Fifty years ago today, on January 18 1975, The Jeffersons debuted on CBS. While its ratings fluctuated during its run, The Jeffersons ultimately proved to be one of CBS's most successful shows from the 1970s, and ran for eleven seasons. It would also prove successful in syndication as a rerun. It can still be seen on such television outlets as Antenna TV and TV One.
The Jeffersons centred on George and Louise "Weezy' Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford), who move from a neighbourhood in Queens to a deluxe high-rise apartment complex on East 63rd Street in Manhattan. They had a grown son named Lionel (Michael Evans, Damon Evans), who was engaged and then married to Jenny Willis (Berlinda Tolbert). Jenny was the daughter of the Jeffersons' neighbours in the high-rise, Tom and Helen Willis (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker), an interracial couple who also had a grown-up son, Alan (Jay Hammer). The Jeffersons had a housekeeper, Florence Johnston, who constantly bickers with and insults George, although the two have some fondness for each other. The Jeffersons' next door neighbour was Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict), an eccentric Englishman who works as a Russian language interpreter at the United Nations. Ralph was the apartment complex's doorman, who constantly insisted on being tipped. Charlie (Danny Wells) operated the bar in the Jeffersons' apartment complex.
The origins of The Jeffersons are complicated and go back to the very first episode of All in the Family, "Meet the Bunkers," in which Mike Evans appeared as Lionel Jefferson, a friend of Archie Bunker's daughter and son-in-law, Gloria and Michael. It was Mike Evans who asked his friend Eric Monte to write a script centred around Lionel Jefferson. While the script was never produced, according to Eric Monte it was in this script that the characters of Louise and George Jefferson originated. In 1977 Eric Monte filed a lawsuit against Norman Lear, CBS, Tandem Productions, and Harry Perenchio, alleging that they had stolen his ideas for The Jeffersons, Good Times, and What's Happening!!. He ultimately received a $1 million settlement and a percentage of the residuals from Good Times.
Regardless, Louise Jefferson first appeared in the eighth episode of All in the Family, "Lionel Moves into the Neighborhood." Her husband George, although referred to on the show, would not appear until the fourth season episode, "Henry's Farewell." Norman Lear had wanted Sherman Hemsley for the role of George as early as the first season, but at the time Sherman Hemsley was appearing on Broadway in Purlie and did not want to leave the production. Until Mr. Hemsley was available to play George, George's younger brother Henry (Mel Stewart). Mel Stewart as Henry left All in the Family once Sherman Hemsley was available to play George.
Lionel, Louise, and George Jefferson weren't the only characters on The Jeffersons to have originated on All in the Family. The Willises also first appeared on The Jeffersons, although played by different actors. They appeared in the episode "Lionel's Engagement." Mr. Willis was played by Charles Aidman. Mrs. Willis was played by Kim Hamilton. Lynne Moody played Jenny. The roles wold re-cast for The Jeffersons. It was also on All in the Family that it was established George Jefferson was a dry cleaner.
During the first five seasons of All in the Family Lionel and Louise were recurring characters on the show. George was a recurring character on All in the Family starting with its fourth season. The genesis for the Jeffersons receiving their own show came about due to three Black Panthers who visited Mr. Lear's office. They pointed out that even in his own productions, Black people were portrayed as being poor. With it having already been established that George Jefferson owned a dry cleaning business, it was then easy enough to spin the characters off into their own show. Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West were credited as having created The Jeffersons, while Norman Lear was credited as having developed the show. George and Louise Jefferson's move to the high-rise apartment complex was portrayed in the All in the Family episode "The Jeffersons Move On Up," which aired a week before the debut of The Jeffersons.
The Jeffersons debuted on January 18 1975, following All in the Family. Some critics were not particularly impressed with the show's debut. Frank S. Swertlow of UPI commented, "The Jeffersons should have an option on their old house. Unless the show perks up, the Jeffersons may have to move back to Queens." Associated Press television writer Jay Sharbutt gave the show a mixed review, writing "It was a good finale for a talented cast saddle with a poor script." While some critics may not have been particularly impressed with the debut episode of The Jeffersons viewers seemed to love the show. It ranked no. 4 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1974-1975 season.
The theme song of The Jeffersons, "Movin' On Up," was written by Ja'net DuBois and Jeff Barry. Ja'net DuBois also sang the theme song, along with a gospel choir. Ja'Net DuBois also worked on another Norman Lear sitcom. She played Willona Woods on Good Times.
For the most part the cast of The Jeffersons was stable, although the show saw some changes over the years. Mike Evans left the show after its first season, so that from the second to fourth seasons, Lionel was played by Damon Evans (no relation). Mike Evans returned to play Lionel with the show's sixth season, although he would be absent for the show's ninth and tenth seasons. Despite Lionel being absent from the show for long stretches of time, Berlinda Tolbert remained with The Jeffersons for its most of its run.
Zara Cully was a regular on The Jeffersons for its first four seasons. She had first appeared in the role of George's mother in the All in the Family episode "Lionel's Engagement." She would not appear in the first 17 episodes of the third season due to a case of pneumonia, but returned to the show upon her recovery. She last appeared in the fourth season in the episode "The Last Leaf," which aired three months after her death. She was 86 years old when she died from lung cancer on February 28 1978. No episode was dedicated to the death of George's mother ever aired, although her passing was acknowledged on the show.
Paul Benedict left The Jeffersons in 1981. It was explained that Bentley had moved to the Soviet Union. He returned for the show's tenth season. Marla Gibbs's departure from The Jeffersons would be much briefer. The character of Florence was spun off into her own sitcom, Checking In, on which she was the head of housekeeping at a hotel. The Jeffersons' new housekeeper was Carmen, played by Roseanna Christiansen. As it turned out, Carmen would only appear in two episodes. Checking In received such low ratings that it only lasted four episodes. Marla Gibbs then returned as Florence to The Jeffersons.
Like many of Norman Lear's productions in the early to mid-Seventies, early in its run The Jeffersons dealt with various issues, including alcoholism, crime, gun control, illiteracy, and suicide. While it would still address various issues throughout its run, over time The Jeffersons evolved into a more traditional sitcom, with George Jefferson often coming up with schemes that Tom Willis would bet wrapped up in.
The Jeffersons was still receiving respectable ratings late in its run. For the 1983-1984 season it ranked no. 19 in the Nielsen ratings for the year. Unfortunately, for the 1984-1985 season The Jeffersons slipped completely out of the top thirty in the Nielsens. CBS abruptly cancelled the show without telling the cast, much less allowing the series to have a proper season finale. Isabel Sanford found out the show had been cancelled from one of the tabloids. Sherman Hemsley read about it in a newspaper. Marla Gibbs also read about it in a newspaper. Franklin Cover heard about it on Entertainment Tonight.
The Jeffersons would go onto a highly successful run in syndication. The Jeffersons would be released on VHS and later DVD. It can be watched on multiple streaming services. What is more, the characters would appear again from time to time. In 1993 much of the cast, including Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, and Marla Gibbs, reunited for a stage production called The Best of The Jeffersons. Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford appeared as George and Weezy in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode "Will is from Mars." They appeared again in the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which they bought the Banks's house. Sherman Hemsley and Marla Gibbs appeared as George and Florence i the House of Payne episode "Curtis Jefferson."
The Jeffersons would be one of the shows adapted for the series of specials Live in Front of a Studio Audience. Jamie Foxx played George, Wanda Sykes played Weezy, Kerry Washington played Helen, and Will Ferrell played Tom. Marla Gibbs reprised her role as Florence, making her the only one of the original cast to appear on the special. It aired on May 22 2019 on ABC.
The Jeffersons would be nominated for several Emmy Awards with regards to its cast. Isabel Sanford was nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series six times and she won once. Marla Gibbs was nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Seires five times. Sherman Hemsley was nominated for playing Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series once. The show also won the Emmy for Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series in 1983.
In some ways The Jeffersons was a groundbreaking sitcom. It was one of the earliest situation comedies to centre on a middle class Black family, an upper middle class one at that. It was the first sitcom to feature an couple in which a white person was married to a Black person (Tom and Helen Willis) as regulars. It was the first Black sitcom to rank in the top five since Sanford and Son and the second longest running Black sitcom (House of Payne beat it by one episode). Some have perceived The Jeffersons as lapsing into stereotypes, particularly in its early days. In the end, The Jeffersons changed the narrative for African Americans on television. It paved the way for the portrayal of Black families who were successful and even affluent. Of course, The Jeffersons remains a popular sitcom as well as a pioneering one. It can still be found on TV outlets to this day.
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