50 Fun Facts About Good Times

Good Times was a spin-off of which sitcom, on which Florida Evans had been the housekeeper?

Maude was itself a spin-off of All in the Family, making Good Times a spin-off of a spin-off; Florida had worked for Maude Findlay in Tuckahoe, New York.

On which network did Good Times air its entire six-season run?

It premiered on February 8, 1974 and ended on August 1, 1979, all on CBS.

Good Times was created by Eric Monte and which actor, best known as Lionel Jefferson?

Mike Evans, who played Lionel Jefferson on All in the Family and The Jeffersons, co-created the series with writer Eric Monte, whose film Cooley High later inspired What's Happening!!

Which producer developed Good Times and served as its first executive producer?

Norman Lear developed the series at Tandem Productions, the company he ran with Bud Yorkin that also made All in the Family and Sanford and Son.

In which city do the Evans family live?

The Evans family lives in a public-housing high-rise in inner-city Chicago, Illinois; the project is never named on screen.

What is the Evans family's apartment number?

The Evans family's home is apartment 17C, a unit in a public-housing high-rise in a poor inner-city neighborhood; the building is never named on screen.

Which real housing project is shown in the opening and closing credits?

The show never names the project on screen; the exterior shots were of Cabrini-Green, later demolished.

What first name did Florida's husband have before Good Times renamed the character James?

Florida's husband was called Henry on her earlier sitcom; the character was renamed James Evans when Good Times began in 1974, with the same actor in the role.

What job did Florida's husband hold on her earlier sitcom, before Good Times reworked him?

On Florida's earlier sitcom her husband was a New York City firefighter with a middle-class home; Good Times moved the family to the Midwest and into a housing project.

How far did James Evans get in school, which is why he works manual jobs?

Sixth grade was as far as James Evans went in school, so he takes manual jobs such as dishwashing and construction, often two at once, and refuses charity.

Who played James Evans?

John Amos played James Evans until the character was written out; he was less than a decade older than Jimmie Walker, who played his teenage son J.J.

How old was Jimmie Walker when he began playing 17-year-old J.J.?

Jimmie Walker was 26 when Good Times premiered in February 1974; born in June 1947, he was nearly a decade older than the 17-year-old J.J.

What nickname does James give his youngest son Michael, because of his political activism?

"The militant midget" is James's nickname for young Michael, played by Ralph Carter, because the boy loudly champions Black political causes and argues with authority.

What is the name of the Evans family's neighbor and Florida's best friend, played by Ja'Net DuBois?

Willona Woods, the divorced neighbor down the hall, works at a boutique and is promoted to head buyer in the finale; she is a series regular for all six seasons.

What is the surname of the building superintendent, nicknamed "Buffalo Butt"?

Nathan Bookman, the portly building superintendent played by Johnny Brown, is teased by J.J. and the neighbors as "Buffalo Butt" and, more cruelly, "Booger".

Which director is credited with J.J.'s catchphrase "Dy-no-mite!" and insisted he say it every episode?

Director John Rich pushed Jimmie Walker to say "Dy-no-mite!" in every episode, over the doubts of both Walker and the show's executive producer; the line became a national catchphrase.

In the season one episode "Black Jesus", who does J.J. use as the model for his portrait of Jesus?

J.J. paints Jesus with the face of Ned the Wino, the neighborhood drunk played by Raymond Allen; the family's luck seems to improve while the painting hangs in the apartment.

Which artist actually painted most of the works credited to J.J. on the show, including The Sugar Shack?

Ernie Barnes painted the canvases shown as J.J.'s work; his 1971 painting The Sugar Shack, seen in the closing credits, was also used as the cover of Marvin Gaye's 1976 album I Want You.

Who played Keith Anderson, the man Thelma marries?

Ben Powers played Keith Anderson, who marries Thelma and joins the cast as a regular in the final season; an injury on the wedding day wrecks the career he had lined up.

Who composed the gospel-styled Good Times theme music?

Dave Grusin, the jazz pianist and film composer, wrote the melody, which is sung over a gospel-style choir; Grusin later won an Oscar for scoring The Milagro Beanfield War.

Which comedian used a famously hard-to-hear line of the theme song as a quiz question in his sketch show?

Dave Chappelle's sketch "I Know Black People" on Chappelle's Show asked contestants for the theme's garbled line, which the lyricists later confirmed as "Hangin' in a chow line".

Which future star filled in as Michael in early rehearsals while Ralph Carter's contract was settled?

Carter was under contract to a Broadway musical, so early episodes carry a credit that he appears courtesy of that show.

Ralph Carter had to be bought out of which Broadway musical to play Michael?

Ralph Carter was appearing in the Broadway musical Raisin, based on A Raisin in the Sun, so the producers bought out his contract; early episodes credit him as appearing courtesy of that show.

Chip Fields was a finalist for the role of Thelma; which character did she later play instead?

Chip Fields lost Thelma to another actress but returned in season five as Penny's abusive mother, Lynnetta, who burns the girl with a hot iron before abandoning her.

Which magazine ran Esther Rolle's 1975 interview attacking the J.J. character?

In a 1975 Ebony interview Rolle said the writers had made J.J. "more stupid" and enlarged the role; she and the actor playing James both pushed for more serious storylines.

The actor who played James was let go from the show after how many seasons?

Three seasons in, the actor playing James was told his contract option would not be renewed, which he said amounted to being fired for clashing with the producers over J.J.'s buffoonery.

How was James Evans written out of the show?

Killed in a car accident in Mississippi, James had gone south to start a new job ahead of the family's move out of the projects; the producers chose not to recast the role.

What is the title of the two-part episode in which James dies?

The Big Move is the two-part episode in which the family, packed to leave the projects for James's new job, learns that he has died.

Which household object does Florida smash when her grief finally breaks through after James's funeral?

A punch bowl is what Florida hurls to the floor, crying "Damn, damn, damn!", after holding an eerily cheerful front through the gathering that followed James's funeral.

Florida leaves after season four, engaged to which shop owner played by Moses Gunn?

Carl Dixon, the shop owner played by Moses Gunn, marries Florida off screen; Esther Rolle disliked the storyline partly because Carl was an atheist and Florida a devout Christian.

To which state do Florida and her new husband move after marrying off screen?

Arizona is where Florida and her new husband settle after the wedding; she returns to the projects alone in the season six premiere, with his fate left vague on air.

Which future pop superstar joined the cast in season five as Penny Gordon?

Janet Jackson, then eleven, played Penny Gordon, an abused girl abandoned by her mother; she stayed with the show for its final two seasons before joining Diff'rent Strokes.

Who adopts Penny?

Willona adopts Penny in season five; with both Evans parents gone from the show that year, Willona effectively became the lead, looking in on the Evans children living alone.

Which head of state did the shady Alderman Fred C. Davis spoof with the line "I am not a crook"?

Richard Nixon's "I am not a crook" line, from a November 1973 press session, is parroted by the crooked Alderman Fred C. Davis, who calls the Evanses his "favorite project family".

What is Sweet Daddy Williams's line of work?

Played by Theodore Wilson, he wears flashy jewelry and travels with bodyguards, one of them played by NFL star Bubba Smith.

Which Oscar-winning actor played Florida's brother Wilbert?

Louis Gossett Jr., later an Oscar winner for An Officer and a Gentleman, played Florida's brother Wilbert; he had earlier appeared as Thelma's much older suitor in "Thelma's Young Man".

Which future Fame star played Diana, J.J.'s fiancee with a hidden drug problem?

Debbie Allen, later the dance teacher Lydia Grant on Fame, played Diana in the two-part "J.J.'s Fiancée"; the family learns of her heroin habit just before the wedding.

In "Michael Gets Suspended", what does Michael tell his teacher that gets him sent home?

That George Washington was a racist because he owned slaves is what Michael tells his class, and he refuses to apologize; James and Florida end up checking the history books themselves.

Which future Rocky co-star played the husband of "the Wiggler", who wants J.J. to paint her nude?

Carl Weathers, soon to be Apollo Creed in Rocky, played the model's husband; Florida cannot see why the woman has to pose in the Evans apartment or why James is so taken with her.

Which single does Ralph Carter perform as Michael at the rent party?

"When You're Young and In Love", a single Ralph Carter released in 1975, is the song Michael performs at the rent party; the Marvelettes had charted with it in 1967.

Which Good Times regular co-wrote and sang The Jeffersons theme, "Movin' On Up"?

Ja'Net DuBois co-wrote "Movin' On Up" with Jeff Barry and performed it herself; the song opened The Jeffersons for all eleven seasons.

Which singer, alongside Blinky Williams, performed the vocals on the Good Times theme?

Jim Gilstrap, a session singer who had a 1975 hit with "Swing Your Daddy", sang the theme with Blinky Williams over a gospel-style choir.

What is the profession of Keith Anderson, the man Thelma marries in season six?

Professional football player Keith Anderson wrecks his knee at the wedding and loses his deal; by the finale the knee has healed and the Bears offer him a contract.

What is the comic-book heroine J.J. creates for his big break in the finale called?

DynoWoman, the heroine J.J. creates for his big break in the finale, is modeled on Thelma, who is delighted; J.J. also moves out to his own apartment.

Which upscale district do Keith and Thelma move to in the series finale?

Florida moves in with them to help with the coming baby, and Willona and Penny turn out to be moving into the same building.

How many episodes of Good Times were made?

133 episodes were made across six seasons: a 13-episode first season that began in February 1974, then five seasons of 24 episodes each.

In its first full season (1974-75), where did Good Times rank in the Nielsen ratings?

More than a quarter of American households watched each week, and Sanford and Son and The Jeffersons were also in the top ten.

What was the title of the 1976 British adaptation of Good Times?

The Fosters, made by London Weekend Television for ITV, moved the Evans scripts to a London tower block; the first British sitcom with an all-Black cast, it starred Norman Beaton as the father.

Which streaming service released the animated revival Good Times: Black Again in 2024?

Netflix released the animated Good Times revival in April 2024, with Seth MacFarlane and Stephen Curry among its executive producers; critics panned its crass humor.

Which husband-and-wife songwriting team wrote the lyrics to the Good Times theme?

Alan and Marilyn Bergman, the husband-and-wife lyricists behind "The Way We Were", wrote the words, including the often-misheard line "Hangin' in a chow line".