The show dealt with some really serious issues. Death, poverty, abuse (physical and substance), crime, gangs
St and threw in some humor now and then. Some of the issues that the show deals with are struggles that I face and so it is relatable. Trying to live a good moral life doesn't really get you anywhere but do it anyway, seemed to be the unintended message of the show. 'Trust in God, have good moral fiber, Strong Family Values and be honest and hard working and maybe, just maybe life will crap on you too. '
Still, I enjoy the show and the intended message that it sent. Your family and your religion will get you through hard times.

Good premise, bad execution. And including Jimmie Walker was the kiss of death. Pretty good show while the Dad was still on.

This is not a program I remember growing up with (I was still of the Sesame Street set by the time this show ended its original run), but now I'm getting a chance to see it by way of reruns.  It is a gem, depicting an inner-city black family getting by on a shoestring, but rich on closeness and love.  Anyone (no matter what race, culture, or background they are) can relate to its timeless message.

you know what this show was without question one of the greatest of all time in my opinion...i think you would have had to grown up surounded by a crap load of money not to like this show...because any family white, black or asian would have appreciated the show for knowing whats its like to struggle in life.. it was funny as hell too...the father james should have never left the series after the first season...he was what made this show so powerful...this is one show that will always be remember for its well acted talent and real life struggles....no other show in tv history was more real to life than good times.

I liked it well enough as a kid, but it's not one of those shows that I have any desire to go back to and re-visit now. I'm not surprised to learn that John Amos and Esther Rolle wanted to leave the show; my surprise is that they stayed with it as long as they did. What could have been a promising premise (struggling, poor black family trying to survive in a grim section of Chicago) became instead a showcase for the meager talents of Jimmie "DYNO-MIIITTTEEE!!!" Walker (remember him?). That whole routine of Walker's became as tiresome as Jamie Farr's drag-ensemble, or the witless giggle (and jiggle) of Suzanne Somers, or Tony Baretta's Cockatoo. Amos and Rolle were talented performers, but they weren't enough to save this wasted opportunity of a show. Finally, after they left for good, a young Janet Jackson was hastily brought in as an abused child, but by that point, the show's days were mercifully numbered.

If there could be any humor at all about being poor in the big city; then Good Times did it well.  I especially enjoyed the strong black father role played by John Amos.  He was a no nonesense guy struggling to "be the man", but his love for his family was evident.  Thelma was fine and still is.  I saw a photo of her taken a few years ago.  She's still got it.  Coralling the buffoon J.J. and the young militant Michael would force any parent to see the humor in life.

Not that great of a show when you look at other shows that were on in the 70's like M*A*S*H and All in the Family.

With now noticeably dated writing and production techniques, by contemporary standards "Good Times" doesn't hold up very well in my opinion. Nevertheless, the series was groundbreaking for its day, as it started out depicting a struggling intact African-American family. However, the show started to center around J.J. (Jimmie Walker) ultimately leading to the show losing its way and the adult stars (i.e. John Amos and Esther Rolle) leaving the series. These subsequent failures result in an originally four-star show falling to two.

