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.😢
@vanceharkema51317 ай бұрын
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.
@FreddieArmstrong-ps7it6 ай бұрын
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.
@mujahudin6 ай бұрын
Yup, you know what they say about doing dirt and what it gets you 💯
@4dyamondx7456 ай бұрын
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.
@rashe486 ай бұрын
I absolutely agree....walker couldn't carry that show at all!
@danaysiaturner5296 ай бұрын
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.
@adriennerobinson11806 ай бұрын
OH YES! TRUTH INDEED
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
@@adriennerobinson1180Jimmie Walker was the only cast member who didn't attend Esther Rolle's funeral in 1998.
@xsamitt6 ай бұрын
Why would he! I wouldn't go either if someone never spoke to me!@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc
@NOV1235 ай бұрын
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hcI think something is wrong with him mentally, in all honesty.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc5 ай бұрын
@@NOV123I think that Jimmie Walker was an unhappy individual.
@bramlintrent11456 ай бұрын
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.
@suprmekai56 ай бұрын
Exactly right
@ravenpoe70936 ай бұрын
“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
@stevehorton75246 ай бұрын
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 .
@gidgethrobowski38606 ай бұрын
I agree.
@JaquelineGoodspeed6 ай бұрын
@@stevehorton7524 Yup but in reality black men couldn't find good jobs
@johnrife71347 ай бұрын
Finding out that there was tension on the set of good times make me wanna say, Damn Damn Damn!
@TaqariPayne6 ай бұрын
Ha ha ha
@scaryharryflanagan706 ай бұрын
😂
@dennismclaurin14876 ай бұрын
They all probably said that, after the show was canceled
@emiliog.robles3636 ай бұрын
But PICKLED PIGS FEETSES WAS JAAAAMMMES FAAAAVVVVOOORRRITE. 😂
@ralphsanchico24526 ай бұрын
Wow! That was one POWERFUL scene by Esther
@hectorcalderon30117 ай бұрын
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
@user-dk3up2nl1m6 ай бұрын
I also saw that interview. He aged better than jimmy walker!
@rhuttrho886 ай бұрын
Yep!
@kimdanger38296 ай бұрын
Years later, they still don't want a strong black make father
@claytonstarrjr97886 ай бұрын
Esther rolle was behind that..
@derekgaliee43516 ай бұрын
@occamsrazorbladeThey were bullied into Joining gangs.Dont know why you don't like The James character
@lexdee5237 ай бұрын
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"
@ericrivera84107 ай бұрын
That's the sign or a good actor
@kjk76116 ай бұрын
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.
@markrichardson16576 ай бұрын
@@kjk7611well documented they didn't get along, she never even liked the character he portrayed.
@MaybeDHitHim6 ай бұрын
Lamont and Rollo were friends on-screen but they couldn't stand each other
@lexdee5236 ай бұрын
@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.
@geraldmcdevitt39966 ай бұрын
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.
@athleticchipnyc6 ай бұрын
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
@ramdom_assortment7 ай бұрын
John Amos was 34!? Dude looked like he was 58 on the show.
@nassauguy487 ай бұрын
Esther Rolle was twenty years older!
@keonta817 ай бұрын
That was because they aged his character on the show
@teresav38216 ай бұрын
He didnt age much after that.
@justhearmeout6 ай бұрын
Ironically he looked younger as he got older. A lil Benjamin buttons disease.
@timothyypearson6 ай бұрын
That was the ideal make up that's how
@bluemoon26756 ай бұрын
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.
@rhondanelson74505 ай бұрын
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.
@grettapaisley24225 ай бұрын
My father and stepfather were James. Hard worker!
@tazzydennis15 ай бұрын
I understand why Esther and John acted the way they did. I absolutely loved them!
@Righteousone187 ай бұрын
Reminds me of what happened with Family Matters. Urkel became the star and some of his coworkers felt some kind of way
@rhuttrho886 ай бұрын
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.
@BlkEaselsAndLovePalettes6 ай бұрын
Thats not what happened
@seniorklass34366 ай бұрын
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.
@adriennerobinson11806 ай бұрын
I NEVER care for the Erkial character
@aaronflowers88816 ай бұрын
@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.
