1 An eventful, hilarious year in the Evans household
By Season Three, Good Times had fully hit its amazingly entertaining stride, delivering nonstop laughs week in and week out while beginning to introduce some more serious issues into the lives of the Evans family. People always say that J.J. got the most attention, and he certainly did draw in a lion's share of the audience (especially kids like me, who placed him behind only Fonzie on our list of characters to be imitated) with his obligatory Kid Dy-No-Mite pronouncements and hilariously goofy behavior, but the heart and soul of Good Times was still James Evans. Watching all these episodes again has been a real revelation to me. When I was a kid, I didn't like James - he sort of scared me because he was yelling all the time. As an adult, though, I have a much better appreciation of the remarkable job John Amos did playing such a strong and truly heroic husband and father who worked like a dog to support his family. Amos gives his best performance ever in Season Three's episode The Family Tree, in which he meets and comes to terms with his own father, a man who walked out on his family when James was still a kid. As for all that yelling - well, it's usually hilarious and, more importantly, understandable given the family's situation.
The Evans family experienced a number of fairly momentous events in Season Three. Thelma got engaged and almost moved to California; J.J. eloped, only finding out in the nick of time that his beloved was a junkie; Florida had to have gall bladder surgery, an event which put the family in bad economic straits for awhile (J.J.'s twelve cavities didn't help much, either); Michael got the family on the FBI watch list by requesting information from the government of Cuba; Florida got herself thrown in the slammer after picketing the local meat market (bad meat market, to be exact); Florida's bank-robbing nephew showed up and threw the family in turmoil; and J.J. learned he might have VD. Jay Leno and Debbie Allen put in guest appearances, J.J. sported his chicken- and ribs-delivery hats for the first time, Bookman turned up again and actually put on quite a show at the season-ending rent party episode (which also features the memorable "Supremes" performance), and - best of all - you had the first appearance of the man, the legend, the icon - Sweet Daddy Williams.
J.J.'s catch phrases can get a little old if you watch these episodes one after another, as do the constant arguments between J.J., Thelma, and Michael, but this was probably the show's funniest season. There is even comedy to be found in the worst of the family's struggles. Perhaps my favorite line from the whole show belongs to James - lamenting the money problems he faces after Florida's operation, he complains that his tombstone will say "Here lies James Evans, back in the hole again." Good Times was still a great show in its later seasons, but it was really never the same after Season Three and John Amos' exit.
I can't imagine not having grown up watching Good Times - during its original run and then, for many years, in syndication. I came home from school to shows like Good Times, What's Happening!!, Sanford and Son, and Happy Days; all kids have nowadays are, ugh, talk shows. Good Times was family entertainment at its best. If you're a parent, do your kids a favor and let them see just how funny TV used to be.
2 Racist?
I don' think this show is racist and i have really fond memories of the show when growing up. However i would like to know how many times has C Troxle been in South Africa? To call us racist today is as far fetched as calling Iraq the best holiday destination. You need to experience this country for yourself before you make statements like that. Yes, there is a past attached to this country that is long gone. But it is exactly the same that happened in the USA. Oppression is everywhere. But I don't go around judging or casting opinions of something I know nothing about. Try to be more positive and rather help the people with a wrong perception according to your opinion.
3 Racist Program? I don't think so!
I have the first three seasons of the series and enjoy them thoroughly. To the person who thinks the program is racist, I have one question ... How? I am white and I find absolutely nothing offensive or racist about the program. It deals with poor people carving out an honorable life for themselves. OK the Evans family is black, but the themes could apply to everyone in their economic situation. Race is not the driving point of the program.
4 The Last Season With James, Classic Episodes
The third season of Good Times is bittersweet to fans of the show because this is the last season that the patriarc of the family James will be on the show. The show was never the same after the third season and this season includes some of the funniest episodes. The show continues to push the envelope with different issues relavent to ghetto (and overall family) life in the 70's. In one episode, Florida gets a job and James finds himself jealous of the attention Florida gets at work. There are a few episodes during season three that truly stand out in the Good Times series. The episode "The Family Gun,"
"Operation Florida (where Florida needs a gall bladder operation and finds herself in a nice hospital that James is afraid he can't pay for)," the two part episodes where JJ's girlfriend (Debbie Allen) is strung out on drugs, the episode when Florida and Willona are thrown in jail for a protest outside of a grovery store that sells bad meat (and they eventually give the store manager a taste of his own meat) and there are more great episodes on this set. As the previous seasons are, there are no extras included, but if your a building your classic TV on DVD collection you won't want to miss the third season of Good Times!
5 Classic!
I am about to go and get it. I have the other two and want them all. Around the NY area, I just cannot seem to see these on TV anymore. That is the main reason bought them. If it was on TV regularly like other show, I probably could live without it.
About that dude from Australia. What in the hell is it any of his concern about the treatment of white people? The show does not take place in Melbourne and if it had given the way that they are racist (just like South Africa also. See that ANGLO connection...?) also and a Good Times over there would have been worse. They could not have even called the show Good Times because those poor natives are having bad times due to Anglo opression. Australia and New Zealand are occupied territories and still remain British outposts. The old British emipre is still intact, just without America. That is why they stand by us at any cost. If they don't, they risk having everything fall apart. I still say that they are waiting for their chance to take this land back.
6 T.V. AT IT'S BEST
this is to the person who said this show was racist to whites(NOT)t.v. then was so entertaining, I grew up in the 70's and could not wait to get home to watch good times, I have a 9 year old daughter WHO WOULD RATHER WATCH THESE EPISODES OVER ANYTHING ELSE what does that say about t.v. today? to me good times will always be a classic show because it was about real issues being poor, struggling to make ends meet, going without, something that most people then & today deal with. I WOULD SAY TO ANYONE BUY THESE CLASSICS AND CHERRISH THEM because the way t.v. is now all that is left is the classics.
7 Oh Well
To the guy that though good times was a racist show.....get over it. Good times is a show that allowed the conscience of many blacks at that time and even now to be voiced in a comedic and respectable way. Good times gives me nothing but laughs that I can relate to.... I love this show!
8 "Keeping your head above water"
I enjoyed watching Good Times growing up in the seventies and was really excited about getting home from school everyday in time to watch the reruns on televison. Good Times tackled issues on race, class, social status, the entire spectrum and the overall treatment of blacks in America as a whole especially the ones who were less educated and less fortunate than others. In response to the gentleman from Australia who wrote the review about Good Times being a racist show toward white people, I will have to disagree. African Americans have more opportunites now than they did 30, 40, 50 years ago. The show was not racist toward whites, blacks, or any other ethnic group. It basically dealt with a poor, black family who had to make do with what they had simply because they were denied opoortunities to better their situations that people like Martin Luther King Jr., Mary Bethune, Fredrick Douglas, etc..worked tirelessly and hard for, so that we could have the same opportunities as everyone else in this beautiful country of ours. To answer the gentleman's question about Good Times portraying whites in a positive light, actually there is an episode that did just that. When Wilona (Janet Du bois) was trying to adopt Penny (Janet Jackson) the social worker who was played by a white woman, almost stop the adoption process simply because Wilona was not married. But the social worker saw that Wilona had a good heart and was really sincere about providing a good, loving environment for the child, the social worker went ahead anyway with the adoption. But of course to know that you will have to buy the DVD. The producers of the show were white, in order for them to tell the story, they had to know the struggle. There you have it!
9 An Accurate Portrayal
Unlike the review from Australia, I found all of the Good Times episodes to be accurate how African Americans living in projects in the U.S.A. were treated especially if you were poor, unemployed and uneducated. The creator of the show Norman Lear who is caucasian, tackled those topics that were considered too taboo to talk about from an African American perspective.
10 A funny show.but....
Good Times was a very funny show,but it's portrayal of white people was extremely racist. White people were portrayed in two ways on this show-either incompetent or corrupt. In it's entire run,there is not one episode where a white person is shown in a positive light. If anyone disagrees with this comment,then I invite them to name one episode. It's ironic that a show about the struggles of black people would turn out to have such a hypocritical attitude. What a pity that it couldn't have been more fair and balanced as it is a funny show and did have some good themes(like discouraging kids from joining gangs). Another ironic point about the show is that the two seinor leads(John Amos and Esther Rolle)both quit in a dispute over "Mr Dynomite" getting too big a starring role over them.
11 BLACK PRIDE!!!!!
I used to love this show when I was a kid. When I would come home afterschool I used to look forward to watching Good Times it was and still is and always will be one of my favorite television shows. This show included some of the best black actors in the world in my eye; They were: John Amos, Ja'net Dubois, Esther Rolle truly a pioneer one of my idols , T.K. Carson, Johnny Brown, Roscoe Brown, Jimmie Walker, Debbie Allen, Ralph Carter, Bernadette Stanis, Ben Powers, Janet Jackson, Shirley Hemphill, Theodore Wilson, Calvin Lockhart, Rosiland Cash, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Paulene Myers, Phillip Michael Thomas, Hubert Johnson, Helen Martin, Debbi Morgan, Moses Gunn, and many many other great actors. I thank these wonderful actors/actresses because they helped pave the way and made Black Entertainment and Black Talent. I love this show it showed the real world and real lessons that go on in this cruel world. This show made me laugh and made me cry. Everytime I drink kool-aid I think about J.J. and I love the phrase "Dynomite". I love this show it also taught me Black Pride. and when I was a little girl watching them in rerunds I always looked forward to the Black Jesus, Thelma's Wedding and being married, Janet Jackson, and James episodes. I especially love the performances. My favorite performances on this disc is when Wanda needed money to pay her rent ; They had a rent party and Thelma,Wilona, and Florida performed "Stop in the name of Love" and the my favorite "Young and In Love" by Ralph Carter(Stacy Latttisaw's song). I love this show it brings back so many memories it taught a lot of lessons and showing what it like to be black and to be proud of who and what you are and that you can acheive success and that you can eventually get out of the ghetto, black talent, black everything Ilove this show. I thank the person who decided to release this on dvd thank you so much it is worth every dollar I can't wait until they finish the whole series then my GOOD TIMES collection will be complete. I wish that they would do a reunion that would be so wonderful if any Reunion show I would like to see this would be the one..........
12 Dy-No-Mite!
I love all of the Good Times DVDs. I wish Thelma's and Keith's wedding would hurry up and come out on a DVD. These shows are the best and worth the money!
13 Right on, Willona!!!
This is one of the few shows where I can honestly say that I laughed out loud. Part of the fun of watching this show, is knowing how a certain character will react in advance. You know its coming.....you're just waiting for it to happen....and it does--and you're not disappointed.
The cast has really settled into their roles. Jimmie Walker is so goofy--just the way he answers the telephone, or struts around the house in his long johns--its hard to keep a straight face. John Amos' reactions are priceless either when being tempted by a foxy lady, or reacting to J.J.'s latest outlandish behavior. Esther Rolle continues to shine as the forever optimistic Florida Evans, and turns in a thoughtful, sensitive performance. Janet du Bois is sassy as Willona. Even some of the more memorable guest stars this season will later become recurring characters: Sweet pimp Daddy Williams, the crooked Mayor, and Wanda the neighbor.
"The Rent Party" is my favorite episode of this season. While trying to raise money for a neighbor, the Evans family puts on a show. Florida, Willona, and Thelma dress up like the Supremes and sing "Stop! In the Name of Love."
Also, it's really funny to hear the studio audience react to the jokes and situations. They certainly are a lively bunch and you can almost hear them shout to the characters, "Right on, Willona!"
It's weird to hear them occasionally say the "N" word to each other. For that reason, some of the language may be viewed today as politically incorrect, but I still think we can learn something from the Evans family because there usually is a moral at the end of the story--no matter how bad and depressing life gets sometimes, you can still have Good Times. Like the theme song says, "Ain't we lucky we got 'em!"
14 Another strong Season
O'm a Huge Good times Fan&the first few years were tight until John Amos was forced off the show. the Overall Chemstry was tight.Janet dubois was a great compliment to Esther Rolle. Thelma was so fly&I still got a Crush on that Foxy Mama. but the Jimmy walker Catch phrase took over everything&left things kinda hit&Miss but with Esther Rolle&John Amos holding down ship the Show was still strong because it dealt with Issues head on. a Classic Show.
15 GOOD TIMES SERIES 1,2 AND 3
I THINK THE GOOD TIMES SERIES ARE EXCELLENT. I HAVE THE 1ST, AND 2ND SEASON AND WATCH IT ALL THE TIME. EVEN IN THE 70'S COMPARED TO NOW, POOR PEOPLE AND DISCRIMINATION ARE WELL AND ALIVE, THEREFORE SOME OF THOSE SCENES WERE NOT JUST MADE UP.
16 The last great season of Good Times
The third season of Good Times was the peak of the series as it was the last with John Amos.
The laughs kept on coming, although JJ(Jimmie Walker) was at the time the focus of the show despite the talented Amos and Esther Rolle (who also left the show when she became fed up with the buffoonery behind Walker's character).Not an episode was broadcast without one "Dy-No-Mite".
The classic episodes of the season includes The Family Gun, Florida's Protest, Cleatus, J.J.'s Fiancee ,Sweet Daddy Williams,The Investigation, and J.J. in Trouble.
Unfortunately Amos was asked to leave the show and his character was killed off in an auto accident.The show would last three more seasons (including the fifth where Rolle left the show, only to return in the final season),but it was obvious that season three was it's peak.
17 Why's this show getting pushed faster than All in the Family
I wish Columbia Star would give better restoration and DVD transfer treatment of the TV shows they're licensed to release. But that won't ever happen so I may as well clam up and be a happy mindless consumer, grateful for any scraps they charge me $30 MSRP for. :rollingeyes: What happened to giving customers quality goods that they spend their hard earned money on?
But I digress, this review is about the quality of the stories - not the quality of the medium (which should be higher, when you consider how DVD's been hyped as being a high quality medium and that other companies release even older shows that look much better...)
I digress again! I own season 1 and 2 box sets already. They are definitely worth buying. Season 1 is great stuff, if only 13 episodes. Season 2 has a lot of good moments and a few great episodes, but seems to be giving more time to what became the WORST character of the bunch, JJ. While "DYNOMITE!" was a worthy catchphrase whose delivery merely needed some polishing compared to season 1, they somehow changed the line and gave JJ a superhero status. He became "Kid DYN-O-MITE!" for some unexplained reason. This "Kid DYN-O-MITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" stuff is excessively overplayed in many episodes, is generally anything except funny (it's hubris and pointless raving egoism), not to mention the character's personality is utterly abrasive and brainless and a pain to watch at times. I'm amazed Florida puts up with half his antics and telling her how he's going to give hickeys with every girl he speaks of, as her persona in the first two seasons is the epitome of Christianity (she's far more a true Christian than many who claim to be these days...). (Also, behind the scenes, both Esther Rolle and John Amos became increasingly frustrated with the CBS execs because of Jimmy Walker and the waste of a character known as JJ. They wanted the show to have some substance, but Jimmy Walker's (now badly dated) shtick was funny at the time so he got the glory instead, and the leads were told to lump it. No wonder they both left...)
"Good Times" had real potential. Season 1 is easily the best of the bunch, with season 2 being a worthy purchase given the strength of the stories, even if JJ is starting to become a pantomime caricature... I will reluctantly purchase season 3, but I suspect it's going to be devoid of all the qualities Norman Lear was famous for in his comedies (social commentary, and all thanks to copying a British TV show when he 'created' "All in the Family"!). Season 2 is clearly more JJ-centric, with season 3 going even more in that direction despite the first couple of stories trying to remain on solid ground (the gun episode being one of the few times the execs dared to put the show to rights, but they cowered and went back to the JJ antics...)
Back to "All in the Family", that show seems to get (less than) one season per year. For a 9+ year show, this release schedule is uacceptable. Worse, the third season of AitF was due out 6 months ago in order to have maintained at annual release schedule. Could Columbia be releasing that show for ironically political reasons? But at least it's coming out, as it's arguably the best season that show had.
(And where's "Maude"?! It's the only Norman Lear-based show that hasn't been released yet...)
