The Ten Best THE JEFFERSONS Episodes of Season Six
Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! Today, we’re continuing our coverage on the best episodes from The Jeffersons (1975-1985, CBS), the longest running spin-off from Norman Lear’s flagship series, All In The Family (1971-1979, CBS). I am happy to announce that the entire series has finally been released on DVD. Dry cleaning mogul George Jefferson and his wife Louise continue to adjust to life in a posh — and almost exclusively white — high rise on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The Jeffersons stars SHERMAN HEMSLEY as George Jefferson, ISABEL SANFORD as Louise “Wheezy” Jefferson, MIKE EVANS as Lionel Jefferson, ROXIE ROKER as Helen Willis, FRANKLIN COVER as Tom Willis, PAUL BENEDICT as Harry Bentley, BERLINDA TOLBERT as Jenny Willis, and MARLA GIBBS as Florence Johnston.
The sixth season, the first to air as part of CBS’ strong Sunday night line-up, saw the series climb back into the top 30 (at #8), making it the most successful season — commercially — since the initial 13 week run in Spring 1975. Creatively, the sixth season is, like the two years prior, collectively on par with what we’ve come to expect from mid-era Jeffersons. However, there are some features that make this season unique. First, Season Six marks the return of Mike Evans, as Lionel and Jenny prepare for the birth of their child. It’s an arc devoid of originality, but bringing the two characters back into the stories, and using them with regularity, is ultimately a boon for the series and the range of material it can cover (even though baby stuff is rarely comedic). Additionally, while the show gets a little less realistic with each passing season (going for bigger, and cheaper laughs — like all long-running shows), this year sees a notable effort to maximize the value of the regular cast, as many episodes seem tailored specifically to their talents — in ways we haven’t seen previously. Moriarty and Milligan are still supervising, while many of the best scripts come in from two writing teams whose first contributions came in Season Five: Perzigian & Seigel and Casey & Lee. These are talented scribes, but a very different breed than the Lear folks that launched the show. Thus, The Jeffersons, one notices most particularly this season, is written very differently than it was initially. Race issues are used less often for drama, and social relevance is more novelty than regular facet. Regardless, the show is still a comedic guarantor and succeeds more often than it fails. So I have picked ten episodes that I think exemplify this season’s strongest installments. For new fans, this list will give you a place to start. For seasoned fans, there might be a few surprises.Here are my picks for the ten best episodes of Season Six. (They are in AIRING ORDER.) Note that every episode this season is directed by Bob Lally.
01) Episode 112: “The Announcement” (Aired: 09/23/79)
Lionel and Jenny try to keep news of their pregnancy a secret from George.
Written by Jay Moriarty and Mike Milligan
With the return of the original Lionel and the decision to make his baby with Jenny (whom we haven’t seen since early last year) a major focal point of the season, this premiere has a goal: set-up the arc. Sometimes these ambitious episodes, with aims that are story-oriented, comedically fall short, relying more on narrative or sentiment. Admittedly, I enjoy this episode most for its charm and less for its humor, but they’re both intertwined, as the new trajectory infuses the production with a sense of giddy excitement. The only thing one must excuse is the lame and unmotivated way that Florence moronically spills the beans. (Why not just have have her be a blabbermouth? That’s more in character.) Memorable start to the year.
02) Episode 113: “A Short Story” (Aired: 09/30/79)
George gets an award for being a small businessman — that is, a short businessman.
Written by Neil Lebowitz