@snake99117 ай бұрын
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 👍.
@snake99116 ай бұрын
@nevinreid311 All the time after Good Times ended, when he was doing comedy at a club he refused to say Dynamite.
@snake99116 ай бұрын
@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.
@snake99116 ай бұрын
@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.
@bqkmg20376 ай бұрын
It was 1974 to 1979.
@bqkmg20376 ай бұрын
It was 1974 to 1979.
@TheloniousJackson7 ай бұрын
People need to understand this is a JOB…
@ghanasoul7 ай бұрын
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.
@j.goodie5226 ай бұрын
@@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
@donnamiller52226 ай бұрын
What did Jimmy Walker do besides his job?
@bettyg75986 ай бұрын
Don't forget Family Matter
@user-dk3up2nl1m6 ай бұрын
Same with my job. I got for the pay and dont really care
@davidmacias7416 ай бұрын
I know my family loved this show when I was growing up, I was about 11 years old. Still love it.
@arthurwatt51626 ай бұрын
John amos was the show. I agree.
@tarikdebarge6 ай бұрын
No he wasn’t? JJ was the star of the show & that’s why John Amos didn’t like him!
@danielmoore23205 ай бұрын
@@tarikdebargeexactly
@ariel3939395 ай бұрын
@@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.
@ariel3939395 ай бұрын
@@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.
@RuthEsther-nn6qe5 ай бұрын
John Amos and Jimmy Walker. Without JJ that show would not have wasted one season. JJ, Penny and James are what most people remember.
@iluvmyboba7 ай бұрын
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.
@claudiadavis25837 ай бұрын
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.
@textronox7 ай бұрын
It was 1974 not 73
@KennyRyman7 ай бұрын
Esther Rolle did came back...
@iluvmyboba7 ай бұрын
@@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.
@iluvmyboba7 ай бұрын
@@textronox Thanks for the correction. February of 1974.
@Stuart2675 ай бұрын
*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.*
@davicool42845 күн бұрын
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
@Kim-un7vx6 ай бұрын
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
@wendylee72425 ай бұрын
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...
@stevehorton75245 ай бұрын
He said he was fired on the phone.
@vi97635 ай бұрын
❤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
@stevehorton75245 ай бұрын
@@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 !!!!!
@SWalker71Ай бұрын
Yes. He was fired over the phone by NL. I listened to him say EXACTLY that.
@rodneykingston64206 ай бұрын
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.
@kathikay89426 ай бұрын
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
@derricklowe28236 ай бұрын
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.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc5 ай бұрын
@@derricklowe2823The fans tuned in every week to see JJ.
@undertakerfanz6286 ай бұрын
You would never know they didn't get along by watching the show
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
It's called acting.
@undertakerfanz6286 ай бұрын
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc I'm talking about in real life 🤡 find yourself some business 👉 FOH
@bettyg75986 ай бұрын
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.
@suprmekai56 ай бұрын
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
@bettyg75986 ай бұрын
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.
@suprmekai56 ай бұрын
@@bettyg7598 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.
@suprmekai56 ай бұрын
@@bettyg7598 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.
@gidgethrobowski38606 ай бұрын
@@bettyg7598 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.
@markdanielczyk9446 ай бұрын
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.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc5 ай бұрын
There were too many inflated egos on the set.
@willettacartermolina33756 ай бұрын
She didn't want people to have the impression that all black kids were JJ.
@user-mb7sc1ob2w5 ай бұрын
Soooo a Karen 😂😂😂
@justhearmeout6 ай бұрын
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)
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
Jimmie Walker got along with Bernadette Stanis, who played Thelma.
@Elwrt4556 ай бұрын
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
@lorenelement4016 ай бұрын
...................no
@Sachkigal1436 ай бұрын
I'm always shocked behind the scenes they were not friends. I shouldn't be. 😢
@eyestoenvy6 ай бұрын
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.
@truelife9746 ай бұрын
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.
@Sapphire5866 ай бұрын
@@truelife974 Norman Lear fired him because they constantly butted heads over his character & probably Jimmie Walker's as well
@alanmorris76696 ай бұрын
I've been lucky enough to meet everyone from the cast, except Jimmy Walker and Janet Jackson.
