),Bernadette Stanis(the teenage daughter Thelma),and Janet Jackson(who made her TV debut as Penny and also as Willona's daughter after she adopted her from a abusive stepmomvery touching episode),and Janet Dubois. He reportedly left the show, after 3 seasons, because he disapproved of Jimmie Walker's character. You probably had no idea that John Amos, who portrayed Glenn Johnson in King of the Hill, also amassed enormous popularity. Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson in Chicago: We do not support that behavior.. Fans will forever remember how Florida Evans broke down in her kitchen and we can confidently say, most fans broke down with her. John Amos left the series immediately following the third season of Good Times. WebTrivia Esther Rolle's departure from the show during the 19771978 season, the reason why she left was because she was unhappy that the success of Jimmie Walker's character J.J. Evans took the show in what she thought was a frivolous direction. Why was his character abruptly killed off? John also revealed that he had shared creatively divergent ideas with the Good Times shows founders and producers. Awards If you got past all the stereotypes, you would notice that many of the episodes discussed issues that are just as relevant today as they were back then. It appears to be comparable. Why? While Amos doesnt mention Walker or his character JJ, his fond recollections do include the late Esther Rolle. All posters in there rooms were black people, furniture pieces were African. Despite the fact that I've never seen every episode, I still enjoy it. John Amos Although the Evans family was poor and lived in the projects, they had each other. "); Thelma, their only daughter (BernNadette Stanis)who is a disaster in the kitchen, but who had hopes,dreams and intelligence. If Amos believed this, he was wrong. On Good Times, she appears in 109 of the 133 episodes in Seasons 1 through 4 and then returns in Season 6 after Carl died of lung cancer at the end of Season 4, in the episode "Love Has a Spot on His Lung: Part 2", the season finale. Will Downing on New Song Following Daughters Suicide, Advice Kandi Burruss Hustles Up KFC Ad Based on Scene Dr. Phil Calls Professors $350,000-Per-Person Reparations Idea an Absolute Four Tops Singer to Sue Racist Hospital: They Told Suge Knight Says Snoop Dogg and Harry-Os Death Row Barbies Racial Justice Dolls Continue Mattels Path Toward Representation Daveed Diggs Planned Twister Sequel with All-Black and Brown Laura Coates Unlikely to Host CNNs 11 p.m. The sitcom Good Times, created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, premiered on CBS in 1974. John Amos Good Times is a spin-off of a spin-off: this spun-off of Maude and Maude spun-off of All in the Family. Webhttps://comedyhype.com/ - In 1974 Good Times would premiere showcasing black family life like never before. Some of the people who star in the series like cast regulars Jimmie Walker(J.J. Rolle quit when her contract concluded. I had to make a commitment, he said. In an interview, Amos said that he felt the show was giving too much attention to one of his children on the show who was more interested in fooling around in a chicken hat when more emphasis could have been placed on his other two children who had ambitions of becoming a surgeon and Supreme Court Justice respectively. Ive had a blessed career, and I attribute that to my faith in God and the fact that I was raised right. After repeated disagreements with the production staff, Amos was fired from the show. John Amos Says He Was Kicked Off Good Times Because He Didn Did the actor and the cast have a falling out? Amos thought that JJ was stereotyped as a stupid guy. In it's time, Good Times, would of been a hell of a show. If you like TVLine, you'll LOVE our email news alerts! What I do know is that when Janet Jackson, Bookman, and that annoying neighbor Willona; Miss Big Mouth, I'm beautiful, took over, this show was lost forever(but I did like sweet daddy). Then? It was great. Back then, Amos was vocal about his issues with the show, and it seemed to have rubbed the shows creator, Norman Lear, the wrong way. I initially ad-libbed the line at a reading of the script, and when Eddie Murphy dropped the script, hollered, and released that signature laugh that he has, I knew my line had gotten the laughing approval of a master comedian.. What makes Good Times so awesome is that it defined the decade. *If you are a fan of 70s sitcoms then you definitely enjoyed the show Good Times. The hilarious TV show aired in the mid 70s for 6 whole seasons before it ended. By the way, did they ever make it out of the ghetto? The end of James Evans Sr. What was it? After Season 3, his contract was not renewed, and he was sacked. Most of the early episodes focused on the parents, James and Florida Evans, and their struggle to provide for the family. His departure so soon caught everyone off guard. In 85, my second best year, I begin to take notice of it, where recently it has come back on the new channel 76 Flix, like Benson has. The little brother "Michael" was Mr. Militant black pride. Want to know why did John Amos leave Good