History Series / GoodTimes

* MoodWhiplash: In the end of "The Big Move: Part 1" As the episode ends, the Evanses are hosting a going away party, and are reading telegrams from other family and friends congratulating them and wishing them luck. The laughter and fun all come to a grinding halt when Florida reads one from Mississippi revealing that James has been killed, and everyone is stunned silent, as the episode fades to the credits.

* MoodWhiplash: In the end of "The Big Move: Part 1" As the episode ends, the Evanses are hosting a going away party, and are reading telegrams from other family and friends congratulating them and wishing them luck. The laughter and fun all come to a grinding halt when Florida reads one from Mississippi revealing James has been killed, and everyone is stunned silent, as the episode fades to the credits.

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: James]], whose offscreen death at the beginning of Season 4 was at the time the most infamous example of this trope in a comedy show outside of [[Series/{{MASH}} Henry Blake's]]. Decades later, [[Series/{{Two and a Half Men}} Charlie Harper's]] would take the cake.

* LimitedWardrobe: James seemed to wear the same brown shirt and off-white corduroys every single episode. Lampshaded in one episode when he ponders whether to wear "my brown shirt, my brown shirt or my brown shirt?" Averted with Thelma, who had a much nicer wardrobe than the Evanses should really have been able to afford (reportedly at the insistence of Bernadette Stanis, who didn't want to look poor on television).

* DadTheVeteran: James served in Korea.

* TheGhost : J.J.'s elusive girlfriend Henrietta. Also a more literal example after [[spoiler: James passes away in season 4]].

* HopeSpot: At the beginning of Season 4, James is about to get a promising job in Mississippi, and the family is just about ready to move down south... until, in the middle of their going-away party, they receive a tragic telegram: James has been killed in a car accident.

[[caption-width-right:350:The main cast (seasons 1–3). Clockwise from left: Michael, Thelma, Willona, Florida, J.J., James.]]

** "Sometimes There's No Bottom in the Bottle" (season 1) has the Evanses visited by Cousin Naomi, who Thelma discovers has a drinking problem.
** "Penny's Christmas" (season 5) has Penny stealing a necklace from a department store.
** "The Traveling Christmas" (season 6) as the family holding a Christmas party at Keith's job, since he has to work the holiday.

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: James,]] whose offscreen death at the beginning of Season 4 was at the time the most infamous example of this trope in a comedy show outside of [[Series/{{MASH}} Henry Blake's]]. Decades later, [[Series/{{Two and a Half Men}} Charlie Harper's]] would take the cake.

* NewYearHasCome: "A Place to Die" has the Evanses spending New Year's Eve without James, who's stuck out of town due to a snowstorm, but with an elderly man Michael has befriended who expects to pass on at any moment.

* PromotionToParent: J.J. in season 5 due to the absence of both parents.

** TheBusCameBack: In season 6, thanks to Esther Rolle's return to the series..

* ThanksgivingEpisode: "Grandpa's Visit" (season 4) has Grandpa Henry showing up for the holiday accompanied by his live-in girlfriend, much to Florida's disapproval.

[[caption-width-right:350:Clockwise from left: Michael, Thelma, Willona, Florida, J.J., James.]]

* LimitedWardrobe: James seemed to wear the same brown shirt and off-white corduroys every single episode. Lampshaded in one episode when he ponders whether to wear "my brown shirt, my brown shirt or my brown shirt?" Averted with Thelma, who had a much nicer wardrobe than the Evans should really have been able to afford, reportedly at the insistence of Bernadette Stanis, who didn't want to look poor on television.

* HopeSpot: At the beginning of Season 4, James is about to get a promising job in Mississippi, and the family is just about ready to move down south... until the family receives a tragic telegram: James is killed in a car accident.

* ThanksgivingEpisode: "Grandpa's Visit" (season 4) has James's father Henry showing up for the holiday accompanied by his live-in girlfriend, to Florida's disapproval.

* BreakoutCharacter: Jimmie "J.J." Walker. One of the biggest examples of the 70s.

* ChristmasEpisode: There was one where Penny stole a gift for Willona. The other one was a MusicalEpisode.

* Thelma Anderson, nee Evans (Bern Nadette Stanis): TheChick

-->-- '''The theme song'''

* AbuseDiscretionShot: The infamous scene of Penny getting burned with an iron by her mother as she pleads with her not to do it. They cut away but her next scene does have her arm bandaged up.
* AbusiveParents: Penny's mom Lynnetta. One of the show's most infamous scenes is of her burning Penny with a ''hot iron''. And that actually happens off-screen, we just see the iron about to be used and the bandaged wound afterwards.

* AffectionateNickname: The youngest son Michael Evans is often referred to by the nickname "Gramps".

%%* BreakTheCutie: Poor Penny qualifies for this in spades.

%%* ChewToy: James could never catch a break.

* DiabolusExMachina: This is a pretty regular occurrence on the show, something that even bothered the actors.
** Whenever James gets a better, more stable, better paid job, something happens that gets him fired or laid off. [[spoiler: Or he gets killed.]]
** Whenever J.J. gets the opportunity to make some money off of his art, something inevitably happens to make him turn down the deal or get the whole thing called off.

The series finale aired on August 1, 1979, with a [[HappilyEverAfter Mega-Happy Ending]]. Reruns can be seen daily on TV One, on Get TV (as of December 2017) and occasionally on Nick at Nite's TV Land. All six seasons are available on DVD.

Any time you meet a payment!\\
GOOD