@phalynwilliams41196 ай бұрын
Just before the pandemic 😷 I met Ralph Carter (Michael) from the show. He was nice, friendly.
@alanmorris76696 ай бұрын
@@phalynwilliams4119 Ralph is a very warm and generous man, with a strong personality. His mother was sweet and kind-hearted.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
@@phalynwilliams4119Recently, Jimmie Walker, Ralph Carter and Bernadette Stanus got together to celebrate Good Times 50th anniversary.
@DORSEYLANDRIA6 ай бұрын
That just shows how great they were at acting
@mattskustomkreations6 ай бұрын
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.
@DaMixWizard7 ай бұрын
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
@seanminkins77017 ай бұрын
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!
@nassauguy487 ай бұрын
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.
@leighburton8327 ай бұрын
@@nassauguy48 Michael was a straight A student who was trying to be a lawyer.
@edubb1luv1007 ай бұрын
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!!
@BrahT-dh4qn7 ай бұрын
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.
@straighttalk78747 ай бұрын
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. 🖊️
@ronsmac6 ай бұрын
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.
@straighttalk78746 ай бұрын
@@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. 🤷🏾♂️
@phalynwilliams41196 ай бұрын
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.
@ronsmac6 ай бұрын
@@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.
@adriennerobinson11806 ай бұрын
Truth Indeed
@modernretroradio9936 ай бұрын
Jimmy Walker needs a podcast. He's got stories and anecdotes for days!
@yasminvaughn29757 ай бұрын
Its too bad the actors could not work things out. It was a good show! I have seen every episode!
@craigbfolksinger7 ай бұрын
People can't get along in real life let alone aTV show
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
Too many inflated egos on the show.
@nat555297 ай бұрын
Wow another clickbait said nothing in detail why he hated the two
@detroitbuffalo7 ай бұрын
Because he didn't actually hate her. They just weren't friends. I hate lying, struggle channels that have to lie.
@slimdude20116 ай бұрын
@@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.
@blast4me7547 ай бұрын
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.
@FreddieArmstrong-ps7it7 ай бұрын
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.
@leighburton8327 ай бұрын
He didn't get along with Bill Cosby, when he was Cockroach, either!
@thespadestable7 ай бұрын
@@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.
@FreddieArmstrong-ps7it6 ай бұрын
@@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.
@FreddieArmstrong-ps7it6 ай бұрын
@@thespadestable I wonder what a spinoff would have been like? Good Times version of What's Happening Now! Lol.
@BoozeandNewswithTimandDut6 ай бұрын
Always enjoyed this show. Jimmie was the coolest cat on tv when i was a kid.
@paulstokes18317 ай бұрын
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!
@edubb1luv1007 ай бұрын
He played a buffoon character!!
@paulstokes18317 ай бұрын
@edubb1luv100 yes he did! And his natural talent overshadowed his co-stars. This is the reason for THEIR annomosity
@edubb1luv1007 ай бұрын
@paulstokes1831 if you wanna call that natural talent!! Being a modern day minstrel man!
@abeb88526 ай бұрын
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
@hasake88736 ай бұрын
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.
@JohnSmith-np7yn6 ай бұрын
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.
@dstewart45205 ай бұрын
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!!
@dmax644 ай бұрын
I find Jimmie Walker very down to earth
@Bigbadwhitecracker6 ай бұрын
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.
@kathikay89426 ай бұрын
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
@boondoggle48206 ай бұрын
My favorite part of Good Times is when JJ goes in on Thelma’s cooking, lol.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
I also loved the way JJ made fun of Bookman.
@kqima28445 ай бұрын
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.
@johnangela19337 ай бұрын
I see JJ Walker all the time at planet fitness in Las Vegas
@darylwoodard10546 ай бұрын
Is he in shape?
@johnangela19336 ай бұрын
@@darylwoodard1054 he looks in pretty good shape for 76, but he doesn't like to wipe the equipment down when he finish using them
@user-dk3up2nl1m6 ай бұрын
Dynoooomite!
@usps891306 ай бұрын
Which one?
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
Jimmie Walker refuses to mingle with his fans.
@gailfields-flowers24067 ай бұрын
I Loved This Show ❤
@CarlosSanchez-bg4wf7 ай бұрын
Me too 😢
@leftys4086 ай бұрын
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.
@zeidenmedia6 ай бұрын
Jimmie is friends with Ralph and BerNadette. Too bad his parents wanted nothing to do with him.
@kathikay89426 ай бұрын
How. when they ignored him all the time. you can't control other people. he did his job reguardless of the jealous energy
@zeidenmedia6 ай бұрын
There was clique energy on the set, obviously. So, at least Jimmie had friends.
@user-il5kz5uw1m7 ай бұрын
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.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
Martin Lawrence screamed and hollered at the cast when things didn't go his way on his TV show.
@tracyjacoby23825 ай бұрын
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.🥺
@bmorecareful4366 ай бұрын
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
@kathikay89426 ай бұрын
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
@DAN-ow1vn6 ай бұрын
@@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.
@ashton-leejohnson47584 ай бұрын
This is true. I was at a recent 50 year cast reunion anniversary and Jimmie recounted this same story
@thelog867 ай бұрын
Jj was a one trick pony, his career basically started and ended with that show
@godschild49887 ай бұрын
He did stand up comedy and movies Murder Can Hurt You also Let's Do It Again.
@fredwright97556 ай бұрын
The younguns in these comments are the reason for the decay in our culture
@antwandukes6 ай бұрын
He really was!
@thelog864 ай бұрын
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.
@godschild49884 ай бұрын
@@thelog86 Jimmie Walker is on the conservative side like myself. So I've still enjoyed watching him.
@jm99806 ай бұрын
The movie 'Lets do it again' one of my all time favs with Jimmy and the soundtrack by 'Curtis Mayfield' which did the movie 'Superfly' ah yeah so much great sh=t back in the day.... Lot's of fun and Low key.
@ericwillingham69566 ай бұрын
U ain't lying Let's do it again was a classic!
@haroldshubert52517 ай бұрын
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
@marcbrown12187 ай бұрын
John Amos was 8 years older than Jimmy Walker Not Esther Rolle. In Real life She was 19 yrs Older Than. John Amos
@zeidenmedia6 ай бұрын
An 8 year old father?
@truelife9746 ай бұрын
@@zeidenmedia8 years OLDER THAN.
@zeidenmedia6 ай бұрын
@@truelife974 John Amos is 8 years older than Jimmie Walker. So, when Jimmie Walker was born, John Amos was 8 years old.
@Bigbadwhitecracker6 ай бұрын
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.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
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.
@americangiant10036 ай бұрын
@@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.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
@@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.
@schewitt19776 ай бұрын
He also isn't a Democrat
5 ай бұрын
@@schewitt1977 Lol, Americans...found a way to work "us vs. them" polarized politics into this topic? That's an American talent right there. Kudos
@noelthomas78496 ай бұрын
Before there was a Will Smith of Bel Air there was Jimmy Walker of Good times..💯👍🏿💯👍🏿💯👍🏿
@right-onpoint5 ай бұрын
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 ......
@judykessinger35526 ай бұрын
Amazing the professionals they were, not to let this interfere with the show, etc.
@do7hemath9376 ай бұрын
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.
@zeidenmedia6 ай бұрын
Amen, JJ had his own business and stepped up to take care of his family!
@cmack72816 ай бұрын
As a little kid watching that show, I had a crush on Penny lol.
@Xonid16 ай бұрын
I always watched Good Times.
@kengordon74626 ай бұрын
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.
@theresawebb19687 ай бұрын
John Amos was killed off the show he didn't leave the show.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc7 ай бұрын
John Amos was fired.
@tyn8337 ай бұрын
He was killed off the show because he left the show you couldn't keep alive if he wasn't there.
@raephaelemasirnille57947 ай бұрын
@tyn833 John Amos was fired. There is a video on you tube with him talking about how he was fired.
@theresawebb19687 ай бұрын
I have no argument about that.
@BrahT-dh4qn7 ай бұрын
thats how they explaind his departure.
@cvlastra6 ай бұрын
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....
@truelife9746 ай бұрын
Jaleel White had been working in Hollywood for many years before he finally landed a role that stuck.
@fattheodoes38886 ай бұрын
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.
@jajuangordy43946 ай бұрын
Yeah I definitely agree, what JJ said during that scene was so cringe.
@estherscotlenzey23707 ай бұрын
Blessings I really like JJ and he made the show
@antwandukes6 ай бұрын
@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.
@antwandukes6 ай бұрын
@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.
@antwandukes6 ай бұрын
@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.
@pernicecartwright84205 ай бұрын
GOD-BLESS ALL OF THEM ❤❤❤❤❤SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR PROBLEMS 😢
@opinionsheardthegeneration47486 ай бұрын
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.
@henriettaparks42667 ай бұрын
I STOPPED WATCHING, AFTER THEY KILLED OFF JAMES!✔😢😢😮😮 !THOUGHT JJ WAS A BUFFOON!✔
@edubb1luv1007 ай бұрын
🎯
@hubba12266 ай бұрын
I've only seen it in reruns, and I agree.
@gamesmaker6 ай бұрын
I agree when John Amos left the show was never the same.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc5 ай бұрын
At least we got to see Janet Jackson.
@Bismarck.18716 ай бұрын
I’m so glad they’re still alive!!
@denises.82036 ай бұрын
Jimmie you got one things 💯 " PEOPLE LIE FOR KNOW REASONS AT ALL!
@rustyhornzinstrumentalist-75967 ай бұрын
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. 🤷🏾
@misterbee667 ай бұрын
Or become like a family.
@jeancruise33137 ай бұрын
I loved the show it really was great. I miss it so much
@06alwilliams7 ай бұрын
I’m not they complained about his character
@nassauguy487 ай бұрын
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.
@jeffmiller97987 ай бұрын
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.
@paulroberts19617 ай бұрын
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.
@edubb1luv1007 ай бұрын
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!
@paulroberts19617 ай бұрын
@@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.
@chillinbrotha10726 ай бұрын
@@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.
@Jesusmy7336 ай бұрын
Thank you, Mr Walker!
@LGKids6 ай бұрын
James and Florida, we’re really like James and Florida and that’s respect! Peace!
@FeliceFoose-xs2qr6 ай бұрын
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.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
The fans loved Jimmie Walker and Esther Rolle and John Amos couldn't deal with it.
@CathyLTate6 ай бұрын
John & Esther Understood How Blk Ppl Family Dynamics Can Be So Easily Turned Negative.
@lenorapalminteri10027 ай бұрын
Jimmy Walker made the whole show! Without him, Good Times would not have been as funny as it was!
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
I agree!
@benniedonald6 ай бұрын
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.
@saundrabrown-um1xs5 ай бұрын
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 😀
@creolelady40966 ай бұрын
The show changed after John Amos left. I stopped watching it. It wasn't the same. They needed that Father figure.
@xr28636 ай бұрын
True comedian! Loved JJ!
@wendellbrownbrown59686 ай бұрын
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,
@y-mefarm42496 ай бұрын
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.
@HiltonHoskins6 ай бұрын
You forgot to mention that Jimmie Walker and John Amos starred in "Let's Do It Again" with Sir Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
They didn't have any scenes together.
@HiltonHoskins6 ай бұрын
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc that's true. I guess that's what they call Hollywood magic. I have the movie, it's funny how you can film around people. Uptown Saturday Night is the one with Flip Wilson and Richard Pryor, I think it was about the time they (Pryor and Wilson) had a falling out. They never did a movie together or starred together on screen again.
@HiltonHoskins6 ай бұрын
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc Sir Sidney Poitier knew how to put it together. Bill Duke is great too.
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc6 ай бұрын
@@HiltonHoskins Bill Duke had a small role in Rapper 50 Cent's film, Get Rich or Die Tryin'
@blackreelentertainment66637 ай бұрын
Well what john and Ester didnt realize is if jimmy walker walked away from the show, that would have ended the series right then. JJ made the show and his character carried the show.
