ABC Announces ‘All in the Family,’ ‘The Jeffersons’ Live Tribute Special
Featuring an all-star cast, the one-night only event will be hosted by producer Norman Lear and Jimmy KimmelThe Jefferson family was written into the All in the Family script as a foil to Archie Bunker’s racist ways. The Jeffersons moved next door to the Bunkers, which flared Archie Bunker’s racism, yet was a delight for Edith, Mike and Gloria. Even though Archie was seemingly racist to the core in some of his thoughts and views, he developed a genuine bond and respect for Lionel Jefferson.
Lionel Jefferson was the typical strong, opinionated young black man of the 1970s. He often one-upped Archie Bunker’s ignorant, racist statements by feigning stupidity and falling into racist stereotypes to mock Bunker, because Lionel Jefferson was one of the few people to see that Archie Bunker’s racism stemmed more from true ignorance than actual malice.
Archie Bunker had a genuine appreciation for Lionel Jefferson, because he could see that the young man was “a credit to his race.” Lionel was unfazed by Bunker’s racism, he felt sorry for him, because he could see the man was truly ignorant
In a way, Lionel felt sorry for Archie’s ignorance, so he let the man believe he was a mentor to him…which was completely ridiculous, and often turned out to be in reverse, as Archie Bunker learned far more from Lionel Jefferson than Lionel ever learned form him. (Here’s to the genius of Normal Lear!)
When George Jefferson came to live with his family next door to the Bunkers, sparks began to fly between George and Archie, because as it turned out…George Jefferson was just as racist as Archie Bunker, if not moreso, because George freely used racist epithets…and he didn’t care who heard it or how they felt about it.
In any event, Lionel Jefferson didn’t have to endure Archie Bunker for too long, because his family would soon enjoy prosperity that would take them away from his warped next door neighbor.
The Jeffersons became a bona-fide classic television spin-off when the family moved away from the working class, Queens neighborhood shown in All in the Family, to an upper middle class Manhattan apartment… complete with a totally separate television show.
The Jeffersons “Move on Up” to the East Side, to a Deluxe Apartment in the Sky
It was January 18, 1975, when the CBS television network first aired The Jeffersons as a solo television show, complete and apart from All in the Family. George, Louise and Lionel were now joined by Mother Jefferson, Florence Johnston, the housekeeper, interracial married couple Tom and Helen Willis and their young adult children Jenny and Alan Willis, another neighbor Harry Bentley, Ralph, the doorman and Charlie, the bartender.
True to Norman Lear fashion, the show at times dealt with heavy topics, such as racism, alcoholism, suicide, gun control, and transgender issues; however, the overall reigning theme of the show was traditional 30 minute sitcom antics, and the result was often side splitting comedy!
If it wasn’t Mother Jefferson being the epitome of a rude mother-in-law to Louise, it was those ridiculously funny exchanges between George and Florence. Each week, no matter what the main topic of the show turned out to be, or how serious it was, audiences could rest assured that true comedy lay just beneath the surface.
