John Amos Says He Was Kicked Off 'Good Times' Because He Didn't Agree With The Shucking And Jiving John Amos Explains Why He Was Kicked Off 'Good Times' By Brennan Williams Jun 5, 2015, 04:44 PM EDT | Updated Jun 5, 2015 He loved his wife. While Amos doesnt mention Walker or his character JJ, his fond recollections do include the late Esther Rolle. This is one of the few shows that became just as big as its presider's. He referred to himself as the disruptive element as well. In conclusion, even though it can be seen on TV Land now, I strongly recommend you catch it just in case it goes off the air for good. Not only is Florida the superwoman of the Evans household, but for many - including her good friend and neighbor, Willona - she's the superhero of her housing project on the North Side of Chicago. Good Times was a form of Roots, except it told the story of who we are on a comedic basis. 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. That theme got a little over done at times, but it was the 70's and blacks were still seeking equality. And Ive always contended, as some of my mentors taught me, the best way to get a message across to people is through humor.. The reason I like the show is that of John Amos'character of James Evans. Life for the Evans family is not easy, especially when trying to keep their 3 children on the straight and narrow. They are really what made Good Times GoodTimes. Yes, we are talking about the sitcom and his sudden departure. "); Thelma, their only daughter (BernNadette Stanis)who is a disaster in the kitchen, but who had hopes,dreams and intelligence. John said that was the last he heard from him for months, he never called back to check on him and even today, many fans can agree that after Mr. Evans death, FAQ Some folks need bracing, as my uncle used to say. But Amos adds that he wants the course correction to keep going. Good Times focuses on Florida and Jamess efforts to raise their three children in the best possible ways. Seems to me when at least one parent was in the home, children were a bit more manageable. It was great. You have entered an incorrect email address! 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. Ive had a blessed career, and I attribute that to my faith in God and the fact that I was raised right. He worked hard. 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. Amos was a force to be reckoned with on the show, and apparently, because of his personality and the fact that he realized the show was making a coonery out of the family, he couldnt be a part of it any more. Good Times embraces the reality of what hard living in the ghetto is like, and what one must do, to overcome many hindrances, and the Evan's really have it tough. 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A real true cut of reality, and it' cuts deep, which carries more weight, than many other black themed comedies, making this one especial, where the lives of the Evans, demand your attentiveness, as does the shows title song's lyrics. 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. Why What was it? J.J. was the skirt-chasing but well-meaning teenage son who made up for his lack of subtlety with artistic talent. Issues such as gun control, teen pregnancy, v.d., gangs and teen suicide. John Amos on Why He was Killed Off of Good Times - EURweb The gospelish theme song and title sequences shown over inner-city Chicago only added to the realism. Everybody had afros, went rollerskating, danced around a disco, and had platform shoes. In any case, James Evans was portrayed by John Amos. John Amos On Good Times, she appears in 109 of the 133 episodes in Seasons 1 through 4 and then returns in Season 6 after Carl died of lung cancer at the end of Season 4, in the episode "Love Has a Spot on His Lung: Part 2", the season finale. Webhttps://comedyhype.com/ - In 1974 Good Times would premiere showcasing black family life like never before. I was very sadden when James Evans was killed in an auto accident,and that was the show's very best episode and an emotional one as well in what the family was going through without a father figure for the children,but they continued on with J.J. stepping from a kid into manhood and the fatherly role after John Amos' character left the show. JJ wanted to be an artists. (on which he guest-starred) have Black writers and showrunners. They used to live in the South Side of Chicago in a cold water flat where they had their two oldest children, James "J.J." Evans, Jr. and Thelma. I realize everyone has their own opinion, but, I don't know . John Amos, though, how about him? 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. It made history as the first African American show with two parents and gathered a following of avid fans countrywide, so if Good Times had such a good reputation and following, why did one of the lead actors, John Amos, famous for playing James Evans Sr suddenly stop doing the show? It was the sort of family white viewers had read about in their own magazines with their slanted perceptions. He was let go. A movie career? You probably had no idea that John Amos, who portrayed Glenn Johnson in King of the Hill, also amassed enormous popularity. . It is a crime that John Amos never received an Emmy nomination for his role on this show. We all loved JJ's dynamite and his antics. John Amos This show was groundbreaking to show despair in drugs, gangs, and alcoholism. Another Norman Lear hit detailing the problems that African Americans had to go through in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s. Florida Evans (later Florida Evans-Dixon) is the protagonist of Good Times in Seasons 1-4 and 6. John Amos Talks Good Times, Roots and Career - TVLine He depicted a strong father figure-something likely missing in many people's lives. I couldn't relate to everything, but sometimes they hit home with the problems they were facing. Most of the early episodes focused on the parents, James and Florida Evans, and their struggle to provide for the family. She and JJ have one last hassle. It spawned some dy-no-mite catchphrases and I don't think a movie or a new show would work. 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. Sad part though: the guy who played Micheal(Ralph Carter) recently passed away.but his character was a symbol of black pride and black progress towards black success,and against racial intolerence in with he quoted that the word "boy" is a white racist word. He reportedly left the show, after 3 seasons, because he disapproved of Jimmie Walker's character. The Real Reason John Amos Was Fired From Good Times Man, I can't remember ever seeing a white guy in that show! This is not gonna work. I just didnt do it in the most diplomatic terms.. This was a good show for the first three seasons. My favorite moment in the series is Thelma's wedding day. It really suffered the year that Esther Rolle was off. This series is not only entertaining but instructive at the same time. The parents loved their children more than anything, were always there for them , and wanted the best for them. A great show! Good Times This show was excellent. All Rights Reserved. So does JJ. A: Amos was fired from the show and his character killed off after he often Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. In that way, Amos observes, Good Times and Roots had more in common than him. Amos They didn't dwell on it. They had three kids: J.J., Thelma, and Michael. It's hard to say which one is my favorite. Most importantly it had a black family that stuck together through thick and thin. Although the series continued without her for the fifth season, she returned to reprise her role as Florida in the show's final season, with the explanation that the shop owner whom she wed at the end of Season 4, Rolle's most memorable moment from the show is in the episode. It was a ground breaking, memorable and well acted for a sitcom. What do you want to hear first? Amos said Lear asked him. America and the world got to see what life could be like within a Black family on Good Times, Amos shares. What happened? His departure so soon caught everyone off guard. If you like TVLine, you'll LOVE our email news alerts! I don't know. My husband and I enjoy this movie so much, we began our wedding ceremony with quotes from this movie. He was let go. 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. I think JJ was a precursor to characters such as Horshack, Screech, Urkel, Rerun, etc. John Amos looks back at The Mary Tyler Moore Show