SEASON 1 – CBS
Created by Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West. The series is a spin-off of “All in the Family,” the episode “The Jeffersons Move on Up” from January 11, 1975, serving as the series pilot.
Theme song: “Movin’ on Up” written by Jeff Barry and Ja’net Dubois, performed by Ja’net Dubois
- 001. A Friend in Need – 1/18/1975
- Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford) brings her friend Diane Stockwell (Pauline Myers) up to visit her New York high-rise apartment, but Diane is shocked to find that Louise is not actually a maid as Diane is, but rather lives in the swanky home with her husband George (Sherman Hemsley). When George comes home, he tries to convince Louise that she needs a maid, but Louise is against the idea. Consulting their upstairs neighbors Tom (Franklin Cover) and Helen Willis (Roxie Roker), a racially mixed couple and the father of George and Louise’s son Lionel’s (Mike Evans) girlfriend Jenny (Berlinda Tolbert), Louise finds that they employ a cleaning lady. George’s mother Olivia (Zara Cully) acts as if she’s against Louise having a maid, until she finds out that she is aligned with Louise, and quickly changes her mind. George takes out an ad and gets a response from a lady named Florence Johnston (Marla Gibbs), and despite the fact that Louise tries to prove she doesn’t need her, she takes a liking to her and her acerbic wit against George, and agrees to hire her. Diane finds out and is offended that she wasn’t hired on full-time, and then reveals that she is the one working part-time as the Willis’ maid. Paul Benedict is the Jeffersons’ English neighbor Harry Bentley, who often relies on George walking on his back to crack it. 3/28/17
- 002. George’s Family Tree – 1/25/1975
- George is feeling on top of the world and like the ‘king of the mountain’, but when the Willises present him and Louise with an authentic African Baule statue, their talk turns to ancestry and George feels belittled because Helen and Tom both had prestigious ancestors. Louise and Mother Jefferson talk about their ancestors being descended from Dagomba branch of the Ashanti tribes embarrassing him even further. However Mr. Bentley finds out for a member of the Liberian delegation that the Dagombas were actually kings. This elevates George’s ego even further and he calls for a meeting with the Willises to show off his new status. Unfortunately, Lionel does some research and finds out that the truth is that the Dagamobas were actually slaves to the Ashantis. George is forced to eat crow to the Willises, but they and Louise make him feel better by reminding him how he has risen so high from such humble beginnings. 5/18/17
- 003. Louise Feels Useless – 2/1/1975
- Louise is bored and feels restless sitting around the house all day with nothing to do, but George won’t allow her to help at one of his shops. After consulting with the Willises, she decides to take Helen’s advice and do what is right for her. When Mr. Wexler (Milton Selzer) drops off the dry cleaning at the Willises, Louise agrees to come and work for him, not realizing at first that he is George’s primary competition. Nevertheless she begins working for him and doesn’t tell George. When Mr. Bentley spills the beans inadvertently, George hits the roof and demands that Louise quit working for him. Eventually they come to an understanding and George permits her to work at one of his dry cleaning shops. 3/29/2017
- 004. Lionel the Playboy – 2/8/1975
- Lionel has been riding the high life, staying out all night partying, exploiting his newfound wealth. At first George encourages him to enjoy his life, but Louise and Jenny are concerned and even more so when Lionel insinuates that he might drop out of college. When Lionel says that George rose to his position without any brains, in a fit of rage Louise slaps him. She is upset by what she did, and Lionel leaves to go to a bar. Jenny follows him and they argue as well, and she eventually slaps him too. When he returns home and his grandmother nearly slaps him as well, Lionel finally realizes he is wrong and promises to re-think his behavior. Ronnell Bright is the piano player. 5/18/17
- 005. Mr. Piano Man – 2/15/1975
- George hopes to get in good with rich banker H.L. Whittendale, and also considers classing up the apartment with a piano. Meanwhile the Willises try to encourage George to attend a protest meeting against the apartment management who are squeezing out amenities and raising prices. George isn’t interested at all, until he finds out Whittendale will be present. George then offers to have the meeting at their apartment and has Louise order a piano to impress Whittendale, who is a music lover. The party goes south when the piano take up most of the room in the apartment and the piano player he hired doesn’t show up. When the piano delivery man Bill Simpson (Rozelle Gayle) returns to deliver the piano bench, George blasts him for leaving the piano when it clearly didn’t fit. Whittendale’s representative Mr. Curtis (Ivor Francis) show up at the gathering and reads a statement from Whittendale, where he states that since his company owns the building, it would be a conflict of interest for him to show up… and also blasts George for being the newest tenant and already raising so many complaints. Things work out for Bill however, as he is a terrific piano player and gets hired by Mr. Curtis to play at Whittendale’s next party. 1/6/18
- 006. George’s Skeleton – 2/22/1975
- Louise is feeling cooped-up with Mother Jefferson during three days of rain, the Willises are planning a cocktail party for mystery writers, Mr. Bentley is leaving town and asks the Jeffersons to watch his plants and birds, and George worries about an old friend named Richard “Monk” Davis (Moses Gunn) contacting him. He confides in Mr. Bentley that when he was 15 years, he was arrested for shoplifting a Christmas gift for his mother and is embarrassed to let Louise and Lionel find out. He believes and that Monk is likely to blackmail him like has in the past. When Monk shows up, George offers him $200, but Monk wants $1000. George takes some of Mr. Bentley’s advice and tells his family the truth… but it is unnecessary as Mother Jefferson has already told them in the past. George throws Monk out of the apartment with nothing. 1/7/18
- 007. Lionel Cries Uncle – 3/1/1975
- Louise’s Uncle Ward (Albert Reed) comes to visit the Jeffersons. George calls him “Uncle Tom” because he has been a butler in service to white folks all of his life. Ward manages to charm George’s mother and Mr. Bentley, whose back he gives a good crack to. Bentley also mistakes Ward for “Tom” thanks to George’s wisecracks, so Ward shows George that he does the same thing in business when he butters up ‘honkeys’ to get accounts. Meanwhile Lionel, who has made the Dean’s list, comes up after getting caught in a race fight at school and announces that he got kicked out of school. George thinks that it comes down to racism, but then Lionel tells him that the Dean is black too… and it boiled down to the fact that Lionel gave the Dean the middle finger when he was called into the Dean’s office. Ward suggests that Lionel apologize, but Lionel says he doesn’t ‘Tom’ for anyone. Before Ward leaves, he tells George the true story about Uncle Tom and how he helped many slaves escape. Louise goes down to talk to the Dean and gets Lionel back into school if he apologizes and pays his share of the damage. Lionel refuses to apologize, and Ward tries to prevail to cooler heads. But when Lionel brushes him off, he gets adamant and tells him that he did what he needed to do to survive. He also agrees that Lionel shouldn’t apologize if he didn’t do anything wrong, but should try to discuss things with the Dean calmly. Ward earns the respect of both Lionel and George, who offers to carry Ward’s bags back to the bedroom so he can stay longer. Ned Wertimer makes his first appearance as doorman Ralph Hart. 9/10/18
- 008. Mother Jefferson’s Boyfriend – 3/8/1975
- Louise is getting ready for Mother Jefferson’s birthday party and telling Helen that Mother intends to marry a man named Herbert Russell (Alvin Childress), who she’s only known for two week and intends to take her to Florida to live. Louise is ecstatic with the news, but gets sidetracked when Mr. Bentley gets caught in the hallway in his underwear and has to use their apartment. Eventually a suspecting Ralph comes to bring him a key. Meanwhile Mother comes over for her birthday and lays the news on George, who is furious and assumes the man only wants to get to his money. Mother Jefferson gets furious and storms out. Two days later George comes to his senses, but Louise has already invited her to bring Herbert over to meet them. George quickly gives him the third degree and finds out that not only is Herbert wealthy himself, but that he got that way in the hotel business, and would be a great contact for George to move into hotel cleaning as well. Privately Mother tells Louise she is having second thoughts about the marriage, but when George acts enthusiastic she decides to go ahead. However when George talks privately to Herbert, he too has reservations. George is worried that he will hurt his mother if he backs out, but before he can say anything, she decides to call off the wedding. They agree to remain friends. 9/10/18
- 009. Meet the Press – 3/15/1975
- Reading through the paper about other business owners who have gotten publicity in the paper and increased their business, George gets the idea to promote himself. After Louise and Lionel refuse, George assumes the persona of a man named Ebony and calls the local paper to speak to writer Mike Marino (Bo Kaprall) and sing the praises of business owner George Jefferson. He tells him that he will be having a dinner party of millionaires and invites him to come. He hires Florence to serve, and bribes the Willises to come by contributing to their charity supporting mixed marriages. During the party, George can’t seem to get in a word without being interrupted. In fact, he is more interested in the Willises story when he finds out Tom is a publisher and has a book he wants to push about black capitalism. Mother Jefferson drinks too much and has to lay down, Mr. Bentley brings his Russian date Tanya Petrovich (Carole Androsky), and Florence keeps talking back to George. As the evening gets away from George, Marino becomes more interested in stories about Helen’s father and Bentley’s brother, and has to leave before hearing George’s 6/3/19
- 010. Rich Man’s Disease – 3/22/1975
- George comes home with the news that the doctor has diagnosed him with an ulcer. When Mr. Bentley stops by to deliver some hot cross rolls, he mentions that ulcers are a ‘rich man’s disease’ which comes from the stress associated with maintaining his means. Bentley recommends that Louise keep George away from the people who cause him stress. When the Willises come over to drop off a lounge chair for the terrace, Louise slams the door in her face. She tries to catch them and explain, but George comes out of his room and she throws them out again. Louise even resorts to being nice to Mother Jefferson, and handling emergencies at George’s work to the point that her stomach gets upset as well. When Mother Jeffersons finds an old picture of George’s old girlfriend Harriet Johnson and starts praising her, Louise can’t hold back at yelling at her, which cures her stomach pains. When George accepts a phone call to deal with a staff walking out of one of his dry cleaners and yells at his employee, he tells Louise that he’s having fun managing the business, which Lionel names as ‘joyful stress.’ George declares that from now on, he says he will say what he wants – no more Mr. Nice Guy. However when he can’t stand up to his mom when she offers to stay over, his stomach pains return. 6/4/19
- 011. Former Neighbors – 3/29/1975
- George gives Weezy last minute notice when he invites over a rich colleague name Coleman Harris (Santiago Gonzales) with whom he hopes to go into business, not knowing that she has already invited over their old friends and neighbors from Harlem, Roy (Ernie Lee Banks) and Natalie Simms (Maye Henderson). George is concerned that the Simms aren’t fancy enough to mingle with the ‘upper crust of black society’, so he attempts to have Ralph head them off when they arrive. However they step off the elevator before he gets a chance. George and Roy catch up for a while, and then George gives him warning that a rich guy is coming over, telling him about how uncomfortable he once felt in the presence of a rich man. Roy decides they should leave, and George plays it up as if he wants him to stay. At the last minute Roy and Natalie return and says how bad they felt bad seeing George looking sad they were leaving. Roy and Natalie decide to have some fun with Coleman and pretend that they’re millionaires. George coaches him on what to say and not say, and naturally Roy struggles with answering Harris’s questions, telling him that he runs a chain of restaurants known as Sambo’s. Harris expresses his woes of hiring colored help but feels that his people are too lazy to accept low wages, and prefer to live on welfare. As the conversation progresses, Harris behaves more and more snobbishly, until Roy loses his temper and tells him off before storming out. George tells Roy and Natalie to stay and throws out Harris, insulting him as he leaves. Although momentarily remiss about all the money that’s just walked out, he cheers up and breaks into a rousing rendition of Shake, Rattle, and Roll with his friends. 2/19/20
- 012. Like Father, Like Son? – 4/5/1975
- When Louise overhears Lionel bullying a tailor over the phone in order to get a tuxedo two days before he needs it, she starts to worry that Lionel is behaving like George: pushy, loud, and rude. George just blows it off and claims that as a black man, Lionel is behaving exactly as he should in order to get to the top. She becomes even more irritated when George gives Lionel a $350 watch. Meanwhile Helen asks George to hang up posters in his store window for her Congressional primary political candidate Pomeroy, who although white, is working to help the black community. Tom however is supporting his opponent, the black Graves. This leads to friction between the Willises, as Tom believes that Graves will be a better role model for the black community because of his color, but Helen believes that he is just a double-talking politician. Jenny wants to join the steering committee to help Pomeroy get elected, but is frustrated because she lacks the experience. Lionel asks George for advice on how to help her, and George gives him two tips: to butter up, or to lay ‘bread’ on them. After not speaking for a day, Tom finally sees Graves for what he is, and changes his mind and decides to put his efforts into Pomeroy. Jenny is furious when she does in fact get on the steering committee after Lionel bribes them with a $200 donation. George is proud that Lionel is behaving like him, but also gets irritated when he finds out that Lionel pawned his new watch to get the money. Jenny forgives him because she known he meant well, and Lionel vows to not try and act like his father any longer. 2/20/20
- 013. Jenny’s Low – 4/12/1975
- When Jenny finds out that her brother Allan (Andrew Rubin) has returned from Europe, she seems to have no interest in seeing him. In fact Lionel has to chase her down to the bar, where he tries to find out what the problem is. When she mentions that he is more the complexion of her father, Lionel speculates that she might be jealous that he can pass for white, which prompts her to storm out. Back home Allan visits the Jeffersons looking for Jenny. Louise is shocked with how white he is and tries to hustle him out before George returns home. She is too late, and George quickly insults him and then accuses him of trying to escape being with his own people. To Lionel’s surprise, she agrees with George. Tom and Helen also are puzzled why Allan stayed away for so long and only sent three postcards in two years. They also try to mediate the coldness between their children, but when Allan accuses her of being jealous of him, she walks out again and flees to the Jeffersons. Allan follows and is bears the brunt of more of George’s insults, until they devolve into exchanging rhyming insults… which ends up earning George’s respect. Helen and Tom join them as the siblings fight it out. Jenny admits that she’s always been jealous that he’s gotten to live life as a white man. Allan admits that he stayed away because no one ever asked him to come back home, and while no one seemed to care about his identity in Europe. He says that he came home to find out who he was. Jenny responds emotionally that he is her brother, and she embraces him. George and Helen bicker and they too get into a rhyming insult contest, which George only gets the last word in when all he has to offer is ‘yo’ mama.’ Danny Wells is Charlie the bartender. 5/31/20
SEASON 2
- 014. A Dinner for Harry – 9/13/1975
- George is on top of the world and loving life in New York City. He has just gotten a new plaid jacket and is getting ready to host a birthday dinner party for Mr. Bentley. The mood is different upstairs at the Willises. Tom has had a rough day in the city and wants to take his family out of New York. Helen has just been mugged and had her purse stolen but she doesn’t dare tell Tom, as that will surely put him over the edge. They make their way down to the party where George has hired electric accordion player Jack Peterson (Ben Rizzi), only to find that Tom is wearing the exact same coat that George has. George is furious and goes on tirade against Tom, only to be yelled out by Helen and Louise. George and Helen bicker, while George’s mother take his side and starts a fight with Louise. Helen and Tom also argue about New York, and Florence looks on and refuses to answer the phone or door. In the midst of the chaos, Mr. Bentley wanders in. The fighting stops and things get solemn, but soon everyone is dancing. Mr. Bentley opens his gifts, and Helen gets a phone call from the police to come down and claim her purse. She still manages to keep the mugging a secret, until Ralph shows up with the cake and inadvertently spills the beans. Tom is then ready to move out of New York again, but Louise reminds him of the time they moved to Paris but eventually returned because they were homesick. Tom lightens up about New York and offers to throw Bentley’s party in his place next year. A neighbor (Richard Libertini) and his wife Grace (Zackie Cooper) show up at the party when they hear the music, but not to complain but rather join in with their brass instruments. The party gets lively once again, despite George’s disappointment that the Willises are staying, and everyone starts dancing to My Blue Heaven. 6/1/20
- 015. George’s First Vacation – 9/20/1975
- George is stressed out on a Sunday afternoon because he can’t stop thinking about work. The Willises come to meet Mr. Bentley, who is showing the Jeffersons pictures of his nephew back in England, to go for a tour of the U.N. When George refuses to go, Tom gets the hint that he might be becoming a workaholic. He convinces George that he should take a luxury cruise in order to relax, which George agrees to do at some point in the future. However when Tom tells him that he just can’t do it, George wants to prove him wrong and agrees to go. When Mother Jefferson comes over and finds out about the cruise, she thinks she is going to be going as well. George doesn’t have the heart to tell her that she isn’t, and surprisingly, neither does Louise. George thinks he can dissuade her by having the Willises pretend they’re going along as well, but she thinks it is fine they’re going. She goes into take a nap, and when she emerges from the room she says she no longer wants to go because she had a dream about a shark eating the ship. Privately she confesses that after all George has done for her, she wants to let him go alone with his wife. When the Willises come over and start talking about the cruise, George tells them they don’t need to pretend any more. But they say they’re not pretending any longer because they’ve decided to actually go along, much to George’s dismay. 9/15/20
- 016. Louise’s Daughter – 9/27/1975
- George, Louise, and Mother Jefferson return from a wedding and see Mr. Bentley, who tells them that a young lady named Gail Bryant (Diane Sommerfield) stopped by the apartment asking lots of questions about Louise. Gail later comes back, and tells Louise why she has been trying to see her: she has information indicating that the former Louise Mills is her mother who gave her up for adoption. Louise vehemently denies it, and George back her up. As she is leaving, Mother Jefferson who has been talking about Louise’s ex-boyfriends remembers one named Manfred Wilson. George is livid that Louise ever dated him, and chases down Gail to look at the birth certificate only to find that Manfred Wilson is the name of the father on the birth certificate. Beside himself with anger, he believes Louise has been lying to him all of these years and had Manfred’s baby while he was stationed in Korea. He heads down to the bar to tell Charlie the bartender his woes. Lionel (now played by Damon Evans) comes to see him, and reminds him that Louise, as emotional and kind as she is, never once cried or got emotional when seeing Gail. George is convinced that he is wrong and heads back home to apologize. By then Louise has convinced Gail that she couldn’t be her mother, as she has a picture of herself dated just before the birth that shows she is not pregnant. Mother Jefferson offers to help her track down her father, and Louise promises to keep in touch. Gail tells Louise that she hopes her mother is just like her. 9/15/20
- 017. Harry and Daphne – 10/4/1975
- Mr. Bentley comes to the Jefferson apartment one morning to cook his kippers for breakfast while his apartment is being painted. He loses his appetite however when he starts thinking about his girlfriend Daphne (Melinda Dillon), who he thinks is going to ask him to marry her. Meanwhile George comes home frantic because Building Inspector Keller (Rene Auberjonois) is threatening to issue a citation for some faulty ductwork, which he had previously warned George about, and which George forgot to act upon. The inspector thinks he is coming to see that a work order that George says he’s issued, but George plans to bribe him with $150. Mr. Bentley meets Daphne in the bar to tell her that he doesn’t want to get married, but panics and runs back to the Jeffersons, where George is trying to find time to bribe Keller with no witnesses around. He is interrupted not only by Bentley, but by his mother and Daphne, when she tracks Bentley down. George tries to take Keller to the kitchen to offer him the money, but Mother Jefferson is eating the kippers, which she then shares with Keller. Finally George offers the money, but he refuses to be bribed and issues George the citation. Bentley finally builds up the courage to tell Daphne the truth, and she only laughs at him because all she wanted to tell him was that her work was sending her to England, and that she had no interest in marrying him either. Bentley then can think of nothing but the reason she doesn’t want him, and where he went wrong. As Keller is leaving, he realizes that he and Daphne came from neighboring towns, so they decide to go out to lunch. Keller forgets the citation, so George suddenly thinks Daphne is brilliant and is welcome over anytime. However, Keller returns thanks to Daphne reminding him and gives George the citation… thus angering George and becoming ‘unwelcome’. Later George reports that the judge let him off with a warning, when he and Lionel spent all weekend fixing the ducts. 1/2/21
- 018. Mother Jefferson’s Fall – 10/11/1975
- Mother Jefferson comes to visit unexpectedly, and although George and Louise tell her that she is welcome, George it too hellbent on trying to recover from losses at Gin with Louise to pay any attention to her. Likewise Lionel is too busy studying to give her any attention. When Jenny comes over, Lionel drops his books and they head off to the movies, discouraging Mother Jefferson from going along. She ends up getting so irritated that she throws a can of soda into the sink, and then gets the idea to pretend that she’s fallen onto the kitchen floor. Claiming her back is injured, she winds up laid up at the apartment, getting full treatment from Louise who waits on her hand and foot. Since she supposedly cannot get up or leave, she invites her Naomi Circle friends to come over for their meeting. She gets carried away in showing off her new dressing gown that she stands up and spins around in it… just as George comes home from running an errand. He throws the ladies out, and then starts to read the riot act to his mother. Louise stops him and reminds him that they were both rude to her when she wanted their attention. George agrees to this, and Mother Jefferson decides to go home… after a bubble bath, Bloody Mary, and some food. The Naomi Circle friends are Alice (Hilda Hayes), Rachel (Maidie Norman), Mary (Estelle Evans), Bernice (Dorothy Butts), and Dorothy (Ruth Lee). 1/2/21
- 019. Jefferson vs. Jefferson – 10/18/1975
- Mother Jefferson stops by to wish George and Louise a happy 23rd anniversary, and gives them a pair of cufflinks as a gift. George asks Louise to make up a story about them having plans with the Hendricks so that they can spend their anniversary together, while he rushes out to get her gift. When he returns, he gives her a bicycle horn, and when she blows it, Mr. Bentley brings in two new bicycles. Louise isn’t too thrilled with the gift, and is less thrilled when she realizes that he only wants to go for a bike ride in Central Park because George wants to try and cross paths with banker H.L. Whittendale. George finally talks her into going regardless, and Mother Jefferson takes the hint and leaves. They return later that afternoon with George’s bent-up bike. While chasing Whittendale, he ran into a policeman’s horse and wiped out. The officer gave him a citation, but George wants to fight it and say that the officer was on the bicycle path. Although Louise didn’t see the impact, George wants her to testify on his behalf. Louise refuses to lie, so George gets furious and leaves, telling her that he may not ever come back. Louise visits Helen and Tom for advice, and they say they’re always honest with each other, and if they start lying for each other, that might lead to lying to each other. This ultimately leads to a fight between them when they tell a story about how Tom admitted to taking a girl home, when he crashed into her on his way to work… but left out that he bought her a drink. When Louise returns home, George is there, and tells her that his mother knew Louise was lying about having plans with the Hendricks. George surmises that if she is unable to lie for herself, he had no right to ask her to lie for him. He caps it off by telling her that he loves her, is a good woman, and deserves him. 4/27/21
- 020. Uncle Bertram – 10/25/1975
- George has been interested in blowing some money on an antique, so he decides to buy an armoire, much to Louise’s irritation. Meanwhile Mother Jefferson stops by the apartment and complains about an old man she ran into on the elevator who called her ‘toots’. It turns out the man is Tom’s Uncle Bertram (Victor Kilian), who has come over to carpet the Willis’s terrace. When Jenny brings him downstairs to meet Lionel and his parents, George tells him to flirt within his own race. However he warms up to Bertram somewhat when he offers to carpet their terrace as well. Although Mother Jefferson is flattered by his attention, she locks him on the terrace in the snow to get back at him for being disrespectful, but when he pretends to fall off the terrace, she runs to his aid. She makes him some tea, and he spikes both of their drinks with brandy. She initially feigns not knowing, but then tells him that she wants more brandy in her drink. The two start talking about their lives and have some laughs over drinks. When George and Louise return with the new armoire, which they can’t get out of the elevator, George finds Bertram and his mother drunk in the apartment. He tells them that the party is over, but she insists they’re having fun and have something in common… being old. George wonders where he went wrong, but Louise tells him that he’s gaining another ‘antique’. 4/27/21
- 021. Movin’ on Down – 11/1/1975
- George comes home in an especially cordial mood, not complaining about Florence’s choice of serving fish for dinner, and not even complaining that the Willises are coming over for dinner. George keeps trying to get hold of Mr. Johnson, his banker, but his secretary keep blowing him off. George finally admits to Louise that he has only cleared a 10% profit for the year, while he earned 20% the year before. He is planning to build a new dry cleaning as well, but thinks Johnson is avoiding him. He snaps at Lionel when he asks to borrow $20 from him. When the Willises show up for dinner, Tom announces that he has gotten a raise and promotion, and is now earning ten thousand dollars more… the exact amount that George needs for his loan. Bentley then comes over to compliment George on how great his dry cleaner did at fixing a cigar burn in his pants. He also tells him that some competition has moved in and is charging less then George. Since George won’t give Lionel the $20, Lionel instead asks for advice on how to get the better of his friend Fred Green, who keeps beating him at wagers. George lays out three pairs of cards on the table, and asks Lionel to throw down one dollar. George then puts in his dollar and tells Lionel to pick up any pair. Lionel goes for the aces, while George picks up the dollars. Lionel thinks he is brilliant and an excellent businessman. This helps give George his business confidence back, and he calls the construction company and tells them to move forward with construction of the new store. And now that he knows why his sales are going down, he knows how to counter-attack. Louise also shows him the newspaper that proves that Johnson has not been avoiding him; he has fled the bank after absconding with funds, and the bank has been covering for him. A newly-confident George then shows Louise the card trick, but Louise picks up the pair of dollars right away. 2/22/22
- 022. George Won’t Talk – 11/8/1975
- George gets a phone message from a Mr. Charles Thompson (Robert Guillaume), who wants him to speak in front of some youths about his business success. George is proud because he thinks it is for a college, but when Thompson comes over and clarifies that it is for some urban youth who live in Harlem, suddenly George loses interest… mostly because he is afraid to go into Harlem at night. Thompson tells George about the introduction he planned to give for George, so a flattered George agrees to try it at least once and see how it goes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go well, as George’s delivery van is stripped down and robbed while he is speaking to the kids. George is livid, and even more so when Thompson brings over the leader of the gang, Ronnie “Train” Walker (Ernest Thomas) along with the missing dry cleaning from the van. Although Train apologizes, George wants to beat him up and call the police, but Thompson stops him. Lionel comes home and knows Ronnie, who, much to George and Louise’s surprise, used to be friends with Lionel when they were boys. They also find out from Lionel that he used to assist in helping his friends steal fruit from the store by faking a ruptured appendix. George still is adamant about calling the police, but then Lionel tells Train that he’ll help him do some stealing to raise money for bail. George is aghast, but Louise realizes he is just joking. Lionel however wants to make it clear that Train’s fate could have been his own if his father hadn’t been so smart and successful. George realizes now why the inner city young men need him, and tells Lionel how proud of him he is. George agrees to not call the police, and to also return to lecture the kids… as long as Train and his gang are there in the front row. He is given credit for being generous, but jokingly admits it is also for how own peace of mind. If he can keep an eye on the gang, he won’t have to worry about his car. 2/22/22
- 023. Jenny’s Grandparents – 11/22/1975
- Mother Jefferson goes out to breakfast with Tom’s Uncle Bertram, and then come over to George and Louise’s place. Jenny also comes over and tells Lionel that her grandfather Douglass (Fred Pinkard) is in town, but they need to go to his hotel if they want to see him. Bertram explains further that his brother and Douglass made the same vow: not to step foot in the Willis apartment as long as Tom and Helen are married. Everyone then plots to try and get the grandfathers to make peace with each other. Even Mother Jefferson promises to keep George away so he won’t interfere if they have the men over at the Jefferson apartment. Jenny gets Grandfather Douglass to come there, while Bertram arranges for Grandpa Willis (Leon Ames) to come there too, by telling him that Helen and Tom are getting a divorce. Mother Jefferson tells George that the Reverend Perry is coming to see him, so George bids a hasty exit. When both grandparents arrive at the apartment, it is business as usual, and they are as bigoted as ever. However when Jenny breaks down crying and says she is the one thing they have in common, they both soften their attitudes. They both greet Helen and Tom kindly, and even agree to all go upstairs to the Willis apartment. George comes back and tells them to go re-fight the Civil War away from his apartment, and Grandpa Douglass says George isn’t his kind. However, when Grandpa Willis recoils when Helen attempts to give him a kiss, the feud starts all over and both grandfathers storm out of the apartment. George agrees that people should only marry within their own race, but Louise is quick to point out the pairing of Tom and Willis, and Mother Jefferson and Bertram, mocking the fact that he thinks mixed couples never work out.
- 024. George’s Best Friend – 11/22/1975
- One afternoon, an old Navy buddy of George’s named Wendell Brown (Louis Gossett Jr.) stops by for a visit from Milwaukee. George isn’t home, and it isn’t long before Wendell starts getting fresh. He offers to giver her a wedding kiss that he missed giving, and winds up planting one on Louise’s lips. He tells Louise he is twice divorced and that his wives both played around. He is nearly caught throwing his arms around Louise when George gets home. To George, Wendell can do no wrong since he comforted George during the war. Wendell even manages to charm Mother Jefferson. He continues flirting and touching Louise at every opportunity, even right under George’s nose. Louise can’t bring herself to say anything for fear of hurting George. George even offers to let Wendall say in the apartment while in New York, and then offers Wendall a job working for him. Louise calls Helen over to help, but she can’t do much to help and tells Louise that she’ll be fine as long as George is there. But as soon as Helen leaves, George gets world from Ralph that his burglar alarm is going off in his store downstairs, so George has to leave. Louise tries to lay down the law, but Wendell gets more aggressive and won’t back off. Mother Jefferson comes out of her room and witnesses this, and hits Wendall with an umbrella. George then comes home and gets an earful from Louise and Mother Jefferson. George throws him out and says the good times between them need to stay in the past now, and he wants nothing to do with him any longer. Wendall says he just assumed Louise would need attention, and he was there to help fill in for George. Louise admits there is a little truth in that George doesn’t pay as much attention to her, a situation George promises to rectify… and starts with a big kiss. 8/23/21
- 025. George and the Manager – 11/29/1975
- One of George’s most trusted and faithful employees for five years, Emily Bates (Rhoda Gemignani) comes over to the apartment to tell George that his store manager Lester Simpson has quit with no notice. Emily throws her hat into the ring, but even with Louise’s recommendation, George won’t commit to hiring her. After Emily leaves, George tries to change the subject, but eventually he admits that he wants to hire a black manager because he feels an obligation to give black men managerial jobs who might not be able to get them at white companies. George asks Lionel to visit with a minority employment center to help find a new manager. He comes home, and while Jenny is cutting his hair, Lionel gives George his recommendation, Dale Parker, a highly qualified college graduate that has been in the cleaning business for over ten years. When Dale arrives, George finds out that she is actually a woman, so he finds different reasons to try and blow her off as well. Soon Dale (Norma Donaldson) takes the hint, and reads George the riot act about being a chauvinist. Lionel, Louise, Jenny, and even Mother Jefferson all agree that George is behaving like a sexist, until he finally agrees to give Emily a shot at managing the store on a trial basis. Before he can call her on the phone, she shows up at the apartment and gives him the exciting news that George’s competition Feldway Cleaners has offered her a managerial job and she has accepted it. They part with no hard feelings between them, but George realizes that he’s now without a manager or assistant manager going into the weekend. Louise and Mother Jefferson feign female helplessness when George asks them what he is going to do now. 6/29/22
- 026. George’s Alibi – 12/6/1975
- During a bad snow storm in the city, Louise and Jenny both start worrying because George and Lionel are both out driving. Lionel comes home safely, but wants to leave again and take Jenny to the movies in order to avoid George. It turns out Lionel had taken the company truck against George’s wishes, and had a fender bender that smashed the rear light and fender. George is currently driving the truck, and once he arrives home, he is upset because he thinks he may have hit someone in the truck. When he hears on the radio that local mobster Louie “The Axe” Arnold was a victim of a hit-and-run driver in a white van… just like the vehicle George was driving. George considers turning himself in to the police, but then decides he wants to avoid Louie the Axe. George tries to give himself an alibi by telling Mr. Bentley that he has been knocking on his door all afternoon to take up a collection for Ralph the doorman’s dental work. Once Ralph hears about this, he soon comes looking for the money that George collected. Finally Louise talks him into calling the police and turning himself in. Before he can confess, Lionel comes home with a guilty conscience and tells his father that it was him who dented the van’s fender. George and everyone else is ecstatic to find this out, much to Lionel’s confusion. Everyone sings Lionel praises, until George realizes that Lionel has smashed his van. At first, he plans to have Lionel pay for it, but then decides to let the insurance covers it. He even considers suing the city by telling them a snow truck backed into it. Thomas Brown is the radio announcer. 6/29/22
- 027. Lunch with Mama – 12/13/1975
- Louise gets a call from her friend Claire to let her know that their old next door neighbor Alice Johnson has passed away. She had been close to the family, and they had referred to her Aunt Alice because she often took care of Louise and her siblings. The funeral is planned for Monday, but George doesn’t want to go. In addition to hating funerals, he tells Louise that this will be the monthly Monday that he takes his mother out for lunch. Louise is furious that George thinks his plans with her are more important than going with her. Louise goes upstairs to lament to Tom and Helen, who are getting into a Snow White and Prince Charming costume – although Prince Charming is a rabbit since it is the only costume that will fit Tom. He surmises that George feels guilty since George’s father was killed by a bus and his mother had to raise them. He points out that the relationship sometimes appears to be a like a husband and wife, since the woman is now without her husband. When she goes back home, she tries to convince Geroge that she is emotionally blackmailing him to do what she wants. Mother Jefferson happens to stop by to bring a hippopotamus flowerpot that she won and give it to Louise. When Louise hears George call his mother his ‘best girl,’ she becomes even more furious. When George tells her what they are fighting about, Mother Jefferson offers to skip the lunch and to go along with them to the funeral, since she hasn’t been to a good one in a while. The funeral is sparsely populated, and Mother Jefferson suggests they go to lunch at the nearby Copper Kettle afterward. George tells her that he doesn’t want to go to lunch that day, and Mother Jefferson starts to throw a fit. George takes her into the hall and tells her that he doesn’t want to have a rigid schedule of lunches, but rather plan them occasionally as they go. The Reverend Greenwood (J.A. Preston) shows up and criticizes George for yelling at an old lady. During the funeral, Mother Jefferson laments that this is th first lunch they’ve missed in ten years. Her crying starts everyone in the place crying, including George and Louise. She even apologizes to George for making it so hard on him with his mother. After the funeral, the Reverend thanks Mother Jefferson for bringing out so much emotion with everyone. It is only then that Louise realizes they have been in the funeral of a stranger named Rose Spinner. Aunt Alice’s funeral has been pushed back until 4pm. Mother Jefferson suggests that George take her to the Copper Kettle. George agrees to go and tells her that he’s going to take his ‘best girl’ to lunch after all… and invites his mother to come along if she wants. 10/19/22
- 028. George vs. Wall Street – 12/20/1975
- George is awakened from a sound sleep by his broker, who tells him that it is raining in Peoria, which might make the 40,000 bushels of beans futures that he purchased quite valuable. George is ecstatic although Louise points out that he’s cheering for others’ misfortunes. Lionel and Jenny stop by the apartment to hang a new abstract painting in Lionel’s room, and George thinks it is poor excuse for art. He brags about a more expensive painting that he purchased, and also tells Lionel about the beans and the farms that will be wiped out, making his futures go up in value. They argue about the importance, or lack thereof, of money, and Jenny lets it spill that Lionel turned down a job that a college headhunter offered him as an engineer that would have netted him $20,000 a year. George is livid when he hears that Lionel didn’t take the job after sending him to college, the first Jefferson to do such. Lionel and Jenny head up to the Willis apartment, but George wants to keep the argument going, so he follows them. Their fighting spills into the Willis kitchen, and eventually they wake up Tom, who is incredibly thirsty because of the ham he had for dinner. Helen also gets up, Louise joins them, Ralph stops by to check on a noise complaint, and even Mr. Bentley, who has just returned from a drunken party, roams into the apartment as well. Mr. Bentley remembers that he came up to tell the Jeffersons that their door was open, so they send him down to close it. After George threatens to hit Lionel and not allow him to return home, cooler heads finally prevail when Jenny reminds George that his uncle tries to keep him in the army since it was a way to stay secure. George remembers that if he had followed that advice, he would never have made any money. Lionel tells his father that he will be a success, whether that means being an engineer or not. After George offers for Lionel to go into the beans business, Mr. Bentley returns to give him a message since he answered the Jeffersons’ phone: it has stopped raining in Peoria. George laments being stuck with 40,000 bushels of beans. 10/19/22
- 029. The Breakup: Part 1 – 1/3/1976
- George brings home a watermelon and hides it in a bowling ball bag so no white person will see him with it. Mother Jefferson stops over to give Louise a gift: her own favorite bubble bath so that she can use it when she visits. She also invites herself to stay for dinner, and then takes a nap. Florence comes to work on a Saturday since she plans to take her neighbors’ kids to the zoo on her normal workday. Lionel comes home furious because he has been told by Professor Barton that Lionel has to change the subject of his term paper to Ernest Hemingway and the homosexual in the mainstream of American literature. Lionel claims that Barton has it in for him because Lionel corrected him on a quote in front of the class. As Lionel struggles to write the paper to keep from failing, George pays someone to write a paper on this topic for him. Both Jenny and Louise think that Lionel will refuse to turn in a paper that he didn’t write. To their surprise, he thanks his father and plans to use the paper, his rationale being that Literature isn’t important to his future career as an engineer. Jenny tries to convince Lionel that it is wrong, and it starts to get on his nerves. Meanwhile, Tom and Helen come over and present George and Louise with tickets to A Chorus Line just because they are friends. However, as the kids are fighting, the parents soon join in. Tom and Louise join Jenny in her feelings about the term paper, but when they begin to insult George, Louise sticks up for him and says that he’s only doing what he thinks is best. George and Tom even resort to racial epithets, and the Willises eventually storm out and end their friendship. Jenny isn’t far behind them, as she breaks it off with Lionel and throws his engagement ring back at him. Louise blames George for making a cheater out of their son, causing him his future marriage, and breaking up her friendship with Helen. NOTE: This is the first of a two-part episode. 2/21/23
- 030. The Breakup: Part 2 – 1/10/1976
- As Louise and Lionel mope through breakfast, George tries to lighten the mood, even though he is responsible for breaking up Lionel and Jenny and wrecking their friendship with the Willises. George acts as if he is willing to apologize but refuses to go up and actually do it. Meanwhile, the Willises are also moping around upstairs, regretting the things they said. Jenny in particular can’t stand the thought of not being with Lionel. Over at George’s laundromat, Mr. Bently runs into a call girl named Tracy Davis (Marion Ramsey), who he knows from being at several diplomat parties. Although he tries to tells George the nature of her business, George doesn’t quite get it, and only sees an opportunity to hook her up with Lionel… after confirming that she had two black parents. He arranges for her to come to the apartment, even though Lionel is very busy with his schoolwork. When Lionel realizes she is a prostitute, they both have a laugh at George’s naivete. Lionel decides to play it off and acts as if he is falling for Tracy. When Ralph stops by to deliver a bottle of wine that George purchased, he also recognizes Tracy and then tells George what she does for a living. When he sees Lionel having a great time with her, George immediately calls Jenny to try and get them to reconcile before Lionel makes a huge mistake. He tells Jenny that Lionel has ripped up the purchased term paper. Jenny comes down right away, and she and Lionel get back together, with George getting Tracy out of the apartment in just the nick of time. When Jenny mentions how Lionel ripped up the paper, he asks her how she knew that. George then realizes that he really did rip up the paper and is furious about it. Nonetheless, he is glad that they reconciled, and is willing to do the same with the Willises. He doesn’t want to go upstairs to see them… until Lionel starts to talk about Tracy to Louise. He then rushes them out the door, only to find that the Willises were on their way down, bringing a bottle of wine as a peace offering as well. Everyone takes some blame in the situation, except for George who agrees it is everyone else’s fault. 2/22/2023
- 031. Florence’s Problem – 1/24/1976
- One afternoon, Florence is in a particularly good mood and is doing a better job than ever at cleaning up the Jefferson apartment. She has even pulled out the refrigerator to clean behind there. She tells Louise that she plans to visit the top of the Empire State Building for the first time after work that evening. She is in a terrific mood and passes on her 3rd place ribbon for a swim meet as a young woman. She gives Mr. Bentley a kiss on the cheek and tells Louise that she was her favorite boss. She also attempts to call an uncle from Detroit who she hasn’t spoke to in many years. Louise thinks she is acting strangely, but George is too busy working out a pair of puzzles for a sweepstakes competition. Lionel runs into her on his way up and also thinks she is acting strangely. She sends up a note with Lionel to give to his mother for her to open the next day. George opens it right away and sees that it simply thanks her for everything. When the Willises stop by, Tom thinks it almost sounds as if it is a suicide note. When Louise remembers that she is going up in the Empire State Building, everyone worries even more that she might be planning to kill herself. Louise sends Lionel out to try and find her, and when he finally does, he tells her that her parents think she stole $500 in order to get her to come back. When they tell her that they were worried that she might jump from the Empire State Building, she tells them that they are ridiculous and that jumping would be incredibly painful. However, she does admit that she plans to go home to the Lord that night by taking pills that she has saved up. Everyone tries to convince her that she is very loved by them, but she asks how many of them would trade places with her. She works as a maid and was just dumped by her latest boyfriend Wilbur. George tells her how much she can infuriate her, but he only agrees to keep her on because they love her. He also tells her how he’s wanted to fire her in the past, and that Louise threatens to never speak to him if he did. He tells her that she can kill herself if she wants, but she’ll be hurting Louise, who really cares for her. A tearful Florence runs to the bathroom to get some tissues, and everyone worries about her being in there with her pills. She comes out with the empty bottle, but tells them all that she’s flushed them down the toilet and won’t have use for them. Helen and Tom invite her to have dinner with them, but George says he wants to treat her to dinner. They all decide to go together. 7/27/23
- 032. Mother Jefferson’s Birthday – 1/31/1976
- After walking on Bentley’s back because he’s thrown it out, George is looking to a Sunday afternoon of doing nothing. Outside in the hall, Mother Jefferson is arriving and tells Mr. Bentley that it is her 70th birthday and she is looking forward to whatever George and Louise have planned for a celebration. When she gets inside, no one seems aware of the special occasion, so she begins to hint around. Louise thinks she has gone crazy, but Grandma then tells Lionel about her birthday. When subtly makes his parents aware, they start to panic, and quickly send Lionel out to get a cake. George plans to go shopping, but since it is Sunday, all of the stores will be close. George decides to try and get her estranged sister Emma (Lillian Randolph) to come see her. They haven’t spoken in twenty-five years because of an argument they had playing Bingo. Olivia had had her heart set on winning an electric blanket, but when she gets up to use the restroom, Emma winds the Bingo card. Olivia claimed that the winning card was hers, while Emma claimed it was hers. Unfortunately, Emma still held a grudge over the argument and refused to come see her sister. With nothing left to do, George writes his mother a check for $1000. When he gives it to her, she is insulted with the lack of thought and hands it back. Emma then shows up unexpectedly and wants to make amends for the argument. She even gives her a brand new electric blanket. However, when Emma claims that Olivia is 75 years old, they nearly get into another fight. Emma decides to let it go and just lets her say she’s turning 70. Olivia then admits that she’s turning 75, before then claiming that she’s turning 85, explaining that she looks good for 75, but looks fabulous for 85. 7/27/23
- 033. Louise’s Cookbook – 2/7/1976
- Louise makes George some possum stew, one of his favorite meals, but one he hasn’t asked for since they’ve moved away from Harlem. He admits that he is ashamed to eat it, as people might look down on him since he is now a company president. When Tom stops by to borrow a screwdriver, he thinks it smells great, so George tells him that it is French food. Tom thinks it is great as well, but when Helen stops by to retrieve him, she tries it and instantly recognizes it as possum stew, even though Louise confides in Helen that it is actually rabbit. Tom freaks out when he learns what he is eating, but Helen wants to get the recipe anyway. They are from a collection of soul food recipes that Louise’s grandmother had written down, along with humorous cooking direction, and Tom thinks he can convince his boss would be interested in publishing them. George has no interest in going that route until Tom says Louise could make a fortune. Louise starts working on the cookbook, but George quickly gets annoyed when Louise seems to have no time to listen to him or take care of him. Even when Tom brings a check for $500 for a down payment, George is annoyed that it is made out to her maiden name Louise Mills. When the book company’s publicist Peter Brooks (Robert Lussier) stops by to interview Louise for the company’s publicity. George gets more annoyed when he keeps calling George, Mr. Mills, and when he tries to imply that Louise worked her way out of the ghetto in Harlem with the cookbook. When he keeps twisting the stories along those lines, George throws him out. He forbids Louise to work on the cookbook anymore, so she storms out as well. Lionel accuses George of being jealous of Louise being in the spotlight. When Lionel tells his father to read the dedication and he sees that Louise had dedicated it to him, he feels bad and agrees that she can move forward with the book. Mother Jefferson stops by because she wants to contribute to the book. However, they quickly realize that Mama’s recipes are worded the same as Louise’s grandmother’s recipes. Mother Jefferson shows them the book that her mother had copied the recipes from, Mrs. Kirby’s Kitchen: Famous Negro Recipes. Once they realize that both women had copied the recipes from the same source, Tom said that he knows his boss would’ve had them rip up Louise’s check anyway. Louise decides that her writing career is over before it even got started. Goerge tells her that she should start her next book right now, The George Jefferson Story. 11/27/23
- 034. George Meets Whittendale – 2/14/1976
- George and Louise have agreed to go out to dinner with Mr. Bentley and his sister Celia, although naturally George isn’t very excited about it, while Louise thinks they need a night out as they’ve been living like hermits. Meanwhile, George gets a call from Ralph that a prosperous bank president named Mr. Whittendale has just gotten home, and he knows George wanted to meet him. He misses him yet again, but then the Willises tell George that Whittendale is having an open house that night to push his candidate. George goes through his old mail and realizes that he did indeed get an invitation. He is thrilled, but Louise reminds him that they have the dinner with Mr. Bentley. George wants to simply cancel the dinner, but Louise thinks it would be rude. When the Willises stop by and criticize George for planning to skip the dinner, George reminds Helen that she came down to play cards with Louise so she could avoid Tom’s boring business deals. George tries to get out the door and go ahead to the party, but when he sees Bentley outside, he runs back in and hides in the bathroom, not realizing that the Willises are in there arguing. When the doorknob breaks off, all three are stuck in the bathroom. Bentley comes inside and overhears George telling them that he has to avoid Bentley and the dinner with his sister. Louise is in the kitchen with the hairdryer over her head, so she can’t hear them yelling. They try to come up with way to get out, as the arguing between Helen and Tom continues. Helen suggests that George write a note indicating where they are, but when George asks how he can get it to the outside world, Helen flushes it down the toilet. Eventually, Ralph stops by the apartment to make a delivery, and he finds them locked in the bathroom. For a hefty tip, he easily gets them out using the broken doorknob. Mr. Bentley stops by the apartment, and George immediately launches into his excuses as to why he can’t go to the dinner with Bentley and his sister. Bentley quickly tells him that he has cancelled the plans and that they can meet his sister the next time she comes through America. He says that he overheard Mr. Jefferson in the bathroom talking about how he wanted to attend the Whittendale party, so he decided he wanted his good friends to get to do what they wanted. George then feels guilty for cancelling, and he offers to treat for dinner and show. When they get home that night, George jokes with Louise about how tall Bentley’s sister was, and how he had to look straight up so he wasn’t staring directly into her bosom. 11/27/23
- 035. Lionel’s Problem – 2/21/1976