Times? Being a white guy from a white city, it was one of my first glimpses into black culture. I'm getting emotional, too! They find humor and have strong family values and morals. Want to know why did John Amos leave Good Times? Amos and Lear have since made amends, and Amos appeared in Lears 2019 special Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family and Good Times. Throughout those times, many African American families consisted of a single mom with numerous kids. When many people think about the most memorable moments in black television history, the first storyline to pop into their minds is when Florida Evans read a letter informing her that her husband, James Evans, had died. Why John Amos Was Fired From 'Good Times' - Here's Why He had been with the show since its inception. Amos said he regretted leaving the show, but the offer from Norman Lear to portray James Evans on Good Times couldnt wait. He was let go. When asked by Lear if he wanted to say something, he simply said no and hung up. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, Good Times is a sitcom that made its debut in 1974 on CBS. Amos got the call that ended his time on the show while they were on a hiatus and he recalled Norman Lears voice saying, Big John, Ive got some good news and some bad news. The good news was that Good Times had renewed for another season, which wasnt exactly big news and he wasnt surprised to hear this as they had a solid spot with high ratings and then Lear hit him with you want the bad news? To which the actor replied sure how bad can it be Lear then said to him, you wont be with us.. In 2014, Amos gave a lengthy interview with the Television Academy Foundation, during which he discussed his career and, in particular, his experiences on "Good Times" and the series of events that led to his firing. Part of the problem was that he didn't see eye to eye with the producers over the directions of the characters of his three children. John Amos Reveals How His Departure From 'Good Times' Went They argued all the time, but they loved the hell out of each other. With her stern, but loving disposition, Florida does her best to to give her often unemployed husband emotional support and be a good mother and role model for their three children. Also, I really love the theme song. The Evans family had both parents providing stabilty and shelter for them. Devastated, the now-widowed Florida had to support herself and their three children alone. This pocket Bluetooth printer lets you print your precious memories before they hit Instagram. Florida Evans My favorite moment in the series is Thelma's wedding day. Additionally, he used to assert that in practice, he wouldnt permit his kids to do that. The creators soon became irate over these variances. He occasionally disagreed with the writings and questioned the writers about how long they had been black. Thank You!! I had innumerable arguments with the writers on the set in regards to my characters demeanor, or what he would say in certain given situations. Better than most of the family comedies today! Why Looking back on both experiences, just before Black History Month comes to a close, Amos says hes proud he was a part of both small-screen offerings because their historical impacts can still be felt today. This was a family that just happened to be black and live in the projects. To work with Eddie Murphy on Coming to America was a paid vacation for me because Im an Eddie Murphy fan. Claim: Actor John Amos died from a heart attack on 28 December 2016. The explanation for John Amos dismissal from Good Times is revealed. Why Did John Amos Leave Good Times? Reason Behind It Issa Rae and Shameik Moore Would Unalive Spiders Matthew Lawrence Shaquille ONeal Releasing New Hip-Hop Track to Celebrate NBA Playoffs, Elon Musk Announces Charging Option for Publishers on Twitter. You must have realised from the title alone that the sitcom only spreads good vibes to its audience. Actually I loved the intro and ending to each show; the painting at the end, the camera sky-views of Chicago, the theme music, the bike rider and citizens. We got to see them experience a few good times. Although the series continued without her for the fifth season, she returned to reprise her role as Florida in the show's final season, with the explanation that the shop owner whom she wed at the end of Season 4, Rolle's most memorable moment from the show is in the episode. This is a good show steered by characters I like, of course, loose, fat lipped Jimmy Walker as J.J., as the strikingly brilliant artist, and too, fat maintenance man, Bookman, where Est her Rolle and John Amos, lend strong support as Mother and father team, Amos in particular, who sadly was kicked off the storm, while acting up a bit of the storm, off the set, where the quality of the show, kind of dropped, in the absence of his killed off character, as they went into the second season, where really it was up to J.J to carry it on. something they didn't have very often. This show was groundbreaking to show despair in drugs, gangs, and alcoholism. He claimed that the sitcoms creative team demanded his departure because they could not stand that. I first saw the reruns once our local WB affiliate took off the weekday morning reruns of Happy Days and began airing this instead. It was too often for Norman and the other writers to accept. Florida Evans (later Florida Evans-Dixon) is the protagonist of Good Times in Seasons 1-4 and 6. Thank God for reruns! We all loved JJ's dynamite and his antics. When Florida was pregnant with their third child, Michael, they moved to the North Side of Chicago in the Housing Projects. This is one of the few shows that became just as big as its presider's. In an interview with the American Archive of Television. Ester Rolle was handling the death all well untill the end. But he did return to Good Times in a way in 2019, when he made a surprise appearance during a live re-creation of a Good Times episode on ABC. In that way, Amos observes, Good Times and Roots had more in common than him. Created by Norman Lear as a spin off from "Maude" (Which itself was a spin off from "All In The Family"), the show focused on the Evans Family, consisting of Florida (Esther Rolle)and James (John Amos), the heads of the household, trying to survive in the projects of Chicago. John Amos - Wikipedia There were a lot of behind the scenes issues, which led to cast members leaving the show. Amos, 80, recalls that one of the best perks of his West Wing tenure was meeting former Secretary of State Colin Powell. You know a show is going downhill when they have to resort to bringing on a cute kid character. It made history as the first African American show with two parents and gathered a following of avid fans countrywide, so if Good Times had such a good reputation and following, why did one of the lead actors, John Amos, famous for playing James Evans Sr suddenly stop doing the show? Despite the story behind the scenes, this show was worth keeping on the air except I didn't like them killing off the father which I agreed with Esther Rolle who fought hard to keep the family together. The Evans were a real family with real problems, but they also truly loved each other. The Real Reason John Amos Was Fired From Good Times. I certainly hope that the phrase "Kid Dynamite" will come back into common usage some day. Like most shows, it went on a little too long but for fans, each season has it's moments. A: Amos was fired from the show and his character killed off after he often complained about the shows writing. There's no denying the shows impact, it still holds, after forty years. Pay Property Tax Before April 30; You Can Receive a $5,000 Rebate: GCC. What do you want to hear first? Amos said Lear asked him. But despite all the fights behind the scenes, Good Times was a show about a family. But Good Times creator Norman Lear gave him a call to let him know that he would also be absent from Season 4. Michael, involved in legal/justice. Are you curious as to why John Amos left Good Times? The parents loved their children more than anything, were always there for them , and wanted the best for them. Sad part though: the guy who played Micheal(Ralph Carter) recently passed away.but his character was a symbol of black pride and black progress towards black success,and against racial intolerence in with he quoted that the word "boy" is a white racist word. There is no more complete source for urban news than the Electronic Urban Report. Because of his offensive remarks about the brawls behind the scenes, John Amos was fired. The original lineup could've easily gone on a few more years. A movie career? Although the producer wanted to get some words out of him, he didnt budge, he simply hung up and remained his same old recalcitrant self to the very end. Roots, inspired by late author Alex Haleys novel of the same name, drew a record 36.4 million viewers and remains one of the most watched television events of all time. He was tough, but loving and kind. Life for the Evans family is not easy, especially when trying to keep their 3 children on the straight and narrow. John, who was born in 1939, is now 82 years old. According to rumours, Good Times emphasises the dynamics of African-American households. JJ was never stupid-he only acted that way most of the time. This was a good show for the first three seasons. John Amos Says He Was Kicked Off Good Times Because He Didnt Agree With the Shucking and Jiving Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude Send us a The Real Reason John Amos Was Fired From Good Times His departure so soon caught everyone off guard. She never had the chance to finish high school, because she wanted to help support her parents and she started working minimum wage jobs. Roots? On the Maude series, the Findlays up there in Tuckahoe had a maid played by Esther Rolle named Florida Evans. That's when I got hooked!!! Amos worked with Murphy on the 1988 classic Coming to America, in which he played Cleo McDowell, a businessman who owned a fast-food restaurant that too hilariously and closely resembled McDonalds. I would like to know why John Amos left the show, and how did he die off the show again? If you didn't like the show, fine, but some of your reasons for disliking it are totally erroneous. Now you say one more word about Lisa, and Ill break my foot off in your royal ass., I have to take credit for that. It was one of the most realistic shows ever about the black experience in America,and a product of 1970's TV culture of what the black family was going through. Has Tension risen Between President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris? Metacritic Reviews. It was actually quite funny> All references in the show had to be "black". America and the world got to see what life could be like within a Black family on Good After three seasons of fighting with executive producer Norman Lear and the CBS sitcoms white writers about the stereotypical Black portrayals and dialogue the show perpetuated, particularly when it came to star Jimmie Walker, Amos contract to play patriarch James Evans wasnt renewed at the end of Season 3 in 1976 and his character was killed off. Before leaving my own comments about the TV series GOOD TIMES, I feel that I simply MUST comment on the remarks of one Mr. Larry Wall. They tried to show their kids to strive for more in life, DESPITE obstacles. Speaking of theme songs, Ja'net DuBois (neighbor Willona) co-wrote and sang another truly memorable one during this time. Not only is Florida the superwoman of the Evans household, but for many - including her good friend and neighbor, Willona - she's the superhero of her housing project on the North Side of Chicago. Contract disputes? As of 15 January 2018, Amos was still with us and posting on social media: While the news about Amos alleged demise originated on a disreputable web site, many viewers may have readily accepted it as true at the time due to a perceived increase in celebrity deaths during 2016. User Ratings FLAMIO. Here are the explanations for John Amos departure from Good Times. All Rights Reserved. Id want to send John Amos my warmest wishes for the remainder of his days. In conclusion, even though it can be seen on TV Land now, I strongly recommend you catch it just in case it goes off the air for good. I liked Good Times. The show ended with Season 6, and recently, people have expressed concern about John Amos departure. That theme got a little over done at times, but it was the 70's and blacks were still seeking equality. Good Times Returning to the thrilling Good Times, in which John Amos stars as the main character, has astounded the audience. 2023 TVLine Media, LLC. When and how did Janet Abelson die? This affected the quality in later years. They had three kids: J.J., Thelma, and Michael. Damn! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); WHO WE AREThe news you want unfiltered.The Electronic Urban Report/EUR puts the most buzz worthy African American news at your fingertips. Yet why? They struggle a lot since they reside in a low-income black Chicago area where nothing is simple. What better representation of a family values can you ask for? And of course theres the scene when Florida had her breakdown in the kitchen, when she could no longer play strong in her time of mourning. This is one of my all time favorite shows. Amos Why Did John Amos Leave Good Times So apparently, from Amos standpoint, there was too much shucking and jiving on the show, and he didnt want to tolerate it any more. Television Images: My Favorite TV Characters of All-Time: (1970s edition). Everytime Willona came in with"great news", she would informed them that she was just made the "head buyer" for the boutique. Tulsa Library Shooting: Two People Died, Others Injured At Convenience Store, Phoenix Bar Shooting, Several People Injured, How Did Elizabeth Santos Die? Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. Dont Miss A Story. The show lost something when Amos left, but the others were good enough to keep it going. FAQ Damn! They used to live in the South Side of Chicago in a cold water flat where they had their two oldest children, James "J.J." Evans, Jr. and Thelma. I don't find it stereotypical or shuckin'/jivin' at all. "Good Times" was one of the first African American family sitcoms to air. It was then that Lear told him that they were being picked up for another season, which wasnt a surprise to Amos. This show was excellent. This show, to me reflected on the good side of poverty. When many people think about the most memorable February 25 2022, 6:52 PM PST. Classic episodes include the unfortunate death of James Evans and the one where Penny falls down the elevator shaft. Which of his works do you like, if youre a fan? Im an Eddie Murphy fanatic. (on which he guest-starred) have Black writers and showrunners. Smart-TV Maker Vizio Launches Branded Content Studio, Building, Bruins' Historic Loss Wasn't the Week's Biggest Upset: DataViz, Patti LuPone Didn't Know Marvel Before 'Agatha: Coven of Chaos', 'Beef' Breakout Young Mazino Signs With M88 (EXCLUSIVE), Editor's Choice: I Purchased This TikTok-Viral Walking Pad and I, TVLine is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Just as Florida shockingly received notice that her husband had died, so, too, Amos received a call out of the blue that his character was no longer needed.

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