersons aired on Wednesday nights and competed with Eight is Enough on ABC which was a top 15 show at the time.

[BestTVever]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

During season 7 and 8 the competition wasnt as strrong..ABC movie and NBC movie

During season 5 when it was almost cancelled, the Jeffersons aired on Wednesday nights and competed with Eight is Enough on ABC which was a top 15 show at the time.

Those ratings got really low but I did not realize it was almost cancelled. Very rare occurrence for a sitcom for sure to come roaring back into the top 5 shows.

[Fallon97]

I don't know, but the show was great from the beginning to the end.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by BestTVever

Those ratings got really low but I did not realize it was almost cancelled. Very rare occurrence for a sitcom for sure to come roaring back into the top 5 shows.

It fell all the way to the 40's during season 3

[TMC]

I wonder why CBS aired the final four episodes from Season 11 in June-early July of 1985. Previously, the latest that The Jeffersons ever concluded a season on was Season 8 from 1981-82, which finished up on May 16, 1982.

Also, Season 11 ironically, wasn't the lowest rated season in the show's history. It did finish the 1984-85 season as the 50th ranked show in the Nielsen's, which was a steep drop from the 19th position that it was at from the season prior. But the lowest ranked season of The Jeffersons was actually Season 4 (from 1977-78), which finished in 52nd place.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TMC

I wonder why CBS aired the final four episodes from Season 11 in June-early July of 1985. Previously, the latest that The Jeffersons ever concluded a season on was Season 8 from 1981-82, which finished up on May 16, 1982.

Also, Season 11 ironically, wasn't the lowest rated season in the show's history. It did finish the 1984-85 season as the 50th ranked show in the Nielsen's, which was a steep drop from the 19th position that it was at from the season prior. But the lowest ranked season of The Jeffersons was actually Season 4 (from 1977-78), which finished in 52nd place.

The actual last year of the Jeffersons was July 23 1985 which was the Atlantic City episode