- Lionel is getting ready to graduate college and his parents couldn’t be prouder of him. He has already landed a job with Teletex Electronics and they plan to pay his way for him to get his Master’s degree as well. George buys him an expensive attaché case to celebrate his success. George asks Florence to pour him a glass of his $30 scotch to celebrate the occasion. When she reports that she cannot find it, George questions her, while Louis questions Mother Jefferson. With no answers, George goes out to buy some more. Meanwhile Lionel arrives at the apartment stone cold drunk. He runs into Mr. Bentley in the hall, who notes that Lionel has been celebrating and gives him another bottle of expensive Scotch. When Lionel enters the house, Louise, Jenny, and Mother Jefferson are all aghast at his condition. Jenny tells them that this isn’t the first time that Lionel has been over-imbibing. She and Louise try to hide him in his room before his father returns, and they are barely able to keep him in there. Mr. Bentley comes over to borrow a corkscrew and mentions seeing Lionel earlier in the hall, so George starts to become suspicious. Mother Jefferson then pretends that she has left her camera at home, starts crying, and sends George to get it so that she can take pictures at the graduation ceremony. While George is gone, the ladies get Lionel into the shower and get him sobered up. Once Lionel is feeling better, his mother asks him what is driving him to drink. He tells her that he is scared to be in competition with his own father, as he started with nothing and became a huge success. He is now afraid that he’ll start with everything, and this will mean he will need to be twice the success. Louise confesses that his father never liked to help him with his homework because he didn’t understand it, so just graduating in itself has already made both of his parents proud. When George gets back home, his mother apologizes to him for sending him to get the camera she already had. They present Lionel in his graduation outfit, and George makes it known how proud he is. Mother Jefferson offers to take a family picture, and then asks Louise to look through the viewfinder and jumps into the picture and asks Louise to take it. 4/4/24
- 036. Tennis, Anyone? – 2/28/1976
- George buys a new tennis outfit and signs himself and Louise up for lessons, and then reveals that he has signed up to be a member at the Windsor Tennis Club, although Louise thinks they are restricted to whites only. George says he is considering becoming a member, even if it costs $5000 for a permanent membership, believing this will be a great place to meet other businessmen. The invitation came from one of his customers, Judge John A. Merkell (Keene Curtis), who stops over to ask George if he wants to meet him for a game of tennis. Since Tom is over at the Jefferson apartment, Merkell invites Tom to come too and tells him they are in the midst of a major membership drive. However, when Helen stops at the apartment and Merkell meets her, suddenly he back peddles and tells Tom there might not be any openings. Tom, Helen, and Louise are all cold to Merkell after that, and Helen refers to him as a ‘stupid old bigot’, with Tom noting the initials S.O.B. However, George seems unaffected by it all and later tells Louise that both whites and blacks are not sold on mixed marriages. Louise is very disappointed in George’s attitude and willingness to join the club still. George meets Merkell at the club as planned, and Merkell tells him that a reporter will be stopping by that day, and he hopes George won’t mind being interviewed and photographed. As George is getting into his locker, a black attendant named Carl (Davis Roberts) thinks he is stealing from the locker and tries to tackle him. George convinces him that he is a member, and Carl tells him that he must be quite rich to be a token for the club. Merkell then brings the reporter Robert Phelps (Ray Sharkey) from The Daily Journal in for a photograph, and George agrees to pose. However, just before he snaps the picture, George pours a pitcher of water over Merkell’s head and storms out. George comes home and explains that he now understood how some people feel being considered ‘things’ like a trophy instead of a human being, even admitting that Tom and Helen shouldn’t be treated that way. George claims that he is an advocate to stamp out prejudice, regardless of race, creed, or the color of Helen’s husband. 4/4/24
- 037. The Wedding – 3/6/1976
- George is feeling particularly romantic one morning, so when Louise mentions that she just read that Harry Belafonte renewed his wedding vows with his wife, George decides that they should do the same thing. Louise is thrilled, and George offers to have the ceremony in their apartment, while lamenting that Lionel will be out of town for some Executive training classes. George arranges to have Mr. Bentley play the organ music, and for Tom to give away the bride. He brings in Ralph to announce guests at the door, and they invite Florence as a guest, which means she refuses to do any work. George wants to have his old friend from Harlem, Skeeter Jackson (Bobby Johnson) be his Best Man, like he was for their original wedding. Louise goes to Harlem to see if he will do it, and he agrees. However, when Louise returns, she reports that Skeeter and other members of the old neighborhood are reporting that George’s laundromat prices in Harlem are too high, and they are having to go to the competition. George says that the prices are the same at all of his laundromats, but Helen and Louise argue that he should want to give back to that community. The fight escalates, and George tells Louise to stay out of his business. She is highly offended at this and insists that they are equal partners. Louise says she thought she was an equal partner in the marriage, but George insists she should remain a silent partner. As Louise gets more irritated, she tells him that she wants no part of the wedding until he takes it back. As the day approaches, George gets the house ready and decorated, but Louise is still in her bathrobe as the guests start to arrive. George pleads with her to get dressed and ready and promises that they are equal partners in the marriage. She finally goes in to get ready just after Skeeter, Mother Jefferson, and the Reverend T.J. Perry (Nick Latour) show up. However, when Louise again mentions lowering the prices in Harlem, George insists that they are only equal partners in marriage, not in business. This time Louise agrees to go through with the ceremony, but when Reverend Perry asks Louise if she takes George to be her husband, she remains completely silent and won’t answer the question. George starts to panic and starts negotiating the price cut at the Harlem laundromat. Once he hits ten percent, Louise says “I do” and the two kiss… even before the reverend tells them to. When Louise throws the bouquet, Mother Jefferson snags it before Jenny can catch it. 8/21/24
SEASON 3
- 038. Louise Suspects – 10/9/1976
- Louise is annoyed that George is spending so much time away from home at work, and she demands that he not open any more of his stores under threat of her leaving him. In a roundabout way, he tells her that he won’t open any more, but then starts working secretly with a man named Abernathy to do just that. Meanwhile, Mr. Bentley has a new girlfriend named Adele, and he stops by to ask George to dry clean his jacket for their date. As George leaves for work with Bentley’s jacket, a love letter from Adele to Bentley falls out. When Louise reads it, she assumes that George is having the affair with a woman named Adele and this is really why he has been away so much. She runs up to tell the Willises, who convince her to listen to George’s side of the story, assures her that George really loves her, and tries to get her to act mature in the situation. When George is out all night that night, she catches him on the way in. George pretends that he’s actually just gotten up, but she then confronts him and tells him she knows what he is doing. He thinks that she is referring to the new store and insists that he is doing it for both of them. When Louise tells her that she knows he’s having an affair with Adele, George plays along and tells her that he will end it if she can be patient through Tuesday. By that point, the new store will be open, and she won’t be able to bother him about it. She tries to be mature and agrees to let him keep seeing her until then. When she tells Lionel and Jenny about it, they are both incredulous, even when George admits it in front of them. When Helen stops by and finds out that George is still seeing Adele, she gets Louise riled up again. She is fighting mad and ready to leave him and stay with Helen. When George gets home and he sees how furious she is, he admits that there is no other woman. Neither Louise nor Helen believes him until Mr. Bentley stops by and tells them about his new girlfriend Adele. Louise is apologetic to George, until he reveals that he was actually opening a new store. Louise then turns furious again and starts screaming at him about lying about the new store. 8/27/24
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