Although my opionion may be a bit biased, I really do think this was an amazing show. People always say that the earlier episodes were the better, but quite frankly, I disagree. The best episodes I feel, and also this is the same time frame when the show was at it's most successful, was in the early 80's. For the '81-'82 season, "The Jeffersons" was the 3rd rated television show in America. People wanted to see Florence be sassy, and Tom and George be friends. Viewers wanted to see Helen and Louise get somewhat foolish. People wanted to see incredible guest stars, like Sammy Davis, Jr., Gladys Knight, Billy Dee Williams, even the popular singing group Sister Sledge. It was the 80's, and people wanted to see rich folks living in excess, and it was also at this time the show was so successful, it finally had the advertising clout to command a bigger budget for a new set, off-site shoots, and guest stars. I prefer the later set over the earlier one (the curved coffee table, gray sofa with peach throw cushions, and the round table dinette set). It outlasted the show which it originally was spun-off from even. Keep in mind also, that this show was still pulling in some great numbers in the 1984-1985 season when the plug was pulled (it was still in the top 20). It seems that anything that originated in the 70's was leaving the line-up in the mid-80's. Alice was canceled, along with The Love Boat, The Facts of Life, Hart to Hart, and a lot of other wonderful shows that were not necessarily growing tired, but the budget went towards all new shows. Shows that were not memorable at all, and were cancelled within a season or two. "The Jeffersons" ran for eleven seasons, and that's a long time in this business. I always felt that after all "The Jeffersons" had done for CBS, that it certainly deserved a better send-off than being cancelled mid-season after a hiatus. There never was a last episode, no closure. No wrap up. Nothing. The last new episode that was shown was on June 25, 1985, and it was a pretty funny episode in which George helps his grand daughter Jessica with her Red Robins group. Sadly, Tom & Helen Willis did not appear in this episode. It was actually the second to last show taped, but as you may be aware, the shows are not necessarily shown in the order that they are filmed. I read an earlier entry that claims Lark Voorhies played Lionel and Jenny's daughter, Jessica on "The Jeffersons". Actually, it was an actress by the name of Ebonie Smith. Lark portrayed Lisa on the TV show "Saved By The Bell". I think the confusion may be because Ebonie Smith was in an episode of "Saved By The Bell: The New Class".
Review of The Jeffersons
