To me the show ended after Noman Lear fired John Amos in1976. I'm not a poet but the show was never the same without James. The ratings went from the top 10 to rock bottom.😢
The show jumped the shark when they fired John Amos and Norman did him dirty and cowardly in the way he was fired. After he left the show it became silly and completely unbelievable in the storyline. The last episode from the final season is a prime example. If they had filmed a Good Times Now spinoff I have a feeling it would have tanked as fast as another spinoff from All In The Family.......GLORIA!! That show was ridiculously dumb. "I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that the show has been picked up for another season. The bad news is you will not be appearing in any of the episodes because.....YA FIRED!!!" - Norman Lear to John Amos in a phone call. Very cowardly move!!! Still love the show but much more so during the John Amos years. Rant over.
No, John Amos went to the producers and said JJ's character was a stereotype, Michael and Thelma were A students, but JJ was shown to be uneducated, a class clown. Also, Lear did not want him dating a white woman.
I watch the interview with John Amos and he said he left the show because they were trying to change the narrative they didn't want a strong black male as a father
John Amos & Esther Rolle were serious actors, and they understood that a FAMILY show was what America wanted to see. Once James Evans was gone, it was less than it was before. Once Florida Evans was gone, it was a shell of itself. The kids couldn't carry the show without the presence of the adults.
“Jumped the shark” when John left but was still had a ski left but once Esther left that was it skis were gone and the boat crashed and just waded to shore Florida marrying an atheist no way, she really wanted out and didn’t care at all about the character anymore
Florida demanded a husband and they agreed but made him be a dude that constantly was getting fired from car wash and cab driving jobs leaving her to basically be the family bread winner ,_they essentially still made her a black single mother .
It seems they got along so well on the set, I would never have imagined a riff between them off the set. This is what is meant by "never assume, cause things aren't always what it seems"
Walker said they really didn't get along ON set either. But that they, assuming Wlkr meant Rolle, Amos & he kept it, PROFESSIONAL. Despite Rolle & Amos HATING him, Wlkr.
@kjk7611 This is all quite surprising. Funny how viewers are clueless (me as well) to what really be going on with these celebrities. I guess when we're on the outside looking in, how could we know. They put on the forsage so well.
I have a hard time understanding why people on television shows just can't appreciate each others talent's and come together to make a show even better. It's very sad.. because I really enjoyed Jimmy Walkers' comic relief on the show. I'm still a big fan.
Love john amos in almost everything I have seen him in but particularly loved James Evans. He reminded me of my father, uneducated, low income jobs, plus five kids. Yeah we were poor. Not as bad as the Evans' but pretty poor. But the effort James put into providing for his family showed his love for his family in the best way. He demanded that his kids be better and backed it up. I thought he was a wonderful role model for any family. Hope you are doing well Mr. Amos.
Yeah I thought he was very handsome. He had a role on Mary Tyler Moore show as the weather man just to name a few.I stopped watching the show after James was fired.
Yes, they felt some kind of way putting him in dress, and now he regrets it, and he is stuck in that stereotype, and we don't see him anymore! These young black actors really need to listen to the seasoned ones who have the paid the ultimate price and has seen it from every angle possible of what that industry is about, especially those that have plaid the straight and narrow.
@nevinreid311 You just stumbled through all this you attempted to write. Her name is NOT Kim Wayne. It's WAYANS. I don't understand how they've been around over 30 years and people still can't spell their name right. Jo Marie didn't want to whipped him. She wanted to whip him. No need for adding the ed. I really don't understand why people struggle with ed and no ed. It's not more funnier. It's just funnier. Get your grammar up.
Thank u VERY much for typing that. All they owed each other was respect and working together well. However, when u have a tight unit, u can last longer: Cheers, the Jeffersons, Friends, Frasier, Mary Tyler Moore etc.
@@ghanasouland that's the point of the conversation...when you don't have a good relationship with people on the job it's uncomfortable and problems comes thereafter
@@tarikdebarge It's Not that he didn't like him. John & Esther wanted to show blacks in a better light. Not as clowns, like JJ. John & Esther were college educated, and at that time some blacks were still interested in the way they were viewed. Unlike today, some blacks would do ANYTHING for money, depravity & no moral compass will do that. Blacks back in the day had more character, and class, and they carried themselves as so. Even if they were poor, which most was. John & Esther was always in Norman Lear's office trying to get him to show them in a better light, but he was Not interested. Blacks would not be shown in a better light until the next decade, with the Cosby show. Educated and successful, father in the home, and not the down and out, struggling Nego. Who has a family and can't take care of them. Nothing positive, just negative. Nothing to look forward to, this is how they were portrayed.
@@tarikdebarge It's Not that he didn't like him. John & Esther wanted to show blacks in a better light. Not as clowns, like JJ. John & Esther were college educated, and at that time some blacks were still interested in the way they were viewed. Unlike today, some blacks would do ANYTHING for money, depravity & no moral compass will do that. Blacks back in the day had more character, and class, and they carried themselves as so. Even if they were poor, which most was. John & Esther was always in Norman Lear's office trying to get him to show them in a better light, but he was Not interested. Blacks would not be shown in a better light until the next decade, with the Cosby show. Educated and successful, father in the home, and not the down and out, struggling Nego. Who has a family and can't take care of them. Nothing positive, just negative. Nothing to look forward to, this is how they were portrayed.
People if you just take the time and look up John Amos interviews you'll see why he left. He wasn't fired and if you look a little deeper you'll see that Norman Lear wasn't the sole creator of many of his shows
I saw John Amos interview,he said they called him ,Norman lear,and said the show has been picked up for the nx season,but you will not be we us,that is what mr.amos said,then he said he was cast as kunte in roots soon after he was let go...
❤Dig even deeper, they say Norman Lear stole all his ideas for his black shows. What did he know about black families in the ghetto or even middle class black families
I remember watching that show during it's run from 1975-1979. I will admit that it's something when you find out that some of the cast didn't even speak to each other outside of the show. I knew that Ralph Carter, (Michael) once said that he didn't think that the show was as good when John Amos wasn't there anymore. Jimmie Walker was great and funny on the show. Thanks 👍.
@nevinreid311 I never seen it before. I do know that she was gone from the show for quite a while because she was protesting some of the way Jimmie Walker was. I don't remember everything about it, but she wasn't happy.
@nevinreid311 I honestly didn't know that she wanted more money. Some times certain actors don't make as much as others do. Then there is complaints from the others.
I watched the entire interview from a couple of years ago where Jimmie goes into detail about "Good Times" and it's cast. I wasn't surprised by his comments about Esther Rolle and John Amos. Those two are true actors. And they took their craft very seriously. So, of course, they are going to be frustrated with ridiculous storylines and the silly behavior of the eldest son. You have to consider the time period. "Good Times" debuted in 1973. 1973!!! It was a different time. Black Pride was in full swing. You had protests, rallies and movements. People wanted to see something stimulating and uplifting regarding Black people. And initially that was the case, but as series creator Eric Monte has stated it didn't take long for the producers to want to go another route. A more foolish and ignorant route. And that is why he left a show he created. Stating that these white producers were telling him how young black people talk and behave in the ghetto. When they NEVER lived there and he himself was raised in Chicago's Cabrini Green housing projects. So, to me, it speaks volumes that Eric Monte, John Amos and Esther Rolle left the show one after another. I thought Jimmie Walker was great when I was a kid, but looking at the show now, you realize that by no means could he have carried that show by himself. No way.
I agree that both Esther and John were the true actors. At first I enjoyed Jimmy’s JJ, but as time went on, I found myself asking when will they have him grow up and show maturity. I found JJ to be silly.
@@KennyRyman Yes, she did come back for the last season. And she had some demands that needed to be met. Like: The "Carl" character is completely done away with. Better storylines for the show. And character development for JJ.
Wow, new respect for him! For sticking it out. Imagine having co-workers you work with on such an intimate basis as actors portraying a loving family, who off-camera won't even speak to you. That's a borderline hostile work environment. So they didn't "approve" of his portrayal of blackness? I don't care if he was Stepin Fetchit (which he wasn't) - that's the way show business works. You have to draw in the crowds and what did they think was getting people to tune in week after week - the big excitement of seeing Esther Rolle or John Amos? They were so disapproving, yet they continued to associate themselves with a show and collect fat paychecks every week for which they should have been really grateful to HIM.
Yes I agree. . imagine no one talking to you off set right from the get go The fact that JJ was able yo keep shining shows he tried not to pay attention to it and kept on doing his thing. I wish I was more like that. not to let haters dim your power
The show was meant to be entertaining, not a documentary. It was great and it did highlight many important issues in family and social life. It needed that balance of comedic and dramatic talents to capture its wide audience.
You couldn't tell that they were beefin', but I know Esther & John didn't want black people to be embarrassed for the things that they were writing. 🖊️
They probably were jealous of the popularity of the j j character also. The way Erkel blew up and got hate from the mom on the show and even Fonzie’s popularity caused a little friction on happy days.
@@ronsmac- Ok someone in my age bracket weighing in, 🤗 your absolutely correct because a lot of people on sitcoms don't get along like Rolo & Lamont on Sanford & son, George & Florence on The Jeffersons, & Martian & his cast especially Cole on Martin. I'm just glad that they could still make it believable on screen. 🤷🏾♂️
I doubt that Esther or John were jealous. They were disappointed, frustrated 😩 because they were serious people and performers and they viewed the show as a way to uplift Blk ppl. Esther and John had a higher social consciousness than Jimmie. Esther and John viewed Jimmie’s character and antics as moronic and c00ny. They probably saw JJ’s character as a negative influence and just more of the same from some of the old movies and older tv shows. Jimmie’s indifference to their concerns was probably offensive to them as well. There were blk ppl at the time who didn’t like Good Times or JJ’s character because they felt that the show celebrated ghetto culture. Esther and John’s attitude was not far off from other people’s thoughts. Jimmie was entertaining but there is a reason why he no longer has huge audiences watching his shows.
@@phalynwilliams4119 It was supposed to be Esther’s show, she even had top billing over John Amos but the star of the show was JJ. Other than maybe my grandma nobody watched because of Esther. A black woman’s scorn is like no other. Jimmie Walker said they didn’t even talk to him off set. It feels like hate disguised as worrying about the show’s direction. I appreciate your opinion although I disagree with you.
