Don Nicholl Movies

Season ten of The Jeffersons was marked by a pronounced drop-off in ratings. Ranking 12th in the list of most popular American TV series during its ninth season, the series didn't even make it to the top 25 the following year. This can be attributed to a problem that has plagued scores of long-running network programs: After so many years on the air, the actors were obviously wearying of their roles and merely going through the motions. One of the few bright spots of the tenth season was the return of Paul Benedict as the Jeffersons' goofy British neighbor Harry Bentley. Having left the show in 1981 (it was explained that Bentley, a UN functionary, had been transferred to the former Soviet Union), Benedict returned with all of his delightful eccentricities intact. In a related development, former Saturday Night Live regular Garrett Morris, introduced the previous season as the Jeffersons' wheeler-dealer "foster son" Jimmy Townsend, made a handful of welcome guest appearances. And in another attempt to bolster ratings, the series began to accommodate celebrity guests, beginning with Sammy Davis Jr. and Sister Sledge. (Billy Dee Williams had made an appearance as "himself" during an earlier season, but this hardly constituted the inauguration of a trend.) Alas, these refreshing additions did little to compensate for the complete absence of the Jeffersons' son Lionel (Mike Evans) and Lionel's estranged wife, Jenny (Berlinda Tolbert). Fans who had been brought back into the fold when Lionel and Jenny's daughter Jessica was born in 1980 were understandably disappointed that these characters had apparently dropped from the face of the earth. Clearly, however, the producers realized their error in virtually writing off the grandchild of George and Louise Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford), inasmuch as the character would return full force for the series' 11th (and final) season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Its popularity having grown apace since its move to a Sunday night time slot in June 1979, The Jeffersons remained on CBS' Sunday Prime Time manifest as it launched its eighth season in the fall of 1981. Season eight would ultimately yield more first-run episodes than any previous season (27 in all), due to the producers' foresighted decision to "stockpile" new episodes during season seven in the event of another Hollywood union strike such as the one that disrupted production in 1980. At the end of The Jeffersons' 1980-1981 season, Marla Gibbs' character of sassy housekeeper Florence Johnston had been spun off into her own starring series, Checking In, which found Florence appointed as executive housekeeper for the posh St. Frederick Hotel. Alas, Checking In, which premiered April 9, 1981, ran a piddling four episodes. This necessitated Florence's return to The Jeffersons, which in turn required a two-part episode titled "Florence Did It Different," in which it was "explained" that Florence was rehired by George and Louise Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford) after the St. Frederick burned to the ground. (No one missed Florence's temporary replacement in the Jefferson household, a maid named Carmen played by Roseanna Christensen). Though Florence was back, several other Jeffersons' regulars were on their way out. Both Mike Evans and Berlinda Tolbert, cast respectively as Lionel Jefferson and Lionel's wife Jenny, had decided to leave the series at the end of season eight. Though their characters weren't precisely written out, Evans and Tolbert would henceforth be seen only in a sporadic "guest-star" capacity (The couple's infant daughter Jessica, previously all but invisible, finally appeared during the eighth season, played by twin girls Erin and Leslie Holland). And Paul Benedict, who'd been in the series from the beginning as the Jeffersons' eccentric British neighbor Harry Bentley, likewise ankled The Jeffersons in the spring of 1981 -- though he would return, again as a regular, two years later. The Jeffersons closed out its eighth season as the third highest-rated network series -- its most lofty ratings perch ever, and one that it would never attain again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The biggest news attending The Jeffersons' sixth season was the return of Mike Evans as Lionel Jefferson, the role he'd created on the series' parent program, All in the Family, way back in 1971. Having been replaced by Damon Evans (no relation) from 1975 to 1979, Mike Evans stepped back into Lionel's shoes with remarkable smoothness, almost as if he'd never been gone. The other "big event" during season six was the birth of Jessica Jefferson, the daughter of Lionel and his wife, Jenny Willis Jefferson (Berlinda Tolbert). As was usually the case in sitcomland, Jessica's arrival was served up in a hectic two-part episode, replete with frantic chases to the hospital and an abundance of waiting-room tension. Since Jessica was the interracial daughter of an interracial couple, Lionel's highly opinionated dad, George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley), found he had struck a whole new mother lode of sarcastic humor. Having occupied a new Sunday-night slot since June 1979, The Jeffersons enjoyed the best ratings it had seen in years. The program not only returned to the Top Ten, but had attained the coveted number eight ratings slot, surpassing even its source series, All in the Family. Perhaps this viewer upsurge was due to its new Sunday berth, or maybe the return of Mike Evans and the introduction of baby Jessica did the trick. Whatever the case, The Jeffersons was assured a renewal for an seventh season in the fall of 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Is it possible that the title of this episode refers to our gal Chrissy (Suzanne Somers)? No, it can't be; there must be a logical explanation as to why Chrissy suddenly finds herself holding