This was groundbreaking television which served as a great period piece from the dreadful decade known as the 70's and it probably wouldn't play well in today's PC environment. This series chronicled the trials and tribulations of a poor black family struggling their way through life in the Chicago Projects: John Amos was perfectly cast as the stern, but loving father who was in constant throes with The System that was always keeping him and his brood on the brink of starvation - he and the dynamic relationship he had with his family were the best part about the show, I thought. Esther Rolle played the mother and was the conscience and moral anchor, who kept the family from straying from their Christian foundation whenever temptations came-a-calling. The other players in the show, including the actors who played the children, filled their roles solidly, but were not as distinguished as the two gifted actors who played the parents. Occasionally preachy, but never heavy-handed, this show dealt with important topics that only Norman Lear was brave enough to engage in at the time like poverty, child abuse, drug use, racism ( including reverse-racism ), gang violence and death, to name just a few. The episode where the father was killed made for powerful viewing, and left no doubt that Good Times was light-years better, and far more relevent than most of the tripe being shown on television in that, or any period of time. Unfortunately, when James Evans Sr. was killed off, many of the episodes and characters took a turn for the absurd and Good Times seemed to become the "J.J. Evans Show". Jimmy Walker filled his role as a bit player nicely, and was often very funny and displayed a penchant for physical comedy, but his range was extremely limited and he did not posess the heft that was required to carry the show on his own. Also, you knew the show was on the decline when they brought the "Penny" character on board ( played by a baby-face Janet Jackson ). What made that whole premise so unrealistic, is the fact that she was adopted by the neighbor, Malona, who was a poor, black, single woman living in the ghetto - which kinda makes you question the standards required for adopting a child back in those days. But aside from that, and a few other "Jump the Shark" moments, Good Times represented the best in what television could but, sadly, rarely offers the viewing audience, and is one of the most important shows ever to grace the television landscape.

I never really watched this show when it was on and when I watched the reruns I knew why. Although it wasn't bad, it just was not too interesting. Also, Esther Rolle was actually 20 years older than John amos and looked older and was not too attractive so do not make her out as some some of "sex object, please!!!" She was a good actress, though.

One of my favorite t.v. shows. Who didn't have a crush on Thelma. This show had a couple of problems. Your average family isn't going to be loaded with statistics. 2. They shouldn't have killed off James. 3. Florida was too goody two shoes. The Evan's family had many chances to get out of the ghetto, but Florida held them back. No one in real life is that perfect! I still watch this show to this day, the earlier episodes are great!

This was another insulting norman lear series equivilant of the blackplotation films of it day.A dirt poor family cartoonish and predictible in plot and acting.You had the woman who thought she was a superstar(mother)the man who wanted out of the show (John Amos the role was beneath him)The cartoonish little militant brother,the stupid neighbors and the evil white structure causing all this. The only 2 good things about this show was Bernedette Standis hot body and DYNO-MITE JJ Walkers STYLE AND GOOFY POST GILLIGAN AND MISTER MAGOO HAT.

skinny j.j. walker made this show with one word dynomite too bad the show wasn't that good

Funny, relevant, and groundbreaking television in the 70's. Sure, there were weak episodes- but the stronger episodes were terrific television. Remember when the father died?

Fascinating to me as a white kid growing up in the rural South. I had a shirt with JJ Walker on it that said DY-NO-MITE. I thought Chicago was so cool. (Who would have guessed I would end up living there for a while...but that's another story.) That dad was a good father figure for TV because he didn't take ANYTHING off those kids; you could tell they respected him. Wow, and the mother (Mrs. Rolle) was such a TOUGH LADY. We could use role models like this on TV nowadays. The family kidded around, but there was always love, not the sarcasm so common today on TV.

Hangin' in a chow line

If I remember correctly, this was the show with the black kid with a mouth as wide as a manhole who kept yelling Dyno-mite! If so, they should have used some real dynamite to polish off anyone who had anything to do with this crap.

One of my all-time favs, showed how a family of limited means can perservere through difficult circumstances through mutual cooperation, emotional stability and love, particularly from the parents (I believe the father died at some point in the show?). Good mix of humor, drama and realism. IMO, this show transcends racial identity and can be enjoyed by any individual/group of people, which is likely why it was so consistantly popular.

That Jimmy Walker had such a large mouth, I kept waiting for him to swallow his ears on his next smile

Started out good but as the show aged, we lost important characters that helped keep the show together...really lost traction when John Amos and Ester Rolle left...the show lost its direction.

#2 alltime love every episode this show was a truse situation comedy that we Black Folks could relate too. Quite sure Caucasion got laughs off show as well. JJ was great Thelma was sexy and the supporting cast were always keeping it interesting. Collecting now on DVD

My Favorite show of all time. The first TV show about a Black Family. I used to sneak and watch it because my mother said it had too many negative stereo types (Esther Rolle boycotted one season for this reason), but as a Black kid in a private white school it was one of the few connections I had growing up with other blacks. Me and the only other Black kid in my class would have conferences every morning concerning the previous nights episode. By the way James, Sr. (John Amos) was very cool and didn't take no sh*t either!

I use to watch this show all the time! Believe it or not, even as a kid, I use to think the dad was pretty cool. Don't know why. I loved Wilona! She was a hoot! I could never understand how JJ got all these girlfriends though...bleah! The one I remember was Samantha the human pantha..hehehe. My neice's name was Samantha so we use to call her that..for different reasons of course ;) It was an all around good show.

Funny, well-written show about a hard-working Black family living in a Chicago housing project trying to improve themselves and their children against tough odds. Esther Rolle was a great actress. I wish this show was on in reruns.It did go downhill after James left and the focus went on Jimmy Walker.

John Amos, and Esther Rolle were great actors, Jimmie Walker was ab imbecile..great stories, real life living in the ghetto..and Bernadette Stanis as Thelma was as hot as any star on TV during that time!

garbage

Good, solid family entertainment that wasn't preachy or unrealistic. The premise of the show was good, but got thin as the seasons rolled on. Esther Rolle and John Amos are two gifted actors who did a fine job on this show and they were well supported by the other players. That Thelma was the cutest thing on TV for awhile!

Excellent tv show for struggling afro-americans as it offered empathy as well as answers to every day dilemma's. And WOW, we were on the big screen.

This show was great, it portrayed life in the ghetto as it was--no sugar coating here.

This is a show with a lot of love and a lot of laughs. No matter what cast changes took place, it still worked, especially because of JJ and Thelma's loving but pointed insults. It is a sweet show with a happy ending. What is not to like?

I had a hard time rating this show, becouse the episodes with James, the father deserves a 5, the episodes after James deserve a 2, They had a good thing going, to bad they had to mess it up.

CBS put this show in what appeared to be a terrible timeslot during its first season (Friday at 8:30, with unsold pilots on at 8:00), but it thrived anyway apparently because people were switching the channel after Sanford & Son. That's quite a feat considering this was 1974 and most folks had to actually get up and walk across the living room! It also beat Happy Days the first year they went head-to-head after it took over Maude's old timeslot. And it accomplished these things by being that good in the beginning. Focusing on JJ pretty much sealed its doom, though. It ended up a shadow of its former self, especially in 1977-78, the season when Esther Rolle quit.

It's okay but far from great.

that show was off da meterz. it was dynomite! da bomb diggity son.

Damn,damn, DAMN!!!!!

I give it five stars for the John Amos seasons though. As the show desintegrated into the Jimmy Walker Show it lost its heart and just became another goofy sitcom. James' Evans death still resounds in my memory as a show I remember crying over as a kid. Esther Rolle was wonderful.

Good Times was a spin-off of the popular show Maude, which was a spin-off of the king of sitcoms, All In The Family. I really thought that the character of Florida Evans was funny on Maude, but not really on Good Times, and the character of J.J. was amusing, but extremly annoying and goofy.

ONE OF THE BEST BLACK SHOWS. I'D SAY ONLY SANFORD AND SON AND THE JEFFERSONS ONLY ONES BETTER.

I really loved Good Times. J.J. was so cool then..what the heck was that all about? He was a tall goofy looking pencil with ears, yet he was my idol. A true family sitcom. One of the best. DY NO MITE

DYN O MITE

I do not understand how Harry and Dan at "Night Court" rate higher than James and Florida and their kids. This is a good example of the kind of quality programming that's gone. And it's sad. This show was about family.

It was a classic. It's a shame it's not on in reruns anywhere!

Another great 70's era show. JJ was the coolest guy on TV. Younger brother Michael was the conscience of the show. It's also where Janet Jackson got her start. The show was DY-NO-MITE!!