His character was extremely bright and quick witted and a very gifted atrtist. However, I can see why some people had trouble seeing past the bufoonery.
I liked this show as a kid. I remembered the kids getting into trouble, and I saw the mom & dads’ reactions as appropriate and saw those aspects of the show as cautionary tales and good PSAs while also being funny.
Esther was smart enough to come back when she saw TV rolls weren't coming her way. John even admitted in an interview that he wished he had kept his mouth shut. When he was unalived off the show, he couldn't come back. Janet DuBois, along with Janet Jackson, did a great job filling in on that iconic show.
No the show begged Esther to come back John Amos said he’s happy he spoke up cause without them firing him he would of never got the role of Adult Kunta Kinte in Roots
I'm just glad she came back whether they begged her or not. JJ's character never changed, so her leaving was a disappointment, but it never stopped the show. JJ was the breakout star regardless. I actually watched the interview where John said he wished he didn't complain. Being on Good Tmes probably helped him get the roll in Roots. It's all water I under the bridge now. May Esther rest in Heavenly Peace, and may John stay blessed.
@@bettyA7598 they did beg her to come back and offered her more money and then she made demands which they obliged too like her character not being married to an atheist. Esther Rolle even during the creation of Good times demanded her character have a husband cause it was originally supposed to be a single mother with 3 kids and refused that so they had to listen to her. JJ the breakout star because of his coonery and buffoonery antics wearing the chicken hat from his job and yelling dynomite every 2 minutes John Amos had no regrets he clearly said you got the 2 younger kids Thelma who wants to be a doctor and Micheal who wants to be a judge but the show is centering around JJ one punchline character. The black community looked up to Esther and John to be represented properly and this buffoonery of JJ was not what they wanted. John had no regrets he only said he wished he went about things a better way. In his interview he said they called him with good news and bad news the good news was that the show had been picked up for a 4th season the bad news was he won’t be returning and he said ok that’s cool click hung up on them.
@@bettyA7598 like I said earlier his coonery and buffoonery antics made him the breakout star and originally his character was supposed to have a 6th grade education only and not know how to read.
@@bettyA7598 Excuse me but what the heck is "unalived off the show"? Child, you need to go back to school and learn how to talk and write a complete sentence. You sound ignorant as hell.
I have to ask Esther Rolle, how do you expect the show to be funny with all serious smart children? Your husband James, his character was based as an uneducated poor man trying to take care of his wife and family with a low wage, and you are a broke housewife. The show needed someone to stand out, and it was JJ. Another successful show followed the same direction & ingredients as Good Times, but they switched it up a bit.... The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The husband & wife was successful & had good money and the children was smart, but the nephew was goofy & funny and grew up different than them. Without Will Smith's character, the show wouldn't have worked. The same is true with Family Matters. The show was ok in the first sesson, but the ratings were low. But when they added Steve Urkel, a standout character, the show ratings shot to the roof. So sometimes you need a standout character to make the show work. Without JJ, Good Times would've lasted 1 season. With him, it lasted 5 seasons
So True. And Good Times To Me Was Already Balanced. Funny/Goofy Eldest Son, Strikingly And Stunning HOTT Daughter, First Black TV Crush At That And A Brilliant, Intelligent And Smart Son. A Strict, Tough Dad Who Took No Prisoners And A GOD Fearing Mother!
In the end, JJ used his creative talents to become a graphic artist for a corporation and became the "man of the house". Thelma and Michael were boring. Thelma was supposed to go to college to become a doctor but ended up dropping out to marry a football player.
The character jj was a buffoon!! Point blank period!! The character was created in the image of white writers on how they thought a black man should be!!
It was a comedy. No one else was a comedian. They can't get over the fact that they were not center stage and never were. No matter how you feel about Walker, the series worked, for Black & White audiences. As for Amos, he went on to be in "The Watermelon Heist", "Lets Do It Again" & "Madea's Witness Protection", all Very negative portrayals of Black people & Black Culture. Petty Jealousy.
A friend of mine did a guest appearance on good times. He said it was very strange and uncomfortable as the actors obviously did not like each other. (Ralph and Bernadette not included)
My friends and I while growing up (for the most part) were fascinated with this show. It was a reflection of our own lives in the South Bronx living in decrepit public housing before the Giuliani era in NYC. But the real draw for us was the only difference the show had from our own actual lives, and that's the fact that the Evans family had a FATHER in the household. One who not only protected his family at all costs but disciplined his kids as needed and kept on trying to get them all out of the hood towards a better life. But all in all they were complete in that little apartment with each other. Killing him (James Evans) off the show on the count of some grown actors not being able to behave like professionals RUINED Good Times for us. Seriously, it's just a job, it's not real life.
His being killed off wasn't due to the dynamics between the actors, Amos was there for 3 of the 6 seasons. It was about his relationship with the producers and the fact that they didn't want him on the show in the first place.
This was the same complaint the professional actors had with Martin Lawerence. The drama on the set eventually kills the show. Frustrating for the fans who tune in for a laugh.
It's always so mazing how all these sitcom cast members on all these shows never seem to get alone. This is just as shocking as Cole not getting alone with Martin Lawrence on the show Martin.
And his character could read and write. Remember the season where he wrote and sold funny hallmark style cards with his art on the cover? I know there was tension but I am not sure I am buying that it was so bad they never spoke to one another. It would have shown through the chemistry they had or lack there of. It was a groundbreaking show for its time and I still watch it. Had a crush on Thelma and she still looks good but Michael looks sort of sickly. Sorry I talked your head off. Lol. Have a great 2024.
@@FreddieArmstrong-ps7it - In the first year, J.J. was failing in high school and was supposed to had been left back. The only reason why the school didn't was because he parents showed up and talked to the school officials, with J.J. promising he was going to work harder in school. The first season spend more time showing J.J. as a silly high school student going through the growing pains of young adulthood.
@@thespadestable You are right. It took a while for the character to evolve. The last episode in the last season was beyond ridiculous. Still love that Ole show though. It was what it was. To me it was over when John Amos was fired.
Esther Rolle and John Amos were serious actors. I read that on one show, shot live, the family was supposed to say a prayer at the dinner table and Jimmie didn't take off his hat. Esther Rolle, ad libbing, sternly told him to take it off for the prayer. Jimmie paused, then took off his hat. If Jimmie really was interested in acting, in the 1970s, how could he not want to establish a relationship with them. Anyway, loved that show.
Ester said her and John wanted the show to go in another direction like, doing an episode about what was going on in the world like discrimination and topics of that sort but the producers were more into hearing ja say dy- no- mite! So that was part of the riff she and John had with the show
Actors are not the writers. At some point they have to give up control to the producers. unless they become the producer themselves. Suck it up and take the money. its not like the show was so awful their names couldn't be attached to it. They ruined the show with discontent. I could see how it all bothered them but it is what it is lol
@@kathikay8942 The writers were all white and the actors had to rewrite the scripts because the white people didn't know the black voice and wanted to tell stories that white people wanted to see of Black people. So, if you understand the history. You wouldn't say that.
Loved "Good Times" growing up. My brother, along with my single mom, watched and enjoyed the plots. As a young boy, I always enjoyed the antics of J.J. and we'd impersonate him when able. As a grown Black Man with a mature mind and...who has lived in America...I can truly understand Esther Roll and John Amos' concern. So many social issues, while soothed by the laughter of the masses, effectively hide the realities of structural racism, the devalued image of a strong Black Father, the unbreakable bond and love of a caring, spiritual Black woman for her husband and children...despite all odds. There's no better example of why Black people must control the imagery and messaging for our community. Others, like Norman Lear, who is said, completely stole the ideas of many of the Black shows, only see $$. Unfortunately, that mentality has infected so many Black and Brown youth to this very day!!
Actually, regardless of what Esther said, Jimmie Walker WAS a good role model for the black community and population, nationally. I'm from the south, Athens Alabama. His image was THE FIRST BLACK person that my parents invested in, I remember how my dad threw his head back in a big belly laugh watching the show, my brother and I were the first 2 kids, I was in 6th grade and my brother in 5th grade, we wore identical red sweat shirts to school, with the image of Jimmie, as JJ, index finger up, and the timeless catch phrase, "dyn-o-mite" was my first time loving someone for them, other than how they looked! (Color) Jimmie Walker done a hell of a lot more for the black people than Esther could have EVER dreamed! Jimmie, was and still is, a major role model for ALL races, the human race! God made him, God always knows what he's doing! Thank you, Jimmie for being a REAL humanitarian!
No he wasn't! He was an goof ball. James had a problem with that. It was black people you didn't have strive to be more than just a goofball that was the whole purpose of why they did that when James went to the producers they fired him right after that he had an interview about that. And that's why the show went down. Which due on TV is different what you do in real life people ain't going to really follow him like that
I think most Blacks would disagree with your assessment that "Good Times" was a good role model for the black community. There were a handfull of episodes that were interesting, but the J.J. character turned it into a clown show.
I saw Jimmie maybe 43 years ago in a small venue in North Miami Beach on the same bill with Eddie Fisher, Donald O'Connor and Jackie Mason (a few years before his HUGE Broadway comeback). What I remember distinctly about this show - all four were great - is that Jimmie only got 15 minutes. He was the first one to go on. The others got 30 minutes and I don't think Jimmie was too happy about that. Oh i just remembered something else: I went to a performing arts high school in Fort Lauderdale and if I remember correctly, Esther lived in Pompano Beach. She came to speak to us budding actors, dancers singers. I remember her being down to earth and very gracious. This was probably 1981 or 82.
Yes I miss seeing Jackie's name up on the markie in Miami Beach. I really regret not going to see his show He was really funny... old school nyc. You never knew what he was going to say next. lol
Jimmie was "canceled" as in "cancel culture" and really never worked again in Hollywood after good times. That what he talked about in his stand up act that I saw which i mentioned below in another comment. Funny how it's all coming back to me because of this video. Thank you.
Jimmie Walker got plenty of work after Good Times. Jimmie had appeared on TV shows, movies, and game shows. He did better than the rest of the cast when Good Times left the air in 1979.
