Franklin Cover Movies

Once again, George (Sherman Hemsley) is locked in a tense promotional war with rival dry cleaner Cunningham. When Cunningham hires a soap opera star for a personal appearance, George does the same. Unfortunately, George can't get the genuine article and must rely upon celebrity lookalikes -- one of them the spitting image of the aforementioned soap queen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Long before an episode of David Lynch's Twin Peaks was narrated by a log, this installment of The Jeffersons featured a talking dollar bill. During a brief stopover at his old Queens dry-cleaning store, George recalls the day that he opened the store back in 1968. Inevitably, George's thoughts drift back to his first customer -- and, of course, his first dollar. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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, Rovi

In the conclusion of a three-part story, George (Sherman Hemsley) and Jimmy (Garrett Morris) fly to L.A. in hopes of retrieving 15,000 dollars which two con artists inveigled out of George's neighbor Tom (Franklin Cover). Jimmy's electronics-savvy cousin (played by Greg Morris, satirizing his character on Mission: Impossible) rigs up a sting operation whereby the two crooks are hoodwinked into believing that California is about to be invaded by a foreign country. The scheme is nearly foiled by the untimely arrival of George's wife, Louise (Isabel Sanford), Tom's wife, Helen (Roxie Roker), and the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence (Marla Gibbs). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Florence (Marla Gibbs) and her equally unmarried friend, Betty (Robin Braxton), pay a visit to the museum, hoping to meet a few eligible millionaire bachelors. One wealthy gent, Harry Crawford (Bennet Guillory), takes an instant liking to Florence, showering her with costly gifts and affectionate words. Alas, Harry's motives are not altogether pure: for starters, he's already married... ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Former series regular Paul Benedict returns in his familiar role as the eccentric Harry Bentley. The Jeffersons and the Willises join forces in helping Harry get back his old apartment, despite the opposition of landlord Whittendale (Jack Fletcher). But upon learning who Whittendale has chosen as the new tenant, George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) drops his loyalty to Harry like a hot potato. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hoping to stir up new business, George (Sherman Hemsley) holds a Miss Jefferson Cleaners contest. Alas, George is forced to give the award to the punk-rocker niece of his landlord, Whittendale (Jack Fletcher) -- or face immediate eviction. The girl in question is played by singer Julie Brown, a few years before attaining rock-video and cable-TV superstardom. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Feeling neglected by her husband, Tom (Franklin Cover), Helen Willis (Roxie Roker) decides to do something about it. Unfortunately, George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley), relying on the faulty evidence of his own eyes, arrives at the conclusion that Helen is cheating on Tom. As expected, George's well-meaning interference causes all sorts of embarrassing misunderstandings for Mr. and Mrs. Willis. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Jeffersons and the Willises plan a surprise party for the Jeffersons' housekeeper, Florence (Marla Gibbs). But thanks to a misunderstanding, Florence thinks that the two couples are throwing a wing-ding to which she hasn't been invited -- and, even worse, at which she will be expected to act as a mere servant. Deeply hurt, Florence grabs a 500-dollar bottle of George's wine and gets good and plastered. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion of a two-part story, George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) recovers from injuries sustained in a brutal beating. His assailants were a tough gang of teenaged girls, who have stolen the wedding ring belonging to George's wife, Louise (Isabel Sanford). Despite excruciating pain -- and his own terror -- George is determined to track down the gang and reclaim the ring. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When his Brooklyn store burns to the ground, George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) finds that the store's alarm had malfunctioned due to faulty wiring. Both Tom Willis (Franklin Cover) and the insurance company urge George to sue the person responsible for installing the alarm. Unfortunately, the "guilty party" is George's own son Lionel. Original scheduled to air on January 10, 1982, but shown instead on January 31, this episode features former series regulars Mike Evans (as Lionel) and Berlinda Tolbert (as Jenny), now billed as "guest stars." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After Lionel and Jenny's apartment is burglarized, Lionel's dad, George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley), wants to buy a gun. George's wife, Louise (Isabel Sanford), is adamantly opposed to having a weapon in the house, so George buys a gun without her knowledge -- and with potentially disastrous results. Frank DeVol makes his final series appearance as Sammy the songwriter (DeVol had been advertised as a "new regular," but it didn't pan out). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi