# Good Times (1974)

> A Chicago housing project family navigates money troubles and daily life with humor and resilience in this 1970s spin-off sitcom.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/140

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 133
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Eric Monte, Mike Evans
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Ja'net DuBois, Esther Rolle, Jimmie Walker, John Amos, Ralph Carter, Bern Nadette Stanis, Johnny Brown, Janet Jackson
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070991/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: warm, lively, comedic, hopeful, socially aware

## What critics say

Audiences rate the sitcom positively overall, with its strongest seasons praised for warmth and humor, though the third season is an outlier.

## Synopsis

Good Times (1974-1979) is an American network sitcom created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans for CBS and developed by Norman Lear, a spin-off of Maude that grew out of the All in the Family universe. Set in a crowded Chicago housing project, the series follows the Evans family, led by proud matriarch Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) and her restless, wisecracking son James JJ Evans (Jimmie Walker), as they chase steady work and a better apartment while absorbing constant money trouble. Principal support comes from James Evans Sr. (John Amos), whose stubborn pride clashes with the family's daily hardships, and from Ja'net DuBois as neighbor Wilona Woods, whose warmth anchors the building. Each episode is a self-contained case-of-the-week story built around everyday crises like job losses, rent pressure, and neighborhood friction, resolved with broad physical gags and sharp one-liners. Across six seasons and 133 episodes the show balances laughter with frank social commentary about race and urban poverty. Its tone is warm, lively, and sincerely hopeful, with a shared sense of family pride at its center. Fans of All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Roseanne will find a similar blend of working class humor and heart.

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- [Everybody Hates Chris (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/234)
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