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc I think Big Bad meant to say that as amazingly as popular that Jimmie was on this show, he never had another major hit tv show or film either. He was basically the lead in an early 1980s Sgt Bilco/A Team type American Military type comedy called “At Ease” (also starred another 1970s TV Star that got typecast David Naughton with the show and hit song “Making It) that only lasted a season. With that said, you make a good point that Mr Walker was the only regular cast member on Good Times(not counting “Penny” of course aka Janet Jackson) to get work almost 50 years later.
@@americangiant1003 Ralph Carter, who played Michael on the show thought that he was going to have a major singing career outside Good Times but his career fizzled when the sitcom went off the air in 1979.
i guess thatz the true meaning of acting cause i couldnt tell- that lz my all time favorite sitcom next to sanford & son, im glad he'z good well ......
I've watched American television since the 1960's and the studio executives and producers have always been uncomfortable with a strong black male figure being the catalyst for the television shows. That's why Norman Lear fired John Amos and shows like The Lazarus Syndrome and Paris didn't last long.
I can see why they were upset at times. I remember the episode about the dad's gun was missing. Everyone in the apt was looking for it and JJ said maybe a moth ate it. Just look for a pregnant moth. Bad timing and it was a stupid joke at a serious time.
Miss Esther Rolle is more than 8 years older than Jimmy Walker she's from Pompano Beach her and my mother used to do farm work and if my mother was alive today she would be 95 years old Ms Esther Rolle was older than her
I'm Kinda Puzzled By Jimmie's Stand Offishness With The Good Times Cast Members. Maybe I Should or Shouldn't Be Because I'm Stand Offish Myself. But It Just Takes Time For Me To Get Comfortable Around People. I Would Think If I Was in Jimmie's Position on a Show For 5 Years, There Would Become a Time When I Would Speak To My Cast Members. 🤷🏾
He was the star cast member, and that aroused jealousy. Also, I don't think he was vocal about it then, but politically, he is a conservative Republican. Who knows, maybe that added fuel to the fire.
It wasn't so much him as it was the other cast members. He stated he was pretty open to them but they weren't because he was truly a comedian, not so much an actor.
Good Times was a spin off from Maude. It was supposed to be Ester Rolles show, but Jimmy Walker ended up stealing the spotlight with his portrayal of JJ on the show. This brought a lot of envy and jealousy from Ester Rolle and John Amos who were more seasoned actors. Same thing happened in Family Matters where Erkel who was supposed to only be in one episode, ended up being the star of the show....
@nevinreid311No John Amos and Esther Rolle made the show, as soon as John Amos quit the ratings went straight down to the bottom! Esther Rolle is the only actor on that show that was winning Emmy awards, for her role.
@nevinreid311 Yeah but listening to his version it sounds pretty different. It sounds like she was pretty mean to him or either he was really arrogant! Every time I see him do an interview he's never said anything nice about John Amos or Esther Rolle.
@nevinreid311 But Javel White was the star on that show. It's different with Jimmie Walker situation because, Esther Rolle won all the Emmy awards and was paid more money 💰 than anyone else, so she was basically the star.
I heard that his fellow Cast Members, especially Esther and John felt that the J.J character was Buffoonery and made the series Into a Stereotype Character "Dynamite" !!!! Was definitely funny but probably looked at like Tap Dancing, Bucking ,Buffoonery for the White Man , I'm sure most Black folks don't want to be portrayed or made to look like a Clown, Buffoon and take offense to that type of humor that seems to be a lot more Popular amongst white audiences than the Black Community. Jimmie Walker definitely a Great stand up Comedian. It could also be because he was a Conservative Republican. Many People feel like it's because, "Skin folk ain't always kin folk" . It's sad that the cast didn't get along or weren't friendly.
Did you say that Jimmie walker was a great stand up comedian? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 that's a effing joke in itself!! You couldn't have seen his stand ups to make a comment like that!
@@edubb1luv100 Wrong !!!!!! I seen his stand up plenty of times !!! And he's funny , in my opinion he was always good . To disagree is fine with me. Sure he's not the best or even a favorite. I'm not a fan or anything. He's definitely not the best Stand up Comedian out there. Do you dislike him or something? Let me know why . I began to dislike him when I found out he's a Trumpster and a Republican !!!! LOL. Same thing with Roseanne Barr, she's funny and also a good Stand up Comedian but not as good as the great ones. Plus she's unhinged and unstable.
@@edubb1luv100LMAO!!! Agreed. I’ve seen his standup and it was God awful. I saw it for free and still wanted my money back. I didn’t care for his character in the show either.
@@detroitbuffalo I knew it was a lie because, it's hard for me to believe that Jimmie Walker hates anybody because, he's not that kind of a person. Besides it takes someone with a cold, evil heart to hate anybody. What can a person do to you to make you hate them? If somebody does any wrongdoing, you have to forgive them because, if you carry a lifelong grudge against somebody, it's only going to make your own life miserable and more stressful. If you forgive, you'll make peace with yourself, the other person and most of all, with God.
The character J J stepped up and became a better. By far better bread winner of either of his parents. I believe his character was a great role model. Showing how he overcomes the hardships left on his shoulders by parents. That struggled so hard just to make it from pay day to pay day. They each made their decisions and each made the show better in their own ways.
I absolutely loved that show as a kid! I even had JJs poster on my wall. Sad to find out the cast didnt like each other. I do think there was a bit of jealousy on the set. But how was that Jimmys fault? Everybody loved his character and wanted to see more of him. GenX had some great shows to watch.
What I had gotten from this show was that you may not know what Theorems or compare and contrast represent, but you have a talent that can be utilized. Cooking, Sewing, etc....His was ART. Yes, you need to crack open a book, but you have a talent that can be utilized to make a living.
Here's the thing - Esther and John were not wrong. They wanted the show to progress and the character of JJ to mature a bit and be a little more serious and a little less the fool. They wanted a black family to be depicted a little more accurately. John had a point about portraying them as stable and hard-working, but still struggling rather than have James flitting from job to job and relying on welfare in between. Then, of course, you couple that with the fact that just as he had screwed the entire cast of Gilligan's Island out of any royalties, Norman Lear didn't even want to pay ANY of them what they were truly worth. He made a fortune off their backs... It's no wonder they walked.
Esther and John should have overlooked that because it was not Jimmy Walker's decision or idea to put him forth. So everybody watched the show because of him. Truthfully you can't get mad at that.
Well I certainly missed comedy like this. JJ walker was funny. He wasn't violent disrespectful and he didn't have a file mouth. We wouldn't a have a comedy duo like John and JJ until the social media RUclips comedy duo NBA Qwan and Uncle Howard in the early to mid 2020s. This 2020s duo really have and still do have people cracking up.😊
I was a teenager when that show ran, loved it at first, but the show started to depress me after a while, because the family seems like they could'nt get a break no matter how hard they tried, i understood the primiss of the hard times in the ghetto, but i could only take so much of it. I also did'nt realize how much of that tv show i had missed one day i caught an old rerun they had a lot of actors iv'e never seen before,
Yes he was in a couple bad movies. Ive also heard other comics say he thought he was better than them because of goodtimes and very many people didnt care for his personality and that was a big reason he wasnt successful after goodtimes, and very homophobic.
I heard this story many times that John Amos was jealous of JJ because JJ was becoming the star of the show and he didn't like being upstaged, I don't know why Esther left I heard it was about she didn't like the way the direction of the show was going or else about some money
Both ultimately came crawling back to Norman Lear: Esther returned to "Good Times" while John starred in the ill fated "704 Hauser Street" which was canceled after five episodes.
@tyn833 - He wasn't jealous of Jimmy Walker due to the fame, he (John Amos) was upset Jimmy did not do more with the fame and influence it was perceived Jimmy had. But at that time, Jimmy was a 27-year-old standup comic was offered the role, but really didn't want. In an interview, Jimmy told the story that he had secured the role, and the studio purchased a plane ticket for him to fly to L.A. to begin early production work. Instead of him being on the flight, he ventured off to do on the road shows. Somehow Norm tracked his location, gave him a call, and told him he had better drive to a specific airport in his location, because there would be a ticket waiting for him. All it was was a 35 year old Black actor with a much bigger view of the world and social political foresight than a 27-year-old standup comedian who was given a once in a lifetime opportunity. And there was no "How to Handle Hollywood Success for Dummies" book to gain some kind of directions of how to wield it.
Starring in Roots, Coming to America, and The West Wing hardly had anything to do with John Amos "crawling back" to Norman Lear. John Amos continued to have a successful and productive acting career. Stop woth your false narratives, @@nassauguy48
Esther left after they killed off James and had holier than thou Florida Evans meet and marry an atheist. Esther Rolle had to fight to even have a husband on the show despite the fact that this series is a spin off of Maude....where it's shown Florida had a damned husband. In the original draft, JJ couldn't read and wasn't even in school. He was the definition of lazy and shiftless. During season one, there was to be an underage sexual subplot leading to Thelma believing she was pregnant. So, in one season she had to fight against a purposely established broken home, an uneducated and extremely lazy Black male and a teenaged pregnancy scare. Almost every stereotype in the book. This is why Esther got fed up.
Shame on John & Esther. The whole point of the show was to grow up poor, but not be a victim of your own circumstances. Don't let the traps of the ghetto and the devil take you down. JJ wasn't good in school and that's been discussed in The book " Countering the conspiracy to destroy black boys ", but he was a brilliant artist, who was nice with the paintbrush. There were many shows that showed him make good decisions in bad situations, like thinking he had a STD ( which promoted safe sex ) & not joining street gangs. He got out of a toxic relationship with a woman who said she was going to leave her husband, but she didn't. He had a girlfriend (Debbie Allen) he was going to marry, but she left him because she was a heroin addict. He had a horrible job delivering fried chicken, but stayed focused & managed to start his own business! I could go on & on. & i just found out John Amos had a recurring gay role on 2&a half men. 😮 & 1 of Esther's last roles was a maid in the kitchen, so in the end how much were they really concerned with the image the black youth see on tv? J.J.s character was goofy, but never promoted anything wrong. It was a sit-com, not a PBS documentary.
