Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer. Good Times is a spin-off of Maude, which is itself a spin-off of All in the Family along with The Jeffersons. The series is set in Chicago. The first two seasons were taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood. In the fall of 1975, the show moved to Metromedia Square, where Norman Lear's own production company was housed.
The peaks and the valleys. Find the essential episodes — and the ones to skip.
A new neighbor girl, 10-year-old Penny Gordon, becomes friends with Willona and the Evans family. Later, they discover a horrifying secret - that Penny is viciously abused by her mother.
The death of James has J.J., Thelma and Michael overcome with grief and also leaves them wondering what is wrong with Florida, who hasn't cried once since she found out the news of James' death. During a get-together at the apartment after James' funeral, the kids plan to confront Florida, who is seen laughing and having a great time.
Willona becomes frustrated in her attempts to report her suspicions that Penny is being abused. Things become complicated when the Gordons suddenly move from their apartment.
JJ gets Michael's band a job at a tavern. While the pay is good, Florida does not want Michael to be playing in a bar. When JJ is at the tavern, he hears another singer (Judy Cohen) and knows that she has real talent to make it big.
Each point is an episode, plotted in order. Colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for the rise, the plateau, or the decline.
High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.
One point per season. Smooths out the episode-to-episode noise to reveal the bigger arc.
Did each season build or fizzle? Green means the finale outscored the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows, bigger swings.
How steady is each season? Tightly clustered dots mean reliable quality. Scattered dots mean a wild ride.
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