@Wisdom24-77 ай бұрын
I agree 💯
@nassauguy487 ай бұрын
Older actors and actresses do not like being upstaged by young upstarts. (LOL: In reality, Jimmie was only eight years younger than John, and Esther was TWENTY years older than John. Florida and Willona were supposedly high school classmates, but Ja'Net DuBois was about twenty five years younger!)
@thelog867 ай бұрын
Jimmy Walker was equivalent to stepin and fetchit. Look it up if your not familiar with the character
@danielmoore23207 ай бұрын
Fact
@donaldhopkins14767 ай бұрын
Everybody didn't watch the show for jj clown as. I know lots of people who loved James, and Ester, especially Thelma. So for the people on here who says the show would have ended if jj left is ridiculous. If you look at the ratings the show went downhill really when James was fired. It did a 180 degree turn of what the show started out as. It literally became clown show and not even your boy jj could save it.
@nassauguy487 ай бұрын
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).
@thespadestable7 ай бұрын
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.
@BrahT-dh4qn7 ай бұрын
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.
@thespadestable7 ай бұрын
@@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!
@nassauguy486 ай бұрын
@@BrahT-dh4qn I agree!
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc5 ай бұрын
@@nassauguy48Esther Rolle and John Amos had inflated egos.
@helbitkelbit17906 ай бұрын
Damn.......Jimmy speaking his truth
@geminiecricket47986 ай бұрын
Loved JJ/the best part of the show !
@riblets19686 ай бұрын
Amos and Rolle were great actors, and I tend to agree with their positions in respect to the show.
@gmcneoplan84Ай бұрын
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.
@rebeccalopez70566 ай бұрын
Great show
@shakkay.38995 ай бұрын
Obviously, Jimmy Walker, the minstrel, had friends like Ann Coulter than Esther Roll and John Amos. America always embraced and promoted the buck dancer over our dignified characters.
@ceasarandrepont12437 ай бұрын
I can understand the issues the senior actors had with Walker. He was larger than life on the show, and Walker out shine Roll and Amos. The show was no longer about a " typical blk poor family" but about J.J. (Jimmie Walker) the character.
@thomasbrown33567 ай бұрын
Totally not true. Michael joining a gang, Thelma created a stage play, Penny's child abuse. None of these episodes was about JJ. Why do people keep exaggerating his effect. Most of JJs antics, faded after James died.
@ceasarandrepont12437 ай бұрын
@@thomasbrown3356 What that is not true! This show was about Jimmie Walker, Ester Roll, and Jihn Amis not about the other supporting actors.
@thomasbrown33566 ай бұрын
@@ceasarandrepont1243I can tell, you hardly watched the show. When Keith beat up on Thelma, there was no JJ.
@ceasarandrepont12436 ай бұрын
@@thomasbrown3356 When did the character Keith "BEAT UP" Thelma? Which Season and Episode? Please, enlighten me.
@thomasbrown33566 ай бұрын
@@ceasarandrepont1243 Ha ha ha ha! You've never seen that episode????? And you're passing judgement???? Good night. I'm out. LMAO!!!
@ohmeowzer14 ай бұрын
I love Jimmy Walker he is amazing
@toshadell3 ай бұрын
I still watch regularly to this day. I will admit, however, that I don't care for the episodes without James and Florida.
@user-ow1iu2wz1x6 ай бұрын
I loved watching JJ. He was the star. And he was so easy going that he just made you feel like he could be your friend if he walked out of the tv into your living room.
@GeorgeMaster-xg7lg7 ай бұрын
When was the American Bandstand appearance?
@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc5 ай бұрын
In 1974.
@GarwinWayne4 ай бұрын
@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc Actually 1975
@Sapphire5866 ай бұрын
I think Ja'Net DuBuios once said in an interview that if John Amos had not been fired, eventually James & Willona was steering toward an affair.
@horizontoday78745 ай бұрын
😂lol. I don’t believe that.
@lindagibbs4286 ай бұрын
Jimmy Walker shows exactly who he was and is
@monkeyb18206 ай бұрын
I have his book. He's very sharp, very astute.
@deborahsteele75827 ай бұрын
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