I heard that Esther was very difficult to work with while John had a tendency to creatively clash with directors and producers. In the end, both came "crawling" back to Norman Lear. While John genuinely believed that the character of JJ was demeaning, I think Esther was simply jealous of the "star of the show" status that Jimmie had achieved. John was fired by Norman Lear but came back years later to star in the ill fated "704 Hauser Street' which was canceled after the fifth episode. Esther came back to "Good Times" when she found out that no one was calling upon her, but by then, the show was sinking. Ironically, JJ did become a respectable and responsible character, but that was one of the reasons why the show went down. Also, I am not sure if Jimmie, a very conservative Republican, made his political views known at that time, but if so, I would not be surprised if that earned him the resentment of John and Esther. (He probably did not announce his political views, as Lear would never have hired him).
John Amos clashing with Norman Lear is no different than Robert Reed clashing with Sherwood Schwartz or any other actor or actress clashing with creators and directors. Everyone has an employment future they are trying to preserve in the business. The 70's was a time in television that many people who did not exist don't quite understand, and there were a lot of mistakes made by many parties, in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the business office. But it was a period that had to've been traveled.
Amos said he had differences on how JJ charactor was being portrayed. It was a comedy. No one else was a comedian, thats why JJ carried it. They can't get over the fact that they were not center stage on this series and never were in anything else. No matter how you feel about Walker, the series worked, for Black & White audiences. As for Amos, he went on to be in "The Watermelon Heist", "Lets Do It Again" & "Madea's Witness Protection", all Very negative portrayals of Black people & Black Culture. Petty Jealousy.
@@BrahT-dh4qn - I guess you don't realize Good Times first aired in 1974? There was already an issue with Black actors about Amos & Andy, Buckwheat, and how television projected Blacks and Black men on the television screen. Not to exclude the show was coming off of the 1960's Civil Rights advancements. There was already behind the camera tug of wars on how Diahann Carroll's "Julia" character was going to be projected back 1968, with Fred Williamson being able to land his role as her steady boyfriend, because he put a bug in creator Hal Kanter's ear that her having a different "boyfriend" nearly every week made her, as a Black woman, look like a whore, though she was an educated nurse, a widow of a husband who died in Vietnam, and a single mother. Sorry, but stop chasing red herrings!
I never understood James’s jealousy of JJ. I was in fifth grade during the heyday, why would little kids care about anybody but JJ? It would make no sense! He made it funny!
Jimmie Walker was the star of that show and while Thelma and Michael aided to the show success so did Esther and John but the entirety of the show seem to be revolved around Jimmy Walker's comedy. And I do understand from what I've read that Esther Rolle left because he was given better parts and more visual moments
Walker has stated publicly many times that the GT cast were co-workers vs friends (but this also was the case with the GG cast. Both Bea Arthur & Victoria Principle drew a professional line in the sand and did not mix professional vs personal relationships).
@@RawOlympia I never got the impression that any of the Golden Girls cast were personal friends. If they were all seated together at an awards ceremony, they were professional & cordial but NOT personal friends (That is not unique to these ladies, that is very common in the industry.)....It was no secret that Terri Hatcher did not have a personal relationship with any of DH cast.....If you notice, NONE of the cast members from Maude ever guest-starred on The GG.
@@hardren101 Interesting ~ I still find it bizarre that Quentin Tarantino was in an episode - it''s too bad they didn't get along, like Weezy and George on The Jeffersons, who were great friends off air.
I grew up on good times and had no idea he was still even alive let alone that he has done anything since. So I am not sure how "successful" his career has been.
Esther roll and John Amos was very good actors trying to have strong black family's I can see as JJ grow why they got mad JJ got silly at times and even a little stupid and annoying and it's still a test to show a strong black family I'm tired of jimmy Walker and his complaints about Esther roll and John Amos maybe they was not that nice but jimmy Walker wasn't close to one person on the show he's cricole and comes across arigint you can't tell me not one person on the show he couldn't get along with especially being on there for five years he played a roll in that he want tried to make sure writers he knows put him in each and ever show he said that he did that with writers he knew I'm sure he liked them so he needs to stop talking about how he felt about Esther roll or John Amos because both had other acting rolls and showed there talent prove to be good actors and they could get along with other actors I would say that to his face
God rest your soul John Amos, Esther Rolle and all other talented, and God-gifted performers. 🙏🏿♥️🌈. Sad 😞. I grew up watching "Good Times". I thank God I have the entire series on DVD. I like the show because it's very realistic. They address the same issues we face today: unemployment, inflation, challenging gender roles, ect. The title "Good Times", is quite opposite of the Evans' struggles, however, their actions created "good times". They relied on their strong faith in God, and each other to get through trials. They had little, but did a lot with what they had. J.J. used cardboard for canvas, Florida sewed her daughter a prom dress, and they created a home-based repair shop (until Mr. Bookman interfered 😩) And in the first episode, Mr. Evans shot pool to pay the rent, and other examples of resilience. I pray to be like my parents, ancestors, the Evans, and their loyal neighbor and friend Willona. Wayyyyy easier said than done, but I plan to use this show, to motivate me, to try to find the "good times" when things are anything but good 😊
To me the show ended after Noman Lear fired John Amos in1976. I'm not a poet but the show was never the same without James. The ratings went from the top 10 to rock bottom.😢
He was the rock of the family. After he left you got more of the sassy neighbor rolana and Janet jacksons character Penny. They kinda sucked.
The show jumped the shark when they fired John Amos and Norman did him dirty and cowardly in the way he was fired. After he left the show it became silly and completely unbelievable in the storyline. The last episode from the final season is a prime example. If they had filmed a Good Times Now spinoff I have a feeling it would have tanked as fast as another spinoff from All In The Family.......GLORIA!! That show was ridiculously dumb. "I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that the show has been picked up for another season. The bad news is you will not be appearing in any of the episodes because.....YA FIRED!!!" - Norman Lear to John Amos in a phone call. Very cowardly move!!! Still love the show but much more so during the John Amos years. Rant over.
Yup, you know what they say about doing dirt and what it gets you 💯
No, John Amos went to the producers and said JJ's character was a stereotype, Michael and Thelma were A students, but JJ was shown to be uneducated, a class clown. Also, Lear did not want him dating a white woman.
I absolutely agree....walker couldn't carry that show at all!
I watch the interview with John Amos and he said he left the show because they were trying to change the narrative they didn't want a strong black male as a father
I also saw that interview. He aged better than jimmy walker!
Yep!
Years later, they still don't want a strong black make father
Esther rolle was behind that..
@occamsrazorbladeThey were bullied into Joining gangs.Dont know why you don't like The James character
If you never could imagine them ever not being friends because they were so loving on set, is because they were good actors, very convincing.
OH YES! TRUTH INDEED
@@adriennerobinson1180Jimmie Walker was the only cast member who didn't attend Esther Rolle's funeral in 1998.
Why would he! I wouldn't go either if someone never spoke to me!@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hcI think something is wrong with him mentally, in all honesty.
@@NOV123I think that Jimmie Walker was an unhappy individual.
John Amos & Esther Rolle were serious actors, and they understood that a FAMILY show was what America wanted to see. Once James Evans was gone, it was less than it was before. Once Florida Evans was gone, it was a shell of itself. The kids couldn't carry the show without the presence of the adults.
Exactly right
“Jumped the shark” when John left but was still had a ski left but once Esther left that was it skis were gone and the boat crashed and just waded to shore Florida marrying an atheist no way, she really wanted out and didn’t care at all about the character anymore
Florida demanded a husband and they agreed but made him be a dude that constantly was getting fired from car wash and cab driving jobs leaving her to basically be the family bread winner ,_they essentially still made her a black single mother .
I agree.
@@stevehorton7524
Yup but in reality black men couldn't find good jobs
Finding out that there was tension on the set of good times make me wanna say, Damn Damn Damn!
Ha ha ha
😂
They all probably said that, after the show was canceled
But PICKLED PIGS FEETSES WAS JAAAAMMMES FAAAAVVVVOOORRRITE. 😂
Wow! That was one POWERFUL scene by Esther
It seems they got along so well on the set, I would never have imagined a riff between them off the set. This is what is meant by "never assume, cause things aren't always what it seems"
That's the sign or a good actor
Walker said they really didn't get along ON set either. But that they, assuming Wlkr meant Rolle, Amos & he kept it, PROFESSIONAL. Despite Rolle & Amos HATING him, Wlkr.
@@kjk7611well documented they didn't get along, she never even liked the character he portrayed.
Lamont and Rollo were friends on-screen but they couldn't stand each other
@kjk7611 This is all quite surprising. Funny how viewers are clueless (me as well) to what really be going on with these celebrities. I guess when we're on the outside looking in, how could we know. They put on the forsage so well.
I have a hard time understanding why people on television shows just can't appreciate each others talent's and come together to make a show even better. It's very sad.. because I really enjoyed Jimmy Walkers' comic relief on the show. I'm still a big fan.
It’s a job. It’s not your typical 9-5 job but still a job so I definitely get it. I don’t get along with everyone I work with
Love john amos in almost everything I have seen him in but particularly loved James Evans. He reminded me of my father, uneducated, low income jobs, plus five kids. Yeah we were poor. Not as bad as the Evans' but pretty poor. But the effort James put into providing for his family showed his love for his family in the best way. He demanded that his kids be better and backed it up. I thought he was a wonderful role model for any family. Hope you are doing well Mr. Amos.
Yeah I thought he was very handsome. He had a role on Mary Tyler Moore show as the weather man just to name a few.I stopped watching the show after James was fired.
My father and stepfather were James. Hard worker!
I understand why Esther and John acted the way they did. I absolutely loved them!
Reminds me of what happened with Family Matters. Urkel became the star and some of his coworkers felt some kind of way
Not at all. I agree with John. It was sad that a Black father couldn't hold a job. That's why he left. The show made James look weak.
Thats not what happened
Yes, they felt some kind of way putting him in dress, and now he regrets it, and he is stuck in that stereotype, and we don't see him anymore! These young black actors really need to listen to the seasoned ones who have the paid the ultimate price and has seen it from every angle possible of what that industry is about, especially those that have plaid the straight and narrow.
I NEVER care for the Erkial character
@nevinreid311 You just stumbled through all this you attempted to write. Her name is NOT Kim Wayne. It's WAYANS. I don't understand how they've been around over 30 years and people still can't spell their name right. Jo Marie didn't want to whipped him. She wanted to whip him. No need for adding the ed. I really don't understand why people struggle with ed and no ed. It's not more funnier. It's just funnier. Get your grammar up.
