Customer Reviews

The Jeffersons - The Complete First Season

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Created as a spin-off of Norman Lear's groundbreaking sitcom All In The Family, the Jefferson's ran on CBS from 1975 to 1983, with a run of 253 episodes. The show details the comic exploits of a short-tempered dry cleaning magnate George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley), his sassy wife Louise "Weezy" (Isabel Sanford), their wisecracking maid Florence (Marla Gibbs), their neighbors Tom and Helen Willis (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker) and other supporting cast members.

This 2-disc set contains all thirteen episodes from the first season of this historic television comedy, which smashed stereotypes and ignored social conventions as it made audiences laugh.

In this collection, you'll be getting the following episodes:

1. "A Friend in Need"- The Jefferson's have moved to Manhattan's Upper East Side and George insists that Louise should hire a maid to take care of their new apartment.

2. "George's Family Tree"- A piece of primitive art given to the Jefferson's by Tom and Helen Willis, sparks an inter-family battle about the importance of ancestors. George, totally unimpressed by anyone's ancestry, goes through a quick reversal in attitude when he gets some exciting information about his own background.

3. "Louise Feels Useless"- Living a luxury life starts to drive Louise up the walls, but her solution to the problem creates an even greater problem.

4. "Lionel the Playboy"- Louise is extremely upset over Lionel's new playboy attitude, but George loves the idea of his son rubbing elbows with the rich until he learns he's thinking about leaving college.

5. "Mr. Piano Man"- George wants nothing to do with a tenant protest meeting, but when he learns his banker, and fellow-tenant, H.L. Whittendale is expected to attend, he not only changes his tune, but also insists on hosting the meeting in a style he hopes will impress the penthouse dwelling banker.

6. "George's Skeleton"- George sees his life going down the drain when Monk Davis appears from his past and threatens to rattle a skeleton in his closet unless George coughs up some cash.

7. "Lionel Cries Uncle"- A cold reception from George and Lionel greets Louise's Uncle Ward.

8. "Mother Jefferson's Boyfriend"- George's mother finds romance and talks about heading to the altar.

9. "Meet the Press"- Convinced publicity will mean a boom to his business, George tricks a newspaper reporter into coming to his home for an interview.

10. "Rich Man's Disease"- Louise finds herself facing the impossible task of keeping George away from anything that irritates him.

11. "Former Neighbors"- George fears that his past is about to ruin his future. His nightmare begins when he discovers that Louise has invited some old friends from Harlem to dinner the same time he has invited a high society businessman.

12. "Like Father, Like Son"- When Lionel begins behaving like his father, sparks start flying between him and Jenny.

13. "Jenny's Low"- When Jenny's brother suddenly appears after a two-year absence, Jenny gives him the cold shoulder.

With the release of the All in the Family: Complete Season 1 DVD set, the next logical step would be that series' most successful spinoff, The Jeffersons. For those that don't know, the Jeffersons first started out as the next door neighbors of the Bunkers on All in the Family. Actually, the original Lionel, son of George and Louise (Wheezy), played by Mike Evans (later the role would go to Damon Evans) appeared in the first episode, "Meet the Bunkers", as a friend of Mike Stivic, and became a recurring character. Louise appeared for the first time in the final show of the first season, "The first and last supper" but without George (Sherman Hemsley), instead bringing his brother Henry (Mel Stewart) who would turn out to be a hilarious regular on the show. George would not be introduced until season 4, in an episode called "Henry's Farewell", which I believe is Henry's last episode. Anyway, the Jeffersons became so popular on the show that they left during the fifth season of All in the Family and started their own show in 1975. Again, if you don't already know, the Jeffersons "moved up" to an upscale apartment complex in Manhattan where they hired a maid with an attitude, Florence (Marla Gibbs), and became friends (well at least Louise did) with their neighbors in the building, Tom & Helen Willis (Franklin Cover & Roxie Roker) and Mr. Bentley (Paul Benedict). Other regulars on the show were Jenny Willis (Berlinda Tolbert), Mother Jefferson (Zara Cully), Ralph the Doorman (Ned Wertimer),and Charlie the Bartender (Danny Wells). The Jeffersons, like All in the Family, is not only essential TV comedy, but its also a landmark, considering the controversial topics and attitudes dealt with on the show. I have not seen the DVD set yet but I hope it is done better than the All in the Family set. There is already evidence that it will be, considering The Jeffersons is being released as a reasonably priced two DVD set with 13 episodes as opposed to the 3 DVD higher priced All in the Family set (also with 13 episodes). Anyway I complained enough about the All in the Family set in my review for that. The Jeffersons: Complete First Season should include these episodes: (the pilot, "The Jeffersons move up", probably will not be included, seeing as it is considered an episode of All in the Family)

1) A Friend in need
2) George's family tree
3) The good life is bad for Louise
4) Lionel the playboy
5) Mr. piano man

6) George's skeleton
7) Lionel cries uncle
8) Mother Jefferson's boyfriend
9) Meet the press
10) Rich man's disease
11) Former neighbors
12) Like father, like son?
13) Jenny's low

For more essential 70s sitcoms on DVD, look for the complete first season of Sanford & Son (Redd Fox) due out at the same time as The Jeffersons!

The most successful spinoff in televison history is finally here on DVD ... The Jeffersons. As most of you know, this show is a spinoff of another revolutionary television series, All in the Family which ran 11 seasons from 1975 - 1985.

This show, another from the Norman Lear vehicle, had some firsts on television ... a rich affluent black family, a racially mixed couple to name a few. Isabel Sanford (a star on Broadway, now 85 years old) heads this lovely cast. Sherman Hemsley stars as the jive talking George Jeffersons, Mike Evans is the ever funny Lionel (who was only around for the first four seasons), Franklin Cover is Tom Willis (Helen's white husband) and of course, Roxie Roker (Lenny Kravitz' mom who is Helen Willis, Tom's wife, the most outrageous in this show) and last but not least, Zera Cully who is Momma Jefferson (George's mommy, only around for the first four seasons who died in 1978) who hates Louise with a passion.

This DVD is the complete First Season with thirteen episodes in all but take note - the "pilot" episode does not appear as it was a episode of "All in the Family" entitled, "the Jeffersons are moving on up", as a sixth season series opener. This was the "pilot" episode which Roxie Roker had a big afro, a treat for those who liked her and her son Lenny.

Otherwise, these thirteen episodes contained here are quite entertaining in its own right. Episodes like ....

"A Friend in Need", where George & Louise adapt to their posh digs by hiring a part time maid, which introduced us to Marla Gibbs, the no-nonsense Jeffersons' maid, Florence.

"Louise Feels Useless", as she has trouble adjusting to the good life but she takes a job at the rival cleaning store.

"George's Family Tree" has George thinking he is the king reflecting on a gift given to him by the Willis' which has him digging into his ancestry but Louise has a lesson for George.

"Lionel, The Playboy", has Lionel taking full advantage of the good life by partying it all the time but Momma Jeffersons lays down the law on Lionel to get him back on track.

"Mr. Piano Man", has George heading up a protest meeting by the tenants at his home but boasts his classy image by buying a grand piano to impress the building owners', which backfires.

"George's Skeleton", has someone from George's past suddenly re-emerge only to blackmail George of money. Lionel and Louise come to George's rescue.

"Lionel Cries Uncle" has Louise' Uncle Ward visit with the men of the family see him as an "Uncle Tom", but Ward gives Lionel a few lessons in life he is not to forget.

"Mother Jeffersons Boyfriend" has Momma Jefferson with a new man in her life. On her birthday, they propose and want to move to Florida. Louise couldn't be more happier but George tries to break the lovbirds up.

"Meet the Press" has George bragging about how he got to the top but it is the Willis' who are hogging all the attention that gets George steaming mad.

"Rich Mans' Disease" has George hiding his mysterious ulcer, amoungst other things from Louise as he is feeling down in the dumps.

"Former Neighbours" has George inviting a big client to a big extravagent dinner at his home but when the former old lower class neighbours pay a visit, Geroge tries to hide his poor past from the big client.

"Like Father, Like Son" has Lionel behaving much like his father, but George gets involved in a local election, which the "race card" is played with comic effect.

"Jenny's Low" has Jenny being jealous of her returning globe-trotting brother because he is able to "pass" for white while she can't.

This DVD is very nicely packaged and includes a Series Guide Booklet and of course, the very famous lyrics to the shows' theme song, Movin' On Up, which is sung by Ja'Net DuBois who was in Good Times.

The Complete First Season as a whole is quite good. The series opens nicely, disappointments were few (especially the "Former Neighbours" episode which I thought would have been the Bunkers of All in the Family) but ends with a downer with the "Jenny's Low" episode.

Despite that though, there are no extra feautures on this DVD but just having the show on DVD is "Extra" enough with the "Feautures" being presented in thirteen segments on your televison screen.

Get Your Copy Today !!!

One of the best shows of it's time! It's a 2 disc set with 13 season one episodes. Bare in mind the pilot is not included. It seems that it's an All in the family episode, the 1st episode of the 6th season. Despite this, the rest of them are hilarious. Florence, the wise crackin' maid, is introduced for the first time and Mother Jefferson seems to be in every episode. Mother Jefferson is my personal favorite as she always has something negative to say about Louise, except for one of the very few occurences when she sides with her on one episode. Hopefully the rest of the seasons will follow. If you loved The Jefferson you'll love them on DVD. Get your copy and get " Movin' on Up"

I think that "The Jeffersons" is the *BEST* show ever made!! Sherman Hemsley (George Jefferson) and Marla Gibbs (Florence Johnston) is what made the show so wonderful in my opinion. All of the cast is fantastic but Sherman Hemsley and Marla Gibbs are the funniest. I can't wait till the DVD is released next month. I hope that all eleven seasons are released. George Jefferson is my idol. I am so excited about the Complete First season coming out on DVD. If you haven't seen "The Jeffersons" I suggest giving it a try.

was ecstatic upon hearing that classic "The Jeffersons" episodes would be obtainable on DVD technology, as Nick At Nite reshuffled it's programming so that the the show runs at 2 or 3 in the morning. Such a shameful fate for a series that was so good.

"The Jeffersons" was a classic show that lasted a full decade, and not without merit. The humor, acting and storylines were outstanding throughout, and so was the Gospel-influenced opening theme.

If you're unaware it was a Spinoff of another hit Sitcom of the 70's "All in the Family". The Jefferson family were the nearby neighbors of Archie Bunker, they since "Move Up" to a Luxury apartment in New York City.

It's a trip watching each episode of the first season in it's full glory, with no commercials, just brief pauses where you'd normally have seen 'em. If you're only familiar with the later part of the series, you owe it to yourself to check out the first season, if for nothing else just a primer.

George Jefferson is a smart talking know-it-all. And a succesful Entrrepraer as well, owning a chain of Laundromats. some critics have pointed that his character is a bit stubborn, but to get as far as he did you would have to be.

The only slight quibble I have is that the Jeffersons maid Florence, played by the underrated Marla Gibbs, has less of a presence in these episodes, Her nice voice and sassy, witty persona rolled up smoothly alongside George Jefferson's temper.

George Jefferson's wife Louise (of course, whom he affectionately calls "Weezy") is played by Isabel Sanford, who won an Emmy for that role, and deservedly so.

The slight tension between George and Weezy is executed to perfection comedically. Their bickering never fails to entertain.

George Jefferson's mother is also brilliant, played by Zara Cully, whom upon researching I just learned was born in my home state of Massachusetts. she had quite a role in this early era before she passed away from cancer in 1978. Her and Weezy are always at each other's throats, partly because she couldn't be more proud of her son George.

Living in the adjacent apartment complex is Mr. Bentley, played by Paul Benedict, employed by the United Nations, his character has a literal sense of humor and brings an added punch to the cast.

In addition there's the Willises, the jeffersons upstairs neighbors Tom and Helen, played by Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker (Lenny Kravitz mom) respectively. It's my understanding that this pair was among the first Black/White couples on TV. They are constantly at verbal War with George Jefferson, who doesn't think so kindly of their marriage, but all the feuding is extremely humorous.

The only real complaint I have is the Tom Willis' character can be a bit lame and corny, personally I find it hard to believe that Helen fell for him. Their daughter, Jenny, is the boyfriend of Lionel Jefferson, George and Weezy's son.

Lionel, portrayed by Mike Evans, is a young playboy in College. There's some inner turmoil of Weezy wanting Lionel to avoid taking after his father's take-no-prisoners antics.

"The Jeffersons first season" comes packaged as a 2 Disk Set, with episodes 1-8 being on the First Disk, and episodes 9-13 are on the Second Disk. There aren't many DVD "Extra goodies' To speak of besides subtitles in English and Espanol. Although it would be nitpicking to criticize that fact, as getting this Legendary Series and being able to watch it whenever you please is a Gift enough in itself.

Theres been an impressive 3 decades of African-American sitcoms, and the 70's, with shows like "Sanford And Son" and "The Jeffersons" still stand as the best era - Bar None.

If you're unfamiliar with it, pick up the Jeffersons first season, ahora.

First let me begin by saying that making THE JEFFERSONS available in DVD format was a great idea. The early seasons may be my favorite seasons. I just loved Mother Jefferson, the show wasn't the same after the actress that played her passed away and her character was written out of the series. I grew up watching THE JEFFERSONS and have seen all the episodes so many times that I know practically all the lines for each episode. I've noticed that in recent years that tv stations, including TV LAND, delete a couple of minutes from each episode to make way for more commercials. This ticks me off!!! I can understand why movies that were made for the theater need to be trimmed down to accommodate commercials but why trim down a show that was made to be aired with commercials. Also, it seems that when airing THE JEFFERSONS that networks are working with old film. The broadcast picture is grainy. I find it difficult to watch the re-runs of this show due to it's trimmed content and grainy picture.

This DVD solves all these problems. It has a clear picture with good colors and IT HAS THE ENTIRE SHOW, at least for the first season. I hope they continue to release the remaining seasons. I've noticed that more and more shows are being released in season format. This is great!! I envision a day when I won't have to watch trimmed reruns of my favorite tv shows ever again.

Now for the complaint. While this DVD is cheaper than ALL IN THE FAMILY (season 1) which also has 13 episodes I think it could have been a little cheaper still considering it has no special features. I would be willing to pay the additional $'s to purchase a well put together package like the one done for THE MARY TYLER MORE SHOW (season 1). I think it would be great to have special features that included interviews with the remaining cast members. Let's face it none of the actors are spring chickens anymore. The actors & actresses that portrayed George, Lousise, Tom, Mr. Bentley, Florence and Ralph are all in their late 60's to early 80's. The actress that portrayed Helen has already passed on. Even the actress & actors that portrayed Jenny and Lionel (both of them) are in their 50's. The longer they wait to interview these people the more likely it is that they will not all be around to be interviewed. Also, the episodes don't play one after the other. When one episode is finished the DVD defaults to the menu screen. I would have like the option that would allow the viewer to watch all the episodes back to back. So while I would have liked to give this DVD a 5 star rating I had to deduct a star due to the lack of special features and additional features.

Lastly, for those who don't quite know all the words to the opening theme song the words are printed on the inside of the DVD cover.

A spin-off from "All in the Family" (whose 5th season release shows us the Jeffersons as hilarious side-characters), "The Jeffersons" reaches boundries where no other show couldn't. (or what no show since wants to do because, Heaven forbid, making use of ideas might allow people to think...)

and well casted too! (though season 2 features a new Lionel, who takes some time getting used to... but I digress.)

Entertaining and even educational at times; if only modern day television tackled such issues or at least attempted to incite awareness.

The DVD set is typical of Sony: No extras, no commentaries, one episode too many squeezed into every disc, making the video compression more obvious. But the video (overall) looks very good too; the only real problems being in the DVD authoring (compression).

Now the audio has been cleaned, but they had overdone it; the lower frequencies (bass) sounding rather muted. (note: Season 2 demonstrates season 1's audio problem nimbly as the menu uses the same menu as season 1 had; but its episodes had proper audio cleaning applied... so, obviously, expect a season 2 review in the near future - it's mostly good! :) )

And, as with most shows from the '70s, the epilogues at the end of the stories may or may not exist. (so could these copies be syndie cuts?)

Recommended episodes:

1. "A Friend in Need". ***** The series starts with a bang as Louise is convinced she needs a maid. The series starts in top form. And Louise quickly proves to be the most straight character of the ensemble piece; preferring to remain true to her roots and not be wanton or wasteful. Great stuff!

3. "George's Family Tree". ***** George doesn't care about his ancestry - until he's told it's from royalty! Another wonderful entry into the series.

5. "Mr Piano Man". **** George wants to buy a piano, for sake of status only. Meanwhile he is told of a tennants protest meeting; and uses it to try to further himself... There's a terrific plot twist at the end. It's no wonder this show became so popular so quickly; the writing so far is typically top notch. The sarcastic zingers, the plot twists, the social commentary, the educational side (particularly in "George's Family Tree"). I've learned more about Black History from "The Jeffersons" than I ever had in high school (and I graduated 15 years ago...)

7. "Lionel Cries Uncle" ***** Lionel is innocent in a school brawl and is kicked out. Meanwhile, Louise's brother Ward visits - and is known as "Uncle Tom" by Lionel and George. Another top-notch entry in a top-notch series; complete with a couple surprise twists.

9."Meet the Press" **** George wants to manipulate the press to get some free publicity, but things go awry...
12."Like Father, Like Son." Lionel's bad behavior makes Louise think he's a "chip off the old block", Meanwhile, there's an election where the 'race card' is being played. (the breaking of stereotypes is a definite high point here.)

13."Jenny's Low" ***** Jenny Willis' brother makes a visit and she's upset because she can't pass as a white person, whereas he can... (another must-see!)

There weren't any real turkeys amongst the bunch; though the aforementioned episodes I found to be the best in all categories (comedy, character, and content).

Overall, Season 1 is a gem of a show that goes all out. It's no wonder it remained on the air for 9 more seasons. Season 1 is definitely worth the purchase, even despite the technical faults of DVD remastering... with luck these faults will be corrected, and commentaries and other bonus materials added for any future format or future release. This series definitely deserves no less.

I own this DVD and I don't regret buying it. George is extremely hilarious and his mom is very unbearable to his wife, Louise. I might buy the other seasons to see more of the maid who has made so many cracks on George, it's unbelievable.

Nominated for 13 Emmys and 8 Golden Globes, The Jeffersons was a groundbreaking situation comedy that was not only utterly hilarious, but also explored the controversial social issues of its day. Premiering in mid-season 1975, the show was a spin-off of the #1 hit series All In The Family, where main characters George and Louise were the next-door neighbors of Archie and Edith Bunker. During its nine-season run, The Jeffersons spent all but its last season as a Top 25 Nielsen rated show. One of the first sitcoms to center exclusively around the lives of African-Americans, The Jeffersons most likely featured television's first interracial married couple in Tom and Helen Willis. It was this fearless attempt to push the boundaries of the status quo that made the show one of the funniest of its time as well as a valuable resource for American race relations...

The Jeffersons follows the lives of George (Sherman Hemsley) and Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford), a middle-aged African-American couple who own a string of successful dry cleaning stores. The windfall generated by their business paves the way for George and Louise to "move on up" into an exclusive Park Avenue apartment. The series is made by Hemsley's portrayal of the stubborn and greedy, yet quite lovable, character of George whose sarcasm and antics are only equaled by the Jeffersons' quick witted live-in maid Florence (Marla Gibbs). A supporting cast composed of omni-present neighbors Tom (Franklin Cover) and Helen Willis (Roxie Roker), the ever-polite Bentley (Paul Benedict), and a tip-grubbing doorman named Ralph (Ned Wertimer) provide for endless sources of irritation and annoyance for George. Throw in George's mother (Zara Cully) and her constant insults of Louise, and The Jeffersons becomes one of the best-written humorous shows of its time...

The Jeffersons (Season 1) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the series premiere "A Friend in Need" in which the audience meets George and Louise Jefferson as they settle into their brand new Park Avenue apartment. George demands that Louise hire a maid to take care of place, but she refuses because she doesn't want to be bored. Meanwhile, a new friend of Louise has a hard time believing that George could reach such a level of success without compromising his ethics... Other notable episodes from Season 1 include "Lionel the Playboy" in which the Jeffersons' son Lionel starts enjoying the fruits of George's labor and debates dropping out of college, and "Rich Man's Disease" in which George is diagnosed with an ulcer, prompting Louise to try to keep him from getting upset - a near impossible task...

Below is a list of episodes included on The Jeffersons (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (A Friend in Need)
Episode 2 (George's Family Tree)
Episode 3 (Louise Feels Useless)
Episode 4 (Lionel the Playboy)
Episode 5 (Mr. Piano Man)
Episode 6 (George's Skeleton)
Episode 7 (Lionel Cries Uncle)
Episode 8 (Mother Jefferson's Boyfriend)
Episode 9 (Meet the Press)
Episode 10 (Rich Man's Disease)
Episode 11 (Former Neighbors)
Episode 12 (Like Father, Like Son?)
Episode 13 (Jenny's Low)

The DVD Report