GOOD TIMES [TV SHOW] - DVD review

Any history of African-Americans on American television has to prominently feature Norman Lear. Without Lear, the white producer most famous for introducing the world to the bigoted Archie Bunker on "All in the Family," the Seventies would have been nearly devoid of sitcoms featuring black families. With "What's Happening!!" the only other black-cast entry in the decade, Lear was a one-man Hollywood Civil Rights Movement, giving audiences "Sanford and Son" (1972-77), "Good Times" (1974-79), and "The Jeffersons" (1975-85).

Admittedly, it was a white man's view of black culture played for laughs, but it was better than no view at all. The history of blacks on television B.L. (before Lear) is eye-blink brief. First came "Beulah" (1950-53), about a black maid whose relationship to her white employers was revealed by such Stepin Fetchit responses as "Somebody bawl fo' Beulah?" Then came the TV adaptation of a popular radio show, "Amos ‘n' Andy" (1951-53), where the main character said things like, "Holy mackerel dere, Sapphire!" and drew complaints from the NAACP about racial stereotypes. Hard as it is to believe now, that show ran in syndication until 1966, just two years before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. From 1965-68, Bill Cosby teamed with Robert Culp in the seriocomic "I Spy," while singer Diahann Carroll became the first African-American to land a starring role in a sitcom, playing a nurse in "Julia" (1968-71). But both of those characters lived in largely white worlds. Even Lear's "Sanford and Son" was more comic than realistic, because it gave viewers characters far removed from the average family—a cantankerous junkyard dealer and his adult son. It wasn't until "Good Times" when Americans finally got a TV glimpse of an entire, normal, loving black family.

"Good Times" was the third-generation progeny of Lear's flagship show, "All in the Family." Edith Bunker's liberal-talking Cousin Maude got her own show in 1972, though it was more than uncomfortable for liberal thinkers that this progressive talker, herself a rich white woman, nonetheless employed a black maid. But fans took to the quick-witted Florida, and "Good Times" was born. Instead of New York, where Maude and her husband lived, Florida was transplanted to the low-income high-rise projects on Chicago's south side. In "Good Times," Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) was the loving but no-nonsense matriarch who kept the family in line. Her husband, James (John Amos), was a strong role model for African-Americans, a strict disciplinarian and hard worker who had a fondness for quips and a boundless love for his family. More clichéd was James Junior, or J.J. for short, played by the spindly comedian Jimmie Walker (whose comedy was based on black stereotypes), and his slightly younger sister Thelma (BernNadette Stanis), who squared off against her brother in an endless battle of insults. Rounding out the cast was the "baby" of the family, Michael (Ralph Carter), and neighbor Willona Woods (Ja'net DuBois), who was constantly dropping by for a cup of something or other and was more than ready to jump into the debate of the day with a fresh, outside-the-family perspective.

As he did with "All in the Family," Lear used many episodes of "Good Times" to set up a debate concerning an issue involving class, race, gender, sex, religion, or values. In episode one, for example, the issue is gun-control, with James taking the gun lobby's side and Florida citing the statistic that 80 percent of all gunshot victims in households with guns weren't home invaders but family or friends. Even in episodes that mostly concern the family dynamics, issues still abound. When James gets an offer to take a job in Alaska, he changes his mind when Michael's "club" edges closer in behavior to a gang. Michael argues that their "club" needs to extract revenge with a rival. "What about black pride?" he says. Dad responds, "What about black pride? You don't need no gang for that. You black, be proud."

Here's a rundown on the episodes:

Episode 1—The Family Gun.
Episode 2—A Real Cool Job.
Episode 3—Operation Florida. Unaffordable medical care for the average hard-working American is the topic as James wants the best for his wife but is frustrated that he can't afford it.
Episode 4—Florida's Rich Cousin. This one could have come right out of John Edwards' "two Americas" speech. James is surprised to learn that only the ultra-rich don't have money woes.
Episode 5—The Politicians. Speaking of elections, James and Florida nearly come to blows when they support rival candidates.
Episode 6—Love in the Ghetto. Thelma becomes engaged, and James becomes enraged. Character comes into play.
Episode 7—The Weekend. With Mom and Dad away at a less-than-romantic retreat, the kids play Family Feud over Who's the Boss?
Episode 8—The Baby. The woman that Florida fetes with a baby shower puts a damper on the affair when she drops one water-bomb of an announcement.
Episode 9—Michael's Big Fall. While James is away, Michael stumbles, J.J. struts, and Florida is ready to pull her hair out.
Episode 10—Willona's Dilemma. This one's about people with handicaps, and Willona's new beau has one that poses a problem.
Episode 11—Florida's Protest. Civil disobedience gets the stage as Florida's picketing of a neighborhood market lands her in jail.
Episode 12—The Mural. J.J. and Thelma have parallel good news, a commission to paint a mural for a bank and a university scholarship, respectively. But there's no such thing as all Good Times on this show.
Episode 13—A Loss of Confidence. J.J.'s pimp-walking power-strut gets broken when his ego is crushed.
Episode 14—Cousin Cleatus. The FBI turns up on the family's doorstep, investigating a skeleton that came out of the closet and into the Evans' family home.
Episode 15—The Family Tree. Surprise, James! Thelma's researched the family genealogy and invites James' father to his birthday party. But of course there's an even bigger surprise.
Episode 16—A Place to Die. One of the more serious episodes, with an elderly friend of Michael's in need of a final resting place.
Episodes 17 & 18—J.J.'s Fiancee.
Episode 19—Sweet Daddy Williams. J.J. gets tangled up with the local numbers boss when he's commissioned to paint the man's daughter.
Episode 20—The Investigation. Early racial profiling is examined here, as Michael's school research for a bicentennial report puts the family under government scrutiny.
Episode 21—J.J. in Trouble. It was only a matter of time. J.J.'s tomcatting comes back to haunt his black-cat booty.
Episode 22—Florida the Woman. Hell hath no fury like the husband of a woman unappreciated who seeks approval somewhere else.
Episode 23—The Break-Up. Thelma's has problems with her love-interest, who accepts a new job in California.
Episode 24—The Rent Party. The project's favorite senior citizen is about to be evicted, but the Evans come to the rescue with an old-fashioned fundraiser.

Amos did not return to the show after this season's last episode, and frankly the show went downhill after he left. Though it's not quite as good as the first two seasons, the third season, with it's 604 minutes of running time, remains one of the best. Years later, "Good Times" still rings true with the blend of realism, comedy, and warmth that made it popular—though it always aired opposite stiff competition. The first season, "Good Times" was pitted against "Happy Days" and finished one place behind that show at 17th, while the following year the show zoomed to it's best position: 7th. Then, in the third season, the Evans family had to go toe-to-toe against "The Bionic Woman" and placed 24th—the last time "Good Times" would crack the top-20. But it's aged well, and more than a few film historians still consider "Good Times" one of the most realistic portrayals of African-American family life shown on television.

Video:
The presentation features the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. As with "All in the Family," the color is a bit faded and there's slight graininess throughout, but nothing that makes it annoying or takes away all that much from the viewing experience.

Audio:
Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, and since the show is all dialogue and taped live-audience laughter there's not much need of rear-speaker action. Nothing special here, and no problems to report.

Extras:
There are no extras.

Bottom Line:
Because some of the same debates and social problems are still around, this 1976 show is still surprisingly entertaining and relevant. "Good Times: The Complete Third Season" is as fun to watch as any of the half-hour comedies on television today. The key is balance and believability. Cosby may have been the perfect white collar father, but John Amos is tops among blue-collar dads. Paired with Esther Rolle, the two of them anchor this fictional family with honest, down-to-earth performances and occasional humor delivered with dignity, not absurdity. Only Walker was an over-the-top caricature. His trademark "DY-NO-MITE!" became as well-known as the Fonz's "He-e-e-ey," but his character could be grating. It bothered Rolle so much that the J.J. character was so "jive-talking" and woman-chasing that she left prior to the fifth season, vowing not to return unless Lear made J.J. a better example for young black men. And Lear, whose intentions have always seemed to be good, obliged. It was all in a day's—or, decade's—work.