People need to understand this is a JOB…
Thank u VERY much for typing that. All they owed each other was respect and working together well. However, when u have a tight unit, u can last longer: Cheers, the Jeffersons, Friends, Frasier, Mary Tyler Moore etc.
@@ghanasouland that's the point of the conversation...when you don't have a good relationship with people on the job it's uncomfortable and problems comes thereafter
What did Jimmy Walker do besides his job?
Don't forget Family Matter
Same with my job. I got for the pay and dont really care
John amos was the show. I agree.
No he wasn’t? JJ was the star of the show & that’s why John Amos didn’t like him!
@@tarikdebargeexactly
@@tarikdebarge
It's Not that he didn't like him. John & Esther wanted to show blacks in a better light. Not as clowns, like JJ.
John & Esther were college educated, and at that time some blacks were still interested in the way they were viewed. Unlike today, some blacks would do ANYTHING for money, depravity & no moral compass will do that.
Blacks back in the day had more character, and class, and they carried themselves as so. Even if they were poor, which most was.
John & Esther was always in Norman Lear's office trying to get him to show them in a better light, but he was Not interested.
Blacks would not be shown in a better light until the next decade, with the Cosby show. Educated and successful, father in the home, and not the down and out, struggling Nego. Who has a family and can't take care of them. Nothing positive, just negative. Nothing to look forward to, this is how they were portrayed.
@@tarikdebarge
It's Not that he didn't like him. John & Esther wanted to show blacks in a better light. Not as clowns, like JJ.
John & Esther were college educated, and at that time some blacks were still interested in the way they were viewed. Unlike today, some blacks would do ANYTHING for money, depravity & no moral compass will do that.
Blacks back in the day had more character, and class, and they carried themselves as so. Even if they were poor, which most was.
John & Esther was always in Norman Lear's office trying to get him to show them in a better light, but he was Not interested.
Blacks would not be shown in a better light until the next decade, with the Cosby show. Educated and successful, father in the home, and not the down and out, struggling Nego. Who has a family and can't take care of them. Nothing positive, just negative. Nothing to look forward to, this is how they were portrayed.
Yeah you're right he was the show after he left it was terrible
John Amos was 34!? Dude looked like he was 58 on the show.
Esther Rolle was twenty years older!
That was because they aged his character on the show
He didnt age much after that.
Ironically he looked younger as he got older. A lil Benjamin buttons disease.
That was the ideal make up that's how
People if you just take the time and look up John Amos interviews you'll see why he left. He wasn't fired and if you look a little deeper you'll see that Norman Lear wasn't the sole creator of many of his shows
I saw John Amos interview,he said they called him ,Norman lear,and said the show has been picked up for the nx season,but you will not be we us,that is what mr.amos said,then he said he was cast as kunte in roots soon after he was let go...
He said he was fired on the phone.
❤Dig even deeper, they say Norman Lear stole all his ideas for his black shows. What did he know about black families in the ghetto or even middle class black families
@@vi9763 it's like the villain in Indiana Jones , let him do all the work and steal the relic from him after he gets it !!!!!
Yes. He was fired over the phone by NL. I listened to him say EXACTLY that.
I remember watching that show during it's run from 1975-1979. I will admit that it's something when you find out that some of the cast didn't even speak to each other outside of the show. I knew that Ralph Carter, (Michael) once said that he didn't think that the show was as good when John Amos wasn't there anymore. Jimmie Walker was great and funny on the show. Thanks 👍.
@nevinreid311 All the time after Good Times ended, when he was doing comedy at a club he refused to say Dynamite.
@nevinreid311 I never seen it before. I do know that she was gone from the show for quite a while because she was protesting some of the way Jimmie Walker was. I don't remember everything about it, but she wasn't happy.
@nevinreid311 I honestly didn't know that she wanted more money. Some times certain actors don't make as much as others do. Then there is complaints from the others.
It was 1974 to 1979.
It was 1974 to 1979.
I watched the entire interview from a couple of years ago where Jimmie goes into detail about "Good Times" and it's cast. I wasn't surprised by his comments about Esther Rolle and John Amos. Those two are true actors. And they took their craft very seriously. So, of course, they are going to be frustrated with ridiculous storylines and the silly behavior of the eldest son. You have to consider the time period. "Good Times" debuted in 1973. 1973!!! It was a different time. Black Pride was in full swing. You had protests, rallies and movements. People wanted to see something stimulating and uplifting regarding Black people. And initially that was the case, but as series creator Eric Monte has stated it didn't take long for the producers to want to go another route. A more foolish and ignorant route. And that is why he left a show he created. Stating that these white producers were telling him how young black people talk and behave in the ghetto. When they NEVER lived there and he himself was raised in Chicago's Cabrini Green housing projects. So, to me, it speaks volumes that Eric Monte, John Amos and Esther Rolle left the show one after another. I thought Jimmie Walker was great when I was a kid, but looking at the show now, you realize that by no means could he have carried that show by himself. No way.
I agree that both Esther and John were the true actors. At first I enjoyed Jimmy’s JJ, but as time went on, I found myself asking when will they have him grow up and show maturity. I found JJ to be silly.
It was 1974 not 73
Esther Rolle did came back...
@@KennyRyman Yes, she did come back for the last season. And she had some demands that needed to be met. Like: The "Carl" character is completely done away with. Better storylines for the show. And character development for JJ.
@@textronox Thanks for the correction. February of 1974.
I know my family loved this show when I was growing up, I was about 11 years old. Still love it.
Loved the show, but it "Jumped the Shark" with the departure of John Amos. A well cast and written show. What a shame the cast didn't get along.
There were too many inflated egos on the set.
Wow, new respect for him! For sticking it out. Imagine having co-workers you work with on such an intimate basis as actors portraying a loving family, who off-camera won't even speak to you. That's a borderline hostile work environment. So they didn't "approve" of his portrayal of blackness? I don't care if he was Stepin Fetchit (which he wasn't) - that's the way show business works. You have to draw in the crowds and what did they think was getting people to tune in week after week - the big excitement of seeing Esther Rolle or John Amos? They were so disapproving, yet they continued to associate themselves with a show and collect fat paychecks every week for which they should have been really grateful to HIM.
Yes I agree. . imagine no one talking to you off set right from the get go
The fact that JJ was able yo keep shining shows he tried not to pay attention to it and kept on doing his thing. I wish I was more like that. not to let haters dim your power
I agree with you. He was just doing what he was paid to do. Jimmie Walker didn't write the story lines he just acted them out.
@@derricklowe2823The fans tuned in every week to see JJ.
Jimmy Walker needs a podcast. He's got stories and anecdotes for days!
Its too bad the actors could not work things out. It was a good show! I have seen every episode!
People can't get along in real life let alone aTV show
Too many inflated egos on the show.
You would never know they didn't get along by watching the show
It's called acting.
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc I'm talking about in real life 🤡 find yourself some business 👉 FOH
Jimmie Walker is a living legend! As a boy without actor John Amos as the father I just didn't find the TV show "Good Times" interesting
...................no
I've been lucky enough to meet everyone from the cast, except Jimmy Walker and Janet Jackson.
Just before the pandemic 😷 I met Ralph Carter (Michael) from the show. He was nice, friendly.
@@phalynwilliams4119
Ralph is a very warm and generous man, with a strong personality. His mother was sweet and kind-hearted.
@@phalynwilliams4119Recently, Jimmie Walker, Ralph Carter and Bernadette Stanus got together to celebrate Good Times 50th anniversary.
*Walker was pretty much the biggest comedian in the 70's the fact that he's remained so humble in the years following is inspiring.*
He was humble because he was typecast and couldn't get "real" paying work. He was typecast as the 70s version of Step N Fetchit
I'm always shocked behind the scenes they were not friends. I shouldn't be. 😢
The show was meant to be entertaining, not a documentary. It was great and it did highlight many important issues in family and social life. It needed that balance of comedic and dramatic talents to capture its wide audience.
You couldn't tell that they were beefin', but I know Esther & John didn't want black people to be embarrassed for the things that they were writing. 🖊️
They probably were jealous of the popularity of the j j character also. The way Erkel blew up and got hate from the mom on the show and even Fonzie’s popularity caused a little friction on happy days.
@@ronsmac- Ok someone in my age bracket weighing in, 🤗 your absolutely correct because a lot of people on sitcoms don't get along like Rolo & Lamont on Sanford & son, George & Florence on The Jeffersons, & Martian & his cast especially Cole on Martin. I'm just glad that they could still make it believable on screen. 🤷🏾♂️
I doubt that Esther or John were jealous. They were disappointed, frustrated 😩 because they were serious people and performers and they viewed the show as a way to uplift Blk ppl. Esther and John had a higher social consciousness than Jimmie. Esther and John viewed Jimmie’s character and antics as moronic and c00ny. They probably saw JJ’s character as a negative influence and just more of the same from some of the old movies and older tv shows. Jimmie’s indifference to their concerns was probably offensive to them as well. There were blk ppl at the time who didn’t like Good Times or JJ’s character because they felt that the show celebrated ghetto culture. Esther and John’s attitude was not far off from other people’s thoughts. Jimmie was entertaining but there is a reason why he no longer has huge audiences watching his shows.
@@phalynwilliams4119 It was supposed to be Esther’s show, she even had top billing over John Amos but the star of the show was JJ. Other than maybe my grandma nobody watched because of Esther. A black woman’s scorn is like no other. Jimmie Walker said they didn’t even talk to him off set. It feels like hate disguised as worrying about the show’s direction. I appreciate your opinion although I disagree with you.
Truth Indeed
His character was extremely bright and quick witted and a very gifted atrtist. However, I can see why some people had trouble seeing past the bufoonery.
I liked this show as a kid. I remembered the kids getting into trouble, and I saw the mom & dads’ reactions as appropriate and saw those aspects of the show as cautionary tales and good PSAs while also being funny.
I find Jimmie Walker very down to earth
Esther was smart enough to come back when she saw TV rolls weren't coming her way. John even admitted in an interview that he wished he had kept his mouth shut. When he was unalived off the show, he couldn't come back. Janet DuBois, along with Janet Jackson, did a great job filling in on that iconic show.
No the show begged Esther to come back John Amos said he’s happy he spoke up cause without them firing him he would of never got the role of Adult Kunta Kinte in Roots
I'm just glad she came back whether they begged her or not. JJ's character never changed, so her leaving was a disappointment, but it never stopped the show. JJ was the breakout star regardless. I actually watched the interview where John said he wished he didn't complain. Being on Good Tmes probably helped him get the roll in Roots. It's all water I under the bridge now. May Esther rest in Heavenly Peace, and may John stay blessed.
@@bettyA7598 they did beg her to come back and offered her more money and then she made demands which they obliged too like her character not being married to an atheist. Esther Rolle even during the creation of Good times demanded her character have a husband cause it was originally supposed to be a single mother with 3 kids and refused that so they had to listen to her.
JJ the breakout star because of his coonery and buffoonery antics wearing the chicken hat from his job and yelling dynomite every 2 minutes John Amos had no regrets he clearly said you got the 2 younger kids Thelma who wants to be a doctor and Micheal who wants to be a judge but the show is centering around JJ one punchline character. The black community looked up to Esther and John to be represented properly and this buffoonery of JJ was not what they wanted.
John had no regrets he only said he wished he went about things a better way. In his interview he said they called him with good news and bad news the good news was that the show had been picked up for a 4th season the bad news was he won’t be returning and he said ok that’s cool click hung up on them.
@@bettyA7598 like I said earlier his coonery and buffoonery antics made him the breakout star and originally his character was supposed to have a 6th grade education only and not know how to read.
@@bettyA7598
Excuse me but what the heck is "unalived off the show"? Child, you need to go back to school and learn how to talk and write a complete sentence. You sound ignorant as hell.
I have to ask Esther Rolle, how do you expect the show to be funny with all serious smart children? Your husband James, his character was based as an uneducated poor man trying to take care of his wife and family with a low wage, and you are a broke housewife. The show needed someone to stand out, and it was JJ.
Another successful show followed the same direction & ingredients as Good Times, but they switched it up a bit.... The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The husband & wife was successful & had good money and the children was smart, but the nephew was goofy & funny and grew up different than them. Without Will Smith's character, the show wouldn't have worked.
The same is true with Family Matters. The show was ok in the first sesson, but the ratings were low. But when they added Steve Urkel, a standout character, the show ratings shot to the roof.
So sometimes you need a standout character to make the show work. Without JJ, Good Times would've lasted 1 season. With him, it lasted 5 seasons
So True. And Good Times To Me Was Already Balanced. Funny/Goofy Eldest Son, Strikingly And Stunning HOTT Daughter, First Black TV Crush At That And A Brilliant, Intelligent And Smart Son. A Strict, Tough Dad Who Took No Prisoners And A GOD Fearing Mother!
In the end, JJ used his creative talents to become a graphic artist for a corporation and became the "man of the house". Thelma and Michael were boring. Thelma was supposed to go to college to become a doctor but ended up dropping out to marry a football player.
@@nassauguy48 Michael was a straight A student who was trying to be a lawyer.
The character jj was a buffoon!! Point blank period!! The character was created in the image of white writers on how they thought a black man should be!!
It was a comedy. No one else was a comedian. They can't get over the fact that they were not center stage and never were. No matter how you feel about Walker, the series worked, for Black & White audiences. As for Amos, he went on to be in "The Watermelon Heist", "Lets Do It Again" & "Madea's Witness Protection", all Very negative portrayals of Black people & Black Culture. Petty Jealousy.
A friend of mine did a guest appearance on good times. He said it was very strange and uncomfortable as the actors obviously did not like each other. (Ralph and Bernadette not included)
Jimmie Walker got along with Bernadette Stanis, who played Thelma.
My friends and I while growing up (for the most part) were fascinated with this show. It was a reflection of our own lives in the South Bronx living in decrepit public housing before the Giuliani era in NYC. But the real draw for us was the only difference the show had from our own actual lives, and that's the fact that the Evans family had a FATHER in the household. One who not only protected his family at all costs but disciplined his kids as needed and kept on trying to get them all out of the hood towards a better life. But all in all they were complete in that little apartment with each other. Killing him (James Evans) off the show on the count of some grown actors not being able to behave like professionals RUINED Good Times for us. Seriously, it's just a job, it's not real life.
His being killed off wasn't due to the dynamics between the actors, Amos was there for 3 of the 6 seasons. It was about his relationship with the producers and the fact that they didn't want him on the show in the first place.
@@truelife974 Norman Lear fired him because they constantly butted heads over his character & probably Jimmie Walker's as well
This was the same complaint the professional actors had with Martin Lawerence. The drama on the set eventually kills the show. Frustrating for the fans who tune in for a laugh.
Martin Lawrence screamed and hollered at the cast when things didn't go his way on his TV show.
It's always so mazing how all these sitcom cast members on all these shows never seem to get alone. This is just as shocking as Cole not getting alone with Martin Lawrence on the show Martin.
And his character could read and write. Remember the season where he wrote and sold funny hallmark style cards with his art on the cover? I know there was tension but I am not sure I am buying that it was so bad they never spoke to one another. It would have shown through the chemistry they had or lack there of. It was a groundbreaking show for its time and I still watch it. Had a crush on Thelma and she still looks good but Michael looks sort of sickly. Sorry I talked your head off. Lol. Have a great 2024.
He didn't get along with Bill Cosby, when he was Cockroach, either!
@@FreddieArmstrong-ps7it -
In the first year, J.J. was failing in high school and was supposed to had been left back. The only reason why the school didn't was because he parents showed up and talked to the school officials, with J.J. promising he was going to work harder in school. The first season spend more time showing J.J. as a silly high school student going through the growing pains of young adulthood.
@@thespadestable You are right. It took a while for the character to evolve. The last episode in the last season was beyond ridiculous. Still love that Ole show though. It was what it was. To me it was over when John Amos was fired.
@@thespadestable I wonder what a spinoff would have been like? Good Times version of What's Happening Now! Lol.
Before there was a Will Smith of Bel Air there was Jimmy Walker of Good times..💯👍🏿💯👍🏿💯👍🏿
I Loved This Show ❤
Me too 😢
Esther Rolle and John Amos were serious actors. I read that on one show, shot live, the family was supposed to say a prayer at the dinner table and Jimmie didn't take off his hat. Esther Rolle, ad libbing, sternly told him to take it off for the prayer. Jimmie paused, then took off his hat. If Jimmie really was interested in acting, in the 1970s, how could he not want to establish a relationship with them. Anyway, loved that show.
Jimmie is friends with Ralph and BerNadette. Too bad his parents wanted nothing to do with him.
How. when they ignored him all the time. you can't control other people. he did his job reguardless of the jealous energy
There was clique energy on the set, obviously. So, at least Jimmie had friends.
Ester said her and John wanted the show to go in another direction like, doing an episode about what was going on in the world like discrimination and topics of that sort but the producers were more into hearing ja say dy- no- mite! So that was part of the riff she and John had with the show
Actors are not the writers. At some point they have to give up control to the producers. unless they become the producer themselves. Suck it up and take the money. its not like the show was so awful their names couldn't be attached to it. They ruined the show with discontent. I could see how it all bothered them but it is what it is lol
@@kathikay8942 The writers were all white and the actors had to rewrite the scripts because the white people didn't know the black voice and wanted to tell stories that white people wanted to see of Black people. So, if you understand the history. You wouldn't say that.
John Amos & Esther Rolle were great, Jimmy was so funny! I grew up with this show. Once John Amos left, it wasn't the same.🥺
My favorite part of Good Times is when JJ goes in on Thelma’s cooking, lol.
I also loved the way JJ made fun of Bookman.
Loved "Good Times" growing up. My brother, along with my single mom, watched and enjoyed the plots. As a young boy, I always enjoyed the antics of J.J. and we'd impersonate him when able. As a grown Black Man with a mature mind and...who has lived in America...I can truly understand Esther Roll and John Amos' concern. So many social issues, while soothed by the laughter of the masses, effectively hide the realities of structural racism, the devalued image of a strong Black Father, the unbreakable bond and love of a caring, spiritual Black woman for her husband and children...despite all odds. There's no better example of why Black people must control the imagery and messaging for our community. Others, like Norman Lear, who is said, completely stole the ideas of many of the Black shows, only see $$. Unfortunately, that mentality has infected so many Black and Brown youth to this very day!!
Always enjoyed this show. Jimmie was the coolest cat on tv when i was a kid.
Actually, regardless of what Esther said, Jimmie Walker WAS a good role model for the black community and population, nationally. I'm from the south, Athens Alabama. His image was THE FIRST BLACK person that my parents invested in, I remember how my dad threw his head back in a big belly laugh watching the show, my brother and I were the first 2 kids, I was in 6th grade and my brother in 5th grade, we wore identical red sweat shirts to school, with the image of Jimmie, as JJ, index finger up, and the timeless catch phrase, "dyn-o-mite" was my first time loving someone for them, other than how they looked! (Color) Jimmie Walker done a hell of a lot more for the black people than Esther could have EVER dreamed! Jimmie, was and still is, a major role model for ALL races, the human race! God made him, God always knows what he's doing! Thank you, Jimmie for being a REAL humanitarian!
He played a buffoon character!!
@edubb1luv100 yes he did! And his natural talent overshadowed his co-stars. This is the reason for THEIR annomosity
@paulstokes1831 if you wanna call that natural talent!! Being a modern day minstrel man!
No he wasn't! He was an goof ball. James had a problem with that. It was black people you didn't have strive to be more than just a goofball that was the whole purpose of why they did that when James went to the producers they fired him right after that he had an interview about that. And that's why the show went down. Which due on TV is different what you do in real life people ain't going to really follow him like that
I think most Blacks would disagree with your assessment that "Good Times" was a good role model for the black community. There were a handfull of episodes that were interesting, but the J.J. character turned it into a clown show.
I saw Jimmie maybe 43 years ago in a small venue in North Miami Beach on the same bill with Eddie Fisher, Donald O'Connor and Jackie Mason (a few years before his HUGE Broadway comeback). What I remember distinctly about this show - all four were great - is that Jimmie only got 15 minutes. He was the first one to go on. The others got 30 minutes and I don't think Jimmie was too happy about that.
Oh i just remembered something else: I went to a performing arts high school in Fort Lauderdale and if I remember correctly, Esther lived in Pompano Beach. She came to speak to us budding actors, dancers singers. I remember her being down to earth and very gracious. This was probably 1981 or 82.
