Good Times Cartoon Receiving Bad Reviews
Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, we either played outside with our neighborhood friends or were in the house watching TV (After our homework and chores were completed of course.) And some of our most nostalgic shows are from that era.
According to IMDB “Good Times (1974–1979) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996) are two of the best sitcoms for urban audiences.”
These were very relatable shows that highlighted the struggles in the black community and how families stuck together and made lemonade out of lemons. Some might have believed that Good Times actually exploited the black culture with its storyline of a struggling family living in the projects of Chicago, trying to keep their heads above water.
Good Times Characters
The characters Florida and James Evans played by Esther Rolle and John Amos and their three children live at 721 North Gilbert Avenue, apartment 17C, in a poor, black neighborhood in inner-city Chicago. The project is unnamed on the show but is implied to be the infamous Cabrini–Green Homes, as shown in the opening and closing credits. Florida and James have three children: James Jr., also known as “J.J.” played by Jimmy Walker, an artist who thinks of himself as a “Casanova” type and achieves both success and rejection on his path to capitalize on his talent.
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Thelma, played by Bern Nadette Stanis is a bright and beautiful girl who takes education very seriously as she sees it as a way to help her family and is shown attending high school and community college throughout the series. Michael played by Ralph Carter, whose passionate activism and support for the Black community and Black issues causes his father to call him “the militant midget”.
According to IMDB, Esther Rolle was featured in the sitcom “Maude” which was a spin-off of All In The Family. Because of the popularity of the character, Rolle was given her own series, “Good Times.”
This episode showed James being a protector of his family and he was not going to take any nonsense from anyone. And still, the writer was able to show the sensitivity of being underprivileged in the projects.
Good Times Cartoon
This legendary sitcom has now become a cartoon series created by producers Seth MacFarlane (“Ted,” “Family Guy”) and NBA superstar Stephen Curry.
The series was created by Ranada Shepard and Carl Jones, who also worked on “The Boondocks.” I had the chance to watch a full episode and was confused at first because none of the characters were those of the original sitcom.
Other than the occasional familiar sound of the original music, any similarities pretty much end there, with the most outrageous character of a drug-dealing baby Dalvin (Gerald Johnson), an attempt to mock stereotypes that owe a debt to the infant Stewie in MacFarlane’s “Family Guy.”
The earlier series focused on a Black family living in the projects, and that’s again the basic template here. Reggie Evans (voiced by JB Smoove), a cab driver, is identified as the grandson of the original’s James Evans, married to Beverly (Yvette Nicole Brown), and like his grandfather, he’s raising three kids.
Obviously, there’s a growing market for adult animation and all of the exaggerations that go with it. “Good Times” the animation has left the original far in the rear-view mirror and took a left turn to Crazyville! raising the obvious question, why call this “Good Times?”
Original Actors And Actresses Of Good Times React
Both John Amos and Bern Nadette Stanis have spoken out regarding this animation. Amos stated that “the animation will have a hard time living up to the original”.
The animated series can be seen on Netflix. check it out for yourself and you decide if this is worthy of the name “Good Times”
These Black TV Shows Ended Way Too Soon
Girlfriends
This show never got the proper ending it deserved. Girlfriends followed four friends: Joan, Maya, Lynn, and Toni, as they attempted to navigate adult life. Girlfriends premiered on UPN on September 11, 2000, and aired for six seasons on the network before moving over to The CW for seasons seven and eight. Though a popular show, it was canceled in 2008 after an eight-season run. According to TV Series Finale, The CW decided not to produce any more episodes due to the show being too expensive to film. The final season was also during the Writers Guild of America strike.
South Side
The beloved show that melded humor and commentary showcasing Chicago life has been canceled after three seasons. In February, Deadline reported that HBO Max announced the show’s cancelation. “While HBO Max will not be moving forward with a fourth season of South Side, we are so proud of the rich world Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle and Sultan Salahuddin created,” an HBO Max spokesperson told Deadline. After the announcement from the streaming service, Riddle tweeted that the team hopes to find the show a new home to do more episodes. So, there’s something more to do with the show. Hopefully, we get to see it.
Legendary
The ballroom competition show at HBO Max was canceled after 3 seasons. Legendary judge Leiomy Maldonado addressed the cancellation Tuesday, tweeting, “Thank you everyone who supported the show. On to the next…” All three seasons featured a star-studded guest roster. From Issa Rae, Megan Thee Stallion, Law Roach, Keke Palmer, and others. Who knows who else could’ve graced the show?
61st Street
Despite a 2-season order and completion of Season 2 production, the legal drama starring Courtney B. Vance and Aunjanue Ellis was stopped at AMC after only airing one season. Following the sudden cancelation of AMC Network’s 61st Street, executive producers confirm the series is looking for a new home as reported by Deadline.
Kindred
The drama was based on Octavia E. Butler’s 1979 novel about a young Black woman who is pulled back and forth in time. This former FX show had a massive cliffhanger at the end of season 1… and then the show was canceled. Fans of the show were obviously disappointed.
