The Jeffersons (Season 2) DVD

Rated: Not Rated
Genre: TV Series
Length: 624 minutes
Director: Various
Year: (1976)

Britt Gillette's The Jeffersons (Season 2) DVD Review

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 2) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere "A Dinner for Harry" in which the Jeffersons plan a birthday party for their neighbor Harry Bentley, but the party turns sour when Tom Willis shows up wearing the same jacket as George. Meanwhile, Helen tries to conceal from Tom that she was mugged because he's already considering leaving New York… Other notable episodes from Season 2 include "Mother Jefferson's Fall" in which, in a play for attention, George's mother proves to be an even greater burden on Louise than normal, and "George's Best Friend" in which George's old Navy pal Wendell (Louis Gossett, Jr.) pays a visit only to end up incessantly hitting on Louise…

Below is a list of episodes included on The Jeffersons (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 14 (A Dinner for Harry) Air Date: 09-13-1975
Episode 15 (George's First Vacation) Air Date: 09-20-1975
Episode 16 (Louise's Daughter) Air Date: 09-27-1975
Episode 17 (Harry and Daphne) Air Date: 10-04-1975
Episode 18 (Mother Jefferson's Fall) Air Date: 10-11-1975
Episode 19 (Jefferson vs. Jefferson) Air Date: 10-18-1975
Episode 20 (Uncle Bertram) Air Date: 10-25-1975
Episode 21 (Movin' On Down) Air Date: 11-01-1975
Episode 22 (George Won't Talk) Air Date: 11-08-1975
Episode 23 (Jenny's Grandparents) Air Date: 11-15-1975
Episode 24 (George's Best Friend) Air Date: 11-22-1975
Episode 25 (George and the Manager) Air Date: 11-29-1975
Episode 26 (George's Alibi) Air Date: 12-06-1975
Episode 27 (Lunch with Mama) Air Date: 12-13-1975
Episode 28 (George vs. Wall Street) Air Date: 12-20-1975
Episode 29 (The Breakup: Part 1) Air Date: 01-03-1976
Episode 30 (The Breakup: Part 2) Air Date: 01-10-1976
Episode 31 (Florence's Problem) Air Date: 01-24-1976
Episode 32 (Mother Jefferson's Birthday) Air Date: 01-31-1976
Episode 33 (Louise's Cookbook) Air Date: 02-07-1976
Episode 34 (George Meets Whittendale) Air Date: 02-14-1976
Episode 35 (Lionel's Problem) Air Date: 02-21-1976
Episode 36 (Tennis, Anyone?) Air Date: 02-28-1976
Episode 37 (The Wedding) Air Date: 03-06-1976

Britt Gillette

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The Jeffersons (Season 1)
The Jeffersons (Season 2)
The Jeffersons (Season 3)

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Posted on 13 May 2005