Yes I miss seeing Jackie's name up on the markie in Miami Beach. I really regret not going to see his show He was really funny... old school nyc. You never knew what he was going to say next. lol
I see JJ Walker all the time at planet fitness in Las Vegas
Is he in shape?
@@darylwoodard1054 he looks in pretty good shape for 76, but he doesn't like to wipe the equipment down when he finish using them
Dynoooomite!
Which one?
Jimmie Walker refuses to mingle with his fans.
She didn't want people to have the impression that all black kids were JJ.
Soooo a Karen 😂😂😂
Jimmie was "canceled" as in "cancel culture" and really never worked again in Hollywood after good times. That what he talked about in his stand up act that I saw which i mentioned below in another comment. Funny how it's all coming back to me because of this video. Thank you.
Jimmie Walker got plenty of work after Good Times. Jimmie had appeared on TV shows, movies, and game shows. He did better than the rest of the cast when Good Times left the air in 1979.
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc I think Big Bad meant to say that as amazingly as popular that Jimmie was on this show, he never had another major hit tv show or film either.
He was basically the lead in an early 1980s Sgt Bilco/A Team type American Military type comedy called “At Ease” (also starred another 1970s TV Star that got typecast David Naughton with the show and hit song “Making It) that only lasted a season.
With that said, you make a good point that Mr Walker was the only regular cast member on Good Times(not counting “Penny” of course aka Janet Jackson) to get work almost 50 years later.
@@americangiant1003 Ralph Carter, who played Michael on the show thought that he was going to have a major singing career outside Good Times but his career fizzled when the sitcom went off the air in 1979.
He also isn't a Democrat
@@schewitt1977 Lol, Americans...found a way to work "us vs. them" polarized politics into this topic? That's an American talent right there. Kudos
GOD-BLESS ALL OF THEM ❤❤❤❤❤SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR PROBLEMS 😢
i guess thatz the true meaning of acting cause i couldnt tell- that lz my all time favorite sitcom next to sanford & son, im glad he'z good well ......
As a little kid watching that show, I had a crush on Penny lol.
I've watched American television since the 1960's and the studio executives and producers have always been uncomfortable with a strong black male figure being the catalyst for the television shows. That's why Norman Lear fired John Amos and shows like The Lazarus Syndrome and Paris didn't last long.
I can see why they were upset at times. I remember the episode about the dad's gun was missing. Everyone in the apt was looking for it and JJ said maybe a moth ate it. Just look for a pregnant moth. Bad timing and it was a stupid joke at a serious time.
Yeah I definitely agree, what JJ said during that scene was so cringe.
Miss Esther Rolle is more than 8 years older than Jimmy Walker she's from Pompano Beach her and my mother used to do farm work and if my mother was alive today she would be 95 years old Ms Esther Rolle was older than her
John Amos was 8 years older than Jimmy Walker Not Esther Rolle. In Real life She was 19 yrs Older Than. John Amos
An 8 year old father?
@@zeidenmedia8 years OLDER THAN.
@@truelife974 John Amos is 8 years older than Jimmie Walker. So, when Jimmie Walker was born, John Amos was 8 years old.
I'm Kinda Puzzled By Jimmie's Stand Offishness With The Good Times Cast Members. Maybe I Should or Shouldn't Be Because I'm Stand Offish Myself. But It Just Takes Time For Me To Get Comfortable Around People. I Would Think If I Was in Jimmie's Position on a Show For 5 Years, There Would Become a Time When I Would Speak To My Cast Members. 🤷🏾
Or become like a family.
I loved the show it really was great. I miss it so much
I’m not they complained about his character
He was the star cast member, and that aroused jealousy. Also, I don't think he was vocal about it then, but politically, he is a conservative Republican. Who knows, maybe that added fuel to the fire.
It wasn't so much him as it was the other cast members. He stated he was pretty open to them but they weren't because he was truly a comedian, not so much an actor.
I agree when John Amos left the show was never the same.
At least we got to see Janet Jackson.
Good Times was a spin off from Maude. It was supposed to be Ester Rolles show, but Jimmy Walker ended up stealing the spotlight with his portrayal of JJ on the show. This brought a lot of envy and jealousy from Ester Rolle and John Amos who were more seasoned actors. Same thing happened in Family Matters where Erkel who was supposed to only be in one episode, ended up being the star of the show....
Jaleel White had been working in Hollywood for many years before he finally landed a role that stuck.
Blessings I really like JJ and he made the show
@nevinreid311No John Amos and Esther Rolle made the show, as soon as John Amos quit the ratings went straight down to the bottom! Esther Rolle is the only actor on that show that was winning Emmy awards, for her role.
@nevinreid311 Yeah but listening to his version it sounds pretty different. It sounds like she was pretty mean to him or either he was really arrogant! Every time I see him do an interview he's never said anything nice about John Amos or Esther Rolle.
@nevinreid311 But Javel White was the star on that show. It's different with Jimmie Walker situation because, Esther Rolle won all the Emmy awards and was paid more money 💰 than anyone else, so she was basically the star.
Jimmie you got one things 💯 " PEOPLE LIE FOR KNOW REASONS AT ALL!
I always watched Good Times.
I love Jimmy Walker he is amazing
Amazing the professionals they were, not to let this interfere with the show, etc.
James and Florida, we’re really like James and Florida and that’s respect! Peace!
I heard that his fellow Cast Members, especially Esther and John felt that the J.J character was Buffoonery and made the series Into a Stereotype Character "Dynamite" !!!! Was definitely funny but probably looked at like Tap Dancing, Bucking ,Buffoonery for the White Man , I'm sure most Black folks don't want to be portrayed or made to look like a Clown, Buffoon and take offense to that type of humor that seems to be a lot more Popular amongst white audiences than the Black Community. Jimmie Walker definitely a Great stand up Comedian. It could also be because he was a Conservative Republican. Many People feel like it's because, "Skin folk ain't always kin folk" . It's sad that the cast didn't get along or weren't friendly.
Did you say that Jimmie walker was a great stand up comedian? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 that's a effing joke in itself!! You couldn't have seen his stand ups to make a comment like that!
@@edubb1luv100 Wrong !!!!!! I seen his stand up plenty of times !!! And he's funny , in my opinion he was always good . To disagree is fine with me. Sure he's not the best or even a favorite. I'm not a fan or anything. He's definitely not the best Stand up Comedian out there. Do you dislike him or something? Let me know why . I began to dislike him when I found out he's a Trumpster and a Republican !!!! LOL. Same thing with Roseanne Barr, she's funny and also a good Stand up Comedian but not as good as the great ones. Plus she's unhinged and unstable.
@@edubb1luv100LMAO!!! Agreed. I’ve seen his standup and it was God awful. I saw it for free and still wanted my money back. I didn’t care for his character in the show either.
This is true. I was at a recent 50 year cast reunion anniversary and Jimmie recounted this same story
Wow another clickbait said nothing in detail why he hated the two
Because he didn't actually hate her. They just weren't friends. I hate lying, struggle channels that have to lie.
@@detroitbuffalo I knew it was a lie because, it's hard for me to believe that Jimmie Walker hates anybody because, he's not that kind of a person. Besides it takes someone with a cold, evil heart to hate anybody. What can a person do to you to make you hate them? If somebody does any wrongdoing, you have to forgive them because, if you carry a lifelong grudge against somebody, it's only going to make your own life miserable and more stressful. If you forgive, you'll make peace with yourself, the other person and most of all, with God.
I was in 4th grade when the first season aired. Loved it.
Jimmy Walker didn't mind being a stereotype,,,💯
He ended up dating a white nationalist, Ann Coulter.
I’m so glad they’re still alive!!
True comedian! Loved JJ!
The character J J stepped up and became a better. By far better bread winner of either of his parents. I believe his character was a great role model. Showing how he overcomes the hardships left on his shoulders by parents. That struggled so hard just to make it from pay day to pay day. They each made their decisions and each made the show better in their own ways.
Jimmy Walker made the whole show! Without him, Good Times would not have been as funny as it was!
I agree!
I absolutely loved that show as a kid! I even had JJs poster on my wall. Sad to find out the cast didnt like each other. I do think there was a bit of jealousy on the set. But how was that Jimmys fault? Everybody loved his character and wanted to see more of him. GenX had some great shows to watch.
What I had gotten from this show was that you may not know what Theorems or compare and contrast represent, but you have a talent that can be utilized. Cooking, Sewing, etc....His was ART. Yes, you need to crack open a book, but you have a talent that can be utilized to make a living.
Thank you, Mr Walker!
Amos and Rolle were great actors, and I tend to agree with their positions in respect to the show.
Here's the thing - Esther and John were not wrong. They wanted the show to progress and the character of JJ to mature a bit and be a little more serious and a little less the fool. They wanted a black family to be depicted a little more accurately. John had a point about portraying them as stable and hard-working, but still struggling rather than have James flitting from job to job and relying on welfare in between. Then, of course, you couple that with the fact that just as he had screwed the entire cast of Gilligan's Island out of any royalties, Norman Lear didn't even want to pay ANY of them what they were truly worth. He made a fortune off their backs... It's no wonder they walked.
John Amos was killed off the show he didn't leave the show.
John Amos was fired.
He was killed off the show because he left the show you couldn't keep alive if he wasn't there.
@tyn833 John Amos was fired. There is a video on you tube with him talking about how he was fired.
I have no argument about that.
thats how they explaind his departure.
I don't give a damn what nobody says, JJ was funny as hell on Good Times. One of the funniest characters I've ever seen in TV history.
Esther and John should have overlooked that because it was not Jimmy Walker's decision or idea to put him forth. So everybody watched the show because of him. Truthfully you can't get mad at that.
The fans loved Jimmie Walker and Esther Rolle and John Amos couldn't deal with it.
John & Esther Understood How Blk Ppl Family Dynamics Can Be So Easily Turned Negative.
Damn.......Jimmy speaking his truth
Well I certainly missed comedy like this. JJ walker was funny. He wasn't violent disrespectful and he didn't have a file mouth. We wouldn't a have a comedy duo like John and JJ until the social media RUclips comedy duo NBA Qwan and Uncle Howard in the early to mid 2020s. This 2020s duo really have and still do have people cracking up.😊
My cousin Timmy had one of those J.J. talking dolls and the Flip Wilson talking doll because I used to play with them all the time 😀
Loved JJ/the best part of the show !