all of Jack's money. But when other items start disappearing from the apartment, Jack (John Ritter) and Janet (Joyce DeWitt) take it upon themselves to nip Chrissy's supposed crime wave in the bud. It goes without saying, of course, that the whole thing is a big misunderstanding -- but that's why they call Three's Company a "situation" comedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Assured that the character played by her co-star Jimmie Walker, brash, budding inner-city artist J.J. Evans, had become more mature and responsible during her year-long absence, actress Esther Rolle agreed to return to the role of J.J.'s mom, Florida Evans, as Good Times launched its sixth season. Conspicuous by his absence was Moses Gunn as Florida's second husband, Carl Dixon, whom she ostensibly married at the end of season four -- and with whom she'd been living in Arizona while "missing in action" throughout season five. When Florida made her comeback to the Evanses' tiny Chicago apartment, it was minus Carl, with no explanation given as to what had happened to him; indeed, it was if Carl had never existed. The series' scripters contrived to bring Florida back into the Evans fold by having her invited to the wedding of her daughter, Thelma (BernNadette Stanis), and up-and-coming, award-winning football flash Keith Anderson, played by new Good Times regular Ben Powers. It was hoped that Keith's impending contract with the Chicago Bears would enable the Evanses to at last leave the Projects and move into more attractive surroundings. Alas, no sooner had Thelma and Keith said "I do," than Keith tripped and broke his knee, thereby effectively squashing any hopes he had for a pro football career. Thus did Keith move into the increasingly crowded Evans apartment, contributing to the family's meager finances by working as a cab driver. Since Keith could only work a few hours a day, and J.J. had just been fired by the ad agency where he worked, former maid Florida had to go job-hunting, landing a part-time position as a school bus driver. J.J.'s efforts to make ends meet caused him to cross paths more than once with brutish neighborhood loan shark "Sweet Daddy" Williams, played by Theodore Wilson, a formerly recurring character who graduated that season to semi-regular status.

As for the other cast members, younger brother Michael Evans (Ralph Carter) continued to seek out his niche in the world; neighbor Willona (Ja'net Dubois) was relatively content in her new role as single adoptive mother to the precocious Penny (Janet Jackson); and usurious landlord Bookman (Johnny Brown) continued to pinch as many pennies as possible in maintaining the Evans apartment. Beginning the season in a "death" time slot opposite NBC's Saturday-night league leader, CHiPs, Good Times continued to lose viewers at an alarming rate. Having already gone on a brief hiatus in November 1978, the series left the air entirely in December, resurfacing in May 1979, only so that the remaining episode could be played off, thereby avoiding a total loss of CBS' investment. In a Wednesday-night time slot that was no more beneficial than its previous Saturday berth, the series died a quiet death on August 1, 1979, with one of the most outrageously unrealistic "happy" endings in TV series history: To make a long story short, everything turned out all right. Only 21 of the 24 episodes filmed for the 1978-1979 season were telecast by CBS; the three "orphaned" episodes would not be seen until Good Times entered local syndication in the fall of 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Susan Blu, one of the busiest cartoon voice directors in show business, appears in this episode as Sandra, a pregnant girl who shows up at the apartment. Much to the dismay of Chrissy (Suzanne Somers) and Janet (Joyce DeWitt), Sandra declares that Jack (John Ritter) is the father of her baby. What nobody knows -- yet -- is that Larry (Richard Kline) pretended to be Jack while dating Sandra. Adding to the confusion, Jack doesn't know the identity of the woman whom he has supposedly deflowered; thanks to a mix-up in communication, he thinks it is his girlfriend, Linda (Anne Schedeen), who is in the family way. This episode was based on "Never Give Your Real Name," an installment of Three's Company's British sitcom prototype Man About the House. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

To impress her new movie-buff boyfriend, Neil (Stuart Gillard), Chrissy gets her hands on an 8 mm camera and begins making her own film. At the same time, Larry Dallas (Richard Kline) plunks down 50 bucks for an X-rated film that he hopes to screen for himself and Jack (John Ritter). First, however, he must borrow Chrissy's movie projector -- and so it comes to pass that the "nice" and the "naughty" movie are destined to get mixed up just before the night of Chrissy's big premiere. Legendary cartoon star Woody Woodpecker makes a rare cameo appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Just as season four of Good Times was marked by the defection of actor John Amos as James Evans, so too was the series' fifth season distinguished by the conspicuous absence of another leading character. Having already gone on record over the dissatisfaction with the direction in which the series had gone -- that is, from a positive depiction of a closely knit inner-city family headed by a strong male parental figure to a somewhat stereotypical portrait of a fatherless ghetto clan dominated by the buffoonish behavior of the family's oldest son -- Esther Rolle (aka Florida Evans) decided to follow Amos' lead. Citing "illness," Rolle was off the Good Times cast list as of September 1977. Her character's sudden disappearance was neatly compensated for by explaining that, after a whirlwind courtship, Florida had married the irascible but lovable Carl Dixon (Moses Gunn), and had moved with her new husband to Arizona. The three Evans children -- J.J. (Jimmie