"Good Times" (1974)TV series 1974-1979

Creators:

Mike Evans
Eric Monte
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

8 February 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A poor Afro-American family make the best of things in the Chicago housing projects.

Plot Keywords:

Insult | Poor Family | Housing Project | Sentimental | Sibling

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Aug. 21	10:30 AM	TVLAND	Entertainment, Evans Style	#5.24
Thur. Aug. 21	11:00 AM	TVLAND	Florida Gets a Job	#6.5

Cast

BernNadette Stanis	...	Thelma Evans Anderson / ... (98 episodes, 1974-1979)
Jimmie Walker	...	James 'J.J.' Evans, Jr. / ... (98 episodes, 1974-1979)
Ralph Carter	...	Michael Evans (96 episodes, 1974-1979)
Ja'net DuBois	...	Willona Woods (86 episodes, 1974-1979)
Esther Rolle	...	Florida Evans (83 episodes, 1974-1979)
John Amos	...	James Evans, Sr. / ... (53 episodes, 1974-1976)

(more)

Series Directed by
Herbert Kenwith		(39 episodes, 1974-1976)
Gerren Keith		(18 episodes, 1976-1979)
Bob LaHendro		(3 episodes, 1974)
Donald McKayle		(3 episodes, 1974)
Jack Shea		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Eric Monte		(53 episodes, 1974-1979)
Mike Evans		(52 episodes, 1974-1979)
Norman Lear		(25 episodes, 1974-1979)
John Baskin		(18 episodes, 1974-1977)
Norman Paul		(12 episodes, 1974-1978)
Jack Elinson		(10 episodes, 1974-1975)
Roger Shulman		(9 episodes, 1974-1976)
Bob Peete		(6 episodes, 1974-1976)
Kurt Taylor		(4 episodes, 1974-1976)
Wayne Kline		(4 episodes, 1978-1979)
John Donley		(3 episodes, 1974)
Allan Manings		(3 episodes, 1975-1976)
Dick Bensfield		(3 episodes, 1975)
Perry Grant		(3 episodes, 1975)
Austin Kalish		(3 episodes, 1977)
Irma Kalish		(3 episodes, 1977)
Michael G. Moye		(3 episodes, 1978)
Thad Mumford		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Bill Davenport		(2 episodes, 1974)
Lou Derman		(2 episodes, 1974)
Roland Wolpert		(2 episodes, 1974)
Sid Dorfman		(2 episodes, 1977-1978)
John Ashley Hamilton		(2 episodes, 1977)
Joseph Bonaduce		(unknown episodes)
Jay Leno		(unknown episodes)
David Letterman		(unknown episodes)
Paul Mooney		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Allan Manings	....	executive producer / producer (20 episodes, 1974-1977)
Norman Paul	....	producer / executive producer (17 episodes, 1975-1979)
Jack Elinson	....	producer (14 episodes, 1975-1977)
Whitney J. LeBlanc	....	associate producer (9 episodes, 1975-1976)
Austin Kalish	....	executive producer / producer (8 episodes, 1977-1978)
Irma Kalish	....	executive producer / producer (8 episodes, 1977-1978)
George Sunga	....	associate producer / producer (8 episodes, 1977-1978)
Viva Knight	....	associate producer (5 episodes, 1975)
Norman Lear	....	executive producer (3 episodes, 1974-1975)
Sid Dorfman	....	producer (3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Ken Stump	....	associate producer (3 episodes, 1978-1979)
Camilla Dunn	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1974)
Gordon Mitchell	....	producer (2 episodes, 1978)
Lloyd Turner	....	producer (2 episodes, 1978)
Don Nicholl	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Bernard West	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Tucker Wiard		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Marco Zappia		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Jane Murray		(3 episodes, 1974-1976)

Series Art Direction by
Edward Stephenson		(2 episodes, 1974-1976)
Don Roberts		(unknown episodes)

Series Set Decoration by
Charles Kreiner		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)

Series Makeup Department
Al Schultz	....	makeup artist (1 episode, 1976)

Series Production Management
Dick Brooks	....	unit manager (12 episodes, 1975-1977)
Norman Lear	....	production supervisor (9 episodes, 1975-1977)
Alan Horn	....	production supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gary Shimokawa	....	assistant director (1 episode, 1975)
Hal Alexander	....	associate director (1 episode, 1976)
Donald Roberts	....	unit director (1 episode, 1979)

Series Art Department
Ernie Barnes	....	paintings by (3 episodes, 1974-1976)
Larry Vigus	....	carpenter (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Terry Hensey	....	audio (1 episode, 1974)
Ray Kemper	....	sound (1 episode, 1975)
Hal Kolker	....	audio consultant (1 episode, 1976)
James L. Mylenek	....	audio (1 episode, 1976)
Art Warshaw	....	audio consultant (1 episode, 1976)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Ed S. Hill	....	lighting director (2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Steven Castaneda	....	dimmer operator (unknown episodes)
Art Roberts	....	lighting director (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rita Riggs	....	wardrobe / costumer (3 episodes, 1974-1976)

Series Music Department
Dave Grusin	....	composer: theme music (1 episode, 1975)

Series Other crew
Norman Lear	....	developer / developed for television by / ... (26 episodes, 1974-1979)
John Baskin	....	story editor (15 episodes, 1975-1977)
Allan Manings	....	script supervisor (15 episodes, 1975-1977)
Bob Peete	....	production consultant / program consultant / ... (15 episodes, 1975-1977)
Roger Shulman	....	story editor (15 episodes, 1975-1977)
Jack Elinson	....	script supervisor / story editor (14 episodes, 1974-1976)
Norman Paul	....	script supervisor / story editor (14 episodes, 1974-1976)
Hal Alexander	....	associate director (10 episodes, 1975-1977)
Jay Sommers	....	script editor (6 episodes, 1976)
Drew Handley	....	associate director (6 episodes, 1977-1979)
Sid Dorfman	....	executive script consultant / script editor (6 episodes, 1977)
Gary Shimokawa	....	associate director (4 episodes, 1975)
Buddy Borgen	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Richard Draney	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1975-1976)
Austin Kalish	....	script supervisor (2 episodes, 1977)
Irma Kalish	....	script supervisor (2 episodes, 1977)
Joseph Bonaduce	....	story editor (2 episodes, 1979)
Len Uslaner	....	technical director (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Bud Yorkin Productions
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1974-1979)
• Norman Lear/Tandem Productions (1974-1979)

Distributors

• CBS Television (1974-1979) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia Pictures Television
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001)
• Columbia TriStar Television
• Embassy Telecommunications
• P*I*T*S Films
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)

Other Companies

• CBS Television City  taping location
• Metromedia Square  taping location

Runtime:

USA:30 min (including commercials) (133 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

CBS Television City - 7800 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bud Yorkin Productions

Trivia:

The first African American family sitcom.

Goofs:

Continuity: At various points through the entire series, especially the first three seasons, references are made to the Evans family's early days in their apartment raising JJ and Thelma and giving birth to Michael. If this is true, Florida must have been commuting from Chicago to Tuckahoe, NY to work for Maude Findlay.

Quotes:

Florida: Where's Thelma?
JJ: In the bathroom, as usual. She spends more time in there than the tidy bowl man!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "TV Land Confidential: Oddballs & Original Characters (#2.1)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Good Times

Wonderful!!

This is one of my all time favorite shows. This show, to me reflected on the good side of poverty. Although the Evans family was poor and lived in the projects, they had each other. No matter how much the family suffered financially, they never turned to crime or other illegal actions to make ends meet. Throughout those times, many African American families consisted of a single mom with numerous kids. The Evans family had both parents providing stabilty and shelter for them. This show was excellent. However, there was one little pesky problem that always seemed to bother me. It seemed as if every other season, fiesty neighbor and friend Willona, always received the same promotion on her job. Everytime Willona came in with"great news", she would informed them that she was just made the "head buyer" for the boutique. Interesting...