I was a teenager when that show ran, loved it at first, but the show started to depress me after a while, because the family seems like they could'nt get a break no matter how hard they tried, i understood the primiss of the hard times in the ghetto, but i could only take so much of it. I also did'nt realize how much of that tv show i had missed one day i caught an old rerun they had a lot of actors iv'e never seen before,
Jj was a one trick pony, his career basically started and ended with that show
He did stand up comedy and movies Murder Can Hurt You also Let's Do It Again.
The younguns in these comments are the reason for the decay in our culture
He really was!
Yes he was in a couple bad movies. Ive also heard other comics say he thought he was better than them because of goodtimes and very many people didnt care for his personality and that was a big reason he wasnt successful after goodtimes, and very homophobic.
@@thelog86 Jimmie Walker is on the conservative side like myself. So I've still enjoyed watching him.
I heard this story many times that John Amos was jealous of JJ because JJ was becoming the star of the show and he didn't like being upstaged, I don't know why Esther left I heard it was about she didn't like the way the direction of the show was going or else about some money
Both ultimately came crawling back to Norman Lear: Esther returned to "Good Times" while John starred in the ill fated "704 Hauser Street" which was canceled after five episodes.
@tyn833 -
He wasn't jealous of Jimmy Walker due to the fame, he (John Amos) was upset Jimmy did not do more with the fame and influence it was perceived Jimmy had. But at that time, Jimmy was a 27-year-old standup comic was offered the role, but really didn't want.
In an interview, Jimmy told the story that he had secured the role, and the studio purchased a plane ticket for him to fly to L.A. to begin early production work. Instead of him being on the flight, he ventured off to do on the road shows. Somehow Norm tracked his location, gave him a call, and told him he had better drive to a specific airport in his location, because there would be a ticket waiting for him.
All it was was a 35 year old Black actor with a much bigger view of the world and social political foresight than a 27-year-old standup comedian who was given a once in a lifetime opportunity. And there was no "How to Handle Hollywood Success for Dummies" book to gain some kind of directions of how to wield it.
Starring in Roots, Coming to America, and The West Wing hardly had anything to do with John Amos "crawling back" to Norman Lear. John Amos continued to have a successful and productive acting career. Stop woth your false narratives, @@nassauguy48
Esther left after they killed off James and had holier than thou Florida Evans meet and marry an atheist.
Esther Rolle had to fight to even have a husband on the show despite the fact that this series is a spin off of Maude....where it's shown Florida had a damned husband. In the original draft, JJ couldn't read and wasn't even in school. He was the definition of lazy and shiftless. During season one, there was to be an underage sexual subplot leading to Thelma believing she was pregnant.
So, in one season she had to fight against a purposely established broken home, an uneducated and extremely lazy Black male and a teenaged pregnancy scare.
Almost every stereotype in the book. This is why Esther got fed up.
@@janellejulianajoy, your comments are the truth. Esther demanded that she have a husband before signing onto the series.
Shame on John & Esther.
The whole point of the show was to grow up poor, but not be a victim of your own circumstances. Don't let the traps of the ghetto and the devil take you down.
JJ wasn't good in school and that's been discussed in The book " Countering the conspiracy to destroy black boys ", but he was a brilliant artist, who was nice with the paintbrush.
There were many shows that showed him make good decisions in bad situations, like thinking he had a STD ( which promoted safe sex ) & not joining street gangs.
He got out of a toxic relationship with a woman who said she was going to leave her husband, but she didn't. He had a girlfriend (Debbie Allen) he was going to marry, but she left him because she was a heroin addict.
He had a horrible job delivering fried chicken, but stayed focused & managed to start his own business! I could go on & on.
& i just found out John Amos had a recurring gay role on 2&a half men. 😮
& 1 of Esther's last roles was a maid in the kitchen, so in the end how much were they really concerned with the image the black youth see on tv?
J.J.s character was goofy, but never promoted anything wrong. It was a sit-com, not a PBS documentary.
Amen, JJ had his own business and stepped up to take care of his family!
My mom met Esther Roll and they talked like they were old friends, Esther said Jimmy was a fool, she didn't care for him much at all
Jimmie Walker wasn't crazy about Esther Rolle, either.
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc so it seems
I heard that Esther was very difficult to work with while John had a tendency to creatively clash with directors and producers. In the end, both came "crawling" back to Norman Lear. While John genuinely believed that the character of JJ was demeaning, I think Esther was simply jealous of the "star of the show" status that Jimmie had achieved. John was fired by Norman Lear but came back years later to star in the ill fated "704 Hauser Street' which was canceled after the fifth episode. Esther came back to "Good Times" when she found out that no one was calling upon her, but by then, the show was sinking. Ironically, JJ did become a respectable and responsible character, but that was one of the reasons why the show went down. Also, I am not sure if Jimmie, a very conservative Republican, made his political views known at that time, but if so, I would not be surprised if that earned him the resentment of John and Esther. (He probably did not announce his political views, as Lear would never have hired him).
John Amos clashing with Norman Lear is no different than Robert Reed clashing with Sherwood Schwartz or any other actor or actress clashing with creators and directors. Everyone has an employment future they are trying to preserve in the business. The 70's was a time in television that many people who did not exist don't quite understand, and there were a lot of mistakes made by many parties, in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the business office. But it was a period that had to've been traveled.
Amos said he had differences on how JJ charactor was being portrayed. It was a comedy. No one else was a comedian, thats why JJ carried it. They can't get over the fact that they were not center stage on this series and never were in anything else. No matter how you feel about Walker, the series worked, for Black & White audiences. As for Amos, he went on to be in "The Watermelon Heist", "Lets Do It Again" & "Madea's Witness Protection", all Very negative portrayals of Black people & Black Culture. Petty Jealousy.
@@BrahT-dh4qn -
I guess you don't realize Good Times first aired in 1974? There was already an issue with Black actors about Amos & Andy, Buckwheat, and how television projected Blacks and Black men on the television screen. Not to exclude the show was coming off of the 1960's Civil Rights advancements.
There was already behind the camera tug of wars on how Diahann Carroll's "Julia" character was going to be projected back 1968, with Fred Williamson being able to land his role as her steady boyfriend, because he put a bug in creator Hal Kanter's ear that her having a different "boyfriend" nearly every week made her, as a Black woman, look like a whore, though she was an educated nurse, a widow of a husband who died in Vietnam, and a single mother.
Sorry, but stop chasing red herrings!
@@BrahT-dh4qn I agree!
@@nassauguy48Esther Rolle and John Amos had inflated egos.
I never understood James’s jealousy of JJ. I was in fifth grade during the heyday, why would little kids care about anybody but JJ? It would make no sense! He made it funny!
I STOPPED WATCHING, AFTER THEY KILLED OFF JAMES!✔😢😢😮😮 !THOUGHT JJ WAS A BUFFOON!✔
🎯
I've only seen it in reruns, and I agree.
I still watch regularly to this day. I will admit, however, that I don't care for the episodes without James and Florida.
Well I could see how that happened. It's sad it had to be that way.
Jimmie Walker was the star of that show and while Thelma and Michael aided to the show success so did Esther and John but the entirety of the show seem to be revolved around Jimmy Walker's comedy. And I do understand from what I've read that Esther Rolle left because he was given better parts and more visual moments
The TV show was a comedy , not a drama. Esther Rolle and John Amos wanted to turn the sitcom into a drama.
She left because they killed off her husband and forced her into a new relationship immediately afterwards.
Walker has stated publicly many times that the GT cast were co-workers vs friends (but this also was the case with the GG cast. Both Bea Arthur & Victoria Principle drew a professional line in the sand and did not mix professional vs personal relationships).
Bea Arthur was super mean to Betty White.
@@RawOlympia I never got the impression that any of the Golden Girls cast were personal friends. If they were all seated together at an awards ceremony, they were professional & cordial but NOT personal friends (That is not unique to these ladies, that is very common in the industry.)....It was no secret that Terri Hatcher did not have a personal relationship with any of DH cast.....If you notice, NONE of the cast members from Maude ever guest-starred on The GG.
@@hardren101 Interesting ~ I still find it bizarre that Quentin Tarantino was in an episode - it''s too bad they didn't get along, like Weezy and George on The Jeffersons, who were great friends off air.
@@RawOlympia That's not uncommon in the industry.
@@RawOlympia Betty White was ultra silly. Made fun of Estelle Getty's Alzeimers symptoms. Everyone doesn't find such actions funny.
I grew up on good times and had no idea he was still even alive let alone that he has done anything since. So I am not sure how "successful" his career has been.
Esther roll and John Amos was very good actors trying to have strong black family's I can see as JJ grow why they got mad JJ got silly at times and even a little stupid and annoying and it's still a test to show a strong black family I'm tired of jimmy Walker and his complaints about Esther roll and John Amos maybe they was not that nice but jimmy Walker wasn't close to one person on the show he's cricole and comes across arigint you can't tell me not one person on the show he couldn't get along with especially being on there for five years he played a roll in that he want tried to make sure writers he knows put him in each and ever show he said that he did that with writers he knew I'm sure he liked them so he needs to stop talking about how he felt about Esther roll or John Amos because both had other acting rolls and showed there talent prove to be good actors and they could get along with other actors I would say that to his face
BS he was close to Ralph and Bernadette.
God rest your soul John Amos, Esther Rolle and all other talented, and God-gifted performers. 🙏🏿♥️🌈. Sad 😞. I grew up watching "Good Times". I thank God I have the entire series on DVD. I like the show because it's very realistic. They address the same issues we face today: unemployment, inflation, challenging gender roles, ect. The title "Good Times", is quite opposite of the Evans' struggles, however, their actions created "good times". They relied on their strong faith in God, and each other to get through trials. They had little, but did a lot with what they had. J.J. used cardboard for canvas, Florida sewed her daughter a prom dress, and they created a home-based repair shop (until Mr. Bookman interfered 😩) And in the first episode, Mr. Evans shot pool to pay the rent, and other examples of resilience. I pray to be like my parents, ancestors, the Evans, and their loyal neighbor and friend Willona. Wayyyyy easier said than done, but I plan to use this show, to motivate me, to try to find the "good times" when things are anything but good 😊