Walker), Thelma (BernNadette Stanis), and Michael (Ralph Carter) -- had stayed behind in the family's tiny Chicago apartment, with the tacit understanding that Florida's longtime friend and neighbor Willona Woods (Ja'net DuBois) would drop in from time to time to make sure the kids were doing well. While J.J. was still the prankish "Dy-no-mite Kid," his sudden ascension to head of the Evans household had thrust maturity and responsibility upon him; he even landed a semi-steady job as an ad agency artist. In other words, J.J. began behaving less like a sitcom clown and more like a genuine human being -- precisely what Esther Rolle had been demanding for years. It was this metamorphosis as much as anything else that persuaded Rolle to return to the series at the outset of season six. To counteract the depletion of the basic Good Times ensemble, the producers contrived to add a brand new character and to build up an older one. A very young Janet Jackson was added to the cast as 13-year-old Penny Gordon, the product of an abusive home. Taking pity on Penny, the childless (and husbandless) Willona adopted the girl, thereby opening up a whole new realm of plot possibilities. In addition, the Evans' penny-pinching landlord Nathan Bookman (played by Johnny Brown) was promoted from recurring character to full regular. Theoretically, the time-honored ritual of cast additions and deletions is supposed to breathe new life into old sitcoms (look what that ritual did for M*A*S*H). Unfortunately, Good Times showed few signs of resuscitation. Although the series still had a loyal coterie of fans, it continued to plummet in the ratings, losing out to ABC's Eight is Enough on Wednesday nights, then to NBC's Little House on the Prairie when Good Times moved to Mondays in mid-season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the British sitcom Man About the House, Three's Company was given a six-week trial run on ABC's Thursday-night schedule in the spring of 1977. In the first episode, aspiring chef Jack Tripper (John Ritter) was found sleeping in the bathtub of the Santa Monica apartment shared by floral-shop employee Janet Wood (Joyce DeWitt) and typist Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers) the morning after the girls' going-away party for their former roommate. Hoping to quickly snatch up a new roomie to share expenses -- and gratified that at last they had found someone who could actually cook -- Jane and Chrissy invited Jack to move in with them -- on a strictly platonic basis, of course. In order to persuade their landlord, Stanley Roper (Norman Fell), that no hanky-panky was going on, the girls convinced Mr. Roper that Jack was gay. This, of course, was the subterfuge to end all subterfuges: not only was Jack aggressively heterosexual, but he never let an opportunity pass to be alone with the voluptuous but innocent Chrissy (though he never succeeded in making her one of his conquests). Roper's wife, Helen (Audra Lindley), discovered early on that Jack was not gay, but she agreed to keep his secret because she liked the girls -- and she liked to one-up her bombastic, overbearing husband. A handful of recurring characters were introduced in season one, notably slick-talking car salesman Larry Dallas (Richard Kline), who would become a regular by the end of season three. Most of the episodes during the series' six-week tryout were adapted from scripts originally written for Man About the House, a derivative practice that would slowly die out over the next several years. After its requisite six showings, Three's Company was replaced, as intended, by ABC's The Tony Randall Show. But during its brief tryout, Three's Company managed to soar to 11th place in the ratings, making its return for a full season in the fall of 1977 a fait accompli. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jack (John Ritter), Janet (Joyce DeWitt), and Chrissy (Suzanne Somers) would love to go to a Christmas party at the Stevens home. Alas, the trio is locked into a commitment to spend a dull Yuletide celebration with Mr. and Mrs. Roper (Norman Fell, Audra Lindley). But things take a surprising turn when it is revealed that the Ropers have also made alternate holiday plans. This is the episode in which we discover that "Chrissy" is not short for "Christine." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In desperate need of cooking-school tuition money, Jack (John Ritter) takes a variety of odd jobs, with disastrous results. Finally he lands what he thinks will be a lasting and lucrative assignment as a male model. What he doesn't know is that he has been hired by a porno magazine -- and is expected to pose in the nude. Interestingly enough, Jack's "partner" during the photo shoot is played by Sally Kirkland, who in 1969 made headlines as the first leading actress to appear in the buff in an off-Broadway play. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The morning after throwing a farewell party for former roommate Eleanor, Janet Wood (Joyce DeWitt) and Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers) find one of the guests still snoring away in the bathtub. The sleeping stray is Jack Tripper (John Ritter), an aspiring chef who needs a new place to stay. Figuring that Jack is harmless -- and besides, he's a better cook than both girls combined -- Janet and Chrissy invite him to become their new roomie. Only one problem: landlord Stanley Roper (Norman Fell), who already suspects the girls of hanky-panky, would never tolerate a one man/two women setup. The solution? Convince Mr. Roper that the decidedly masculine Jack (who already has eyes for the voluptuous Chrissy) is really gay. This classic opening episode of Three's Company is a remake of the series' first unsold pilot -- which, in turn, had been adapted from the debut episode of Three's Company's British sitcom prototype Man About the House. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide