It really suffered the year that Esther Rolle was off. Thelma was an attractive, bright girl who was constantly trading insults with J.J. Michael was a near child prodigy who was well-educated on social issues and was destined to become a lawyer. Famous words by Jimmie Walker as JJ the breakout character and due to providing over in very bad role model for African-American teens there led both the parents on the TV show, the late Esther Rolle and John Amos to leave the show with the latter's character dying in a car wreck. This is a classic show. Actor John Amos died from a heart attack on 28 December 2016. On 28 December 2016, the web site Headline NewsNetwork published an article reporting that actor John Amos, best known for his role on the 1970s TV sitcom Good Times, had passed away from a heart attack at the age of 77: There was no truth to this article. in 1985, where before then, it played in the late 70's. The Evans were a real family with real problems, but they also truly loved each other. The little brother "Michael" was Mr. Militant black pride. User Ratings He was let go. Throughout those times, many African American families consisted of a single mom with numerous kids. John Amos left the series immediately following the third season of Good Times. 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. No canned laughter, no music. To work with Eddie Murphy on Coming to America was a paid vacation for me because Im an Eddie Murphy fan. Another great aspect of the show was JJ and Thelma. They had three kids: J.J., Thelma, and Michael. 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. Although the Evans family was poor and lived in the projects, they had each other. 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 As she was putting away dishes from the wake at their house, she saw a flower James had left her and kept working, she finally stopped and smashed a bowl on the kitchen floor as she swore and then broke down in tremendous grief over the loss of her husband. We have a low bullst threshold in New Jersey. Esther Rolle has played her role of her. Yes, we are referring to the sitcom and his unexpected exit. A movie career? John Amos, though, how about him? This show, to me reflected on the good side of poverty. Thank You!! John, who was born in 1939, is now 82 years old. They find humor and have strong family values and morals. I remember when it came back on t.v. This funeral episode was excellent. The end of James Evans Sr. Because of his strong beliefs, John Amos was fired from Good Times. Many other stars have faced similar situations with producers who simply want to be blindly obeyed, but with actors and actresses getting a stronger voice these days, we can only hope that the same fate that befell the character of Mr. James Evans, does not happen to some of our current unproblematic and beloved TV stars. due to the scripts' lack of authenticity in portraying the African-American experience. 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. We all loved JJ's dynamite and his antics. The secret is to be happy! No. GT is very family themed, illustrating how family is so important, amidst difficulties and hardships, especially when they lose one of their own, and such a great actor too. According to rumours, Good Times emphasises the dynamics of African-American households. The show wasnt as good after he left. Big John, I got some good news and some bad news. Yet why? My favorite moment in the series is Thelma's wedding day. Yet why? February 25 2022, 6:52 PM PST. What happened? Which of his works do you like, if youre a fan? The Real Reason John Amos Was Fired From Good Times. John Amos left the series immediately following the third season of Good Times. ),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. Headed by two parents who realized there own shortcomings (lack of education, money), but didn't they try to lead by example by teaching their kids values, strong work ethic and didn't they try to IMPROVE the lives of THEIR children? 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Between the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and shopping, Florida often squeezes in a part-time job to help stretch the family dollar, and she even returned to school to get her high school diploma. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, Good Times is a sitcom that made its debut in 1974 on CBS. I liked many things about this show. This is the most memorable TV series that I saw in my youth and it left a strong impression on me. Issues such as gun control, teen pregnancy, v.d., gangs and teen suicide. Common, Chicago wasn't all black! Actually, that was not the case as the show certainly lacked some personality after his exit and many viewers just could not cope with the void his absence left. 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. The lives and times of the Evans family living the projects of Chicago. If you ask me, even though I like everyone, it would have been nice if everyone had stayed on the show throughout its entire run. But Amos adds that he wants the course correction to keep going. "Dynomite"! Christine Paduch, a teacher, is detained on suspicion of abusing a student with special needs. Will Downing on New Song Following Daughters Suicide, Advice to Parents, TikTok Food Critic Regrets Houston Hot Chicken Review | Watch, Issa Rae and Shameik Moore Would Unalive Spiders Matthew Lawrence Opens Up About Hollywood Casting Couch & More | PicVideos. Classic episodes include the unfortunate death of James Evans and the one where Penny falls down the elevator shaft. JJ was never stupid-he only acted that way most of the time. Amos, 80, recalls that one of the best perks of his West Wing tenure was meeting former Secretary of State Colin Powell. She had the authority to discuss the plot in more detail. On the Maude series, the Findlays up there in Tuckahoe had a maid played by Esther Rolle named Florida Evans. The entertainer admits that he wasnt the most diplomatic guy back then. What I liked about this show over Sanford and Son was that whites weren't portrayed as idiots, like some stupid attack against shows in the past that put blacks in an Aunt Jemima mode, please! As a young adult, she met her childhood sweetheart and the love of her life, James Evans, Sr., and eventually married him. All guests were black people. These were the words the producers used to describe John, as opinionated and troublesome as he was for them, they believed they didnt need such a person on set, so Mr. Evans died and in real life, John Amos discovered just how unimportant he was. Good Times was just that: It was a show that was very depicted in the everyday situations of the African American family growing up in the dangerous streets of Chicago. 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. 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. 2023 TVLine Media, LLC. It was the sort of family white viewers had read about in their own magazines with their slanted perceptions. So when I was being fed a line that was bullst, I wasnt apprehensive at all about saying, Uh-uh. When Florida was pregnant with their third child, Michael, they moved to the North Side of Chicago in the Housing Projects. Thank God for reruns! It appears to be comparable. America and the world got to see what life could be like within a Black family on Good Times, Amos shares. COPYRIGHT 2022 EURweb.com/Rabercom Enterprises. As a child,this show was mandatory when me and my brother saw the show each week. It's not an overly funny show, but does has some good hearty chuckle moments. Life for the Evans family is not easy, especially when trying to keep their 3 children on the straight and narrow. Because of his offensive remarks about the brawls behind the scenes, John Amos was fired. And last, but not least, Thelma, the older Sister to Michael, another seasoned performer. 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. So apparently, from Amos standpoint, there was too much shucking and jiving on the show, and he didnt want to tolerate it any more. An explanation of the cause of death of the former mayor of EL Cerrito, California, Gut-wrenching: Rep. Quentin Williams, a rising political star, killed in wrong-way accident. Seems to me when at least one parent was in the home, children were a bit more manageable. Good Times was a form of Roots, except it told the story of who we are on a comedic basis. Whether or not, you live in the inner cities, ghettos, suburbs, or rural countryside, this show is still a treasure to watch and observe a family being just a family rather than a show about a poor black family. After decades of It was actually quite funny> All references in the show had to be "black". And with Roots, I dont think any of us involved in the production, particularly the network, were aware audiences would tune in to the extent that they did.. This is one of the few shows that became just as big as its presider's. He felt that for a show with such an influence, black people did not have to be represented as clowns all the time when they had the power to be role models to the younger generation. Want to know why did John Amos leave Good Times? No matter how much the family suffered financially, they never turned to crime or other illegal actions to make ends meet. Well, John Amos played the character of You have entered an incorrect email address! There is no more complete source for urban news than the Electronic Urban Report. Good Times was a groundbreaking comedy about the first nuclear black family living in the Chicago projects. He was out of town, got hit by a car, and died. They didn't dwell on it. Seems to me nowadays, the projects or ghetto life is romanticized (see BET videos or MTV videos), whereas the Evans family in "Good Times" was trying to get out and onto something better. The way he was written out of the show was very abrupt. Without being to preachy, The Evans always tried to do the right thing rather than do something wrong to get out of the ghetto. Why? Amos recalled complete silence on the set. Wi Election Results: Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Results: Who Won? The show lost something when Amos left, but the others were good enough to keep it going. Good Times Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. And the differences I had with the producers of the show I felt too much emphasis was being put on J.J. and his chicken hat and saying dy-no-mite every third page, when just as much emphasis and mileage could have been gotten out of my other two children , Amos stated. 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.. Better than most of the family comedies today! The acting veteran, whose credits also include Future Cop, Die Hard 2 and Two and a Half Men, says he feels relieved and proud that modern sitcoms such as black-ish, The Neighborhood and The Last O.G. Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. Metacritic Reviews. 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. Amos left show after not so Good Times with writers 2020-02-11 - By Rich Heldenfels Tribune News Service Q: Why did John Amos leave Good Times? FAQ Like The Jeffersons, Good Times was one of the those classic American sitcoms which was never aired in the UK, not to mention it came out in the 1970s- a decade where of which I wasn't born yet. Thelma, a dancer. | To receive additional updates, you can follow John on Instagram. What many dont realize is that John Amos was just about as shocked as Florida when he learned that he was no longer on the show. The 1970s represented a period of drastic changes in the TV landscape. Damn! 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. A disruptive factor Stimulus Check Proposal Could Give Americans Monthly $1,200 Checks. He reportedly left the show, after 3 seasons, because he disapproved of Jimmie Walker's character. What better representation of a family values can you ask for? There's no denying the shows impact, it still holds, after forty years. When many people think about the most memorable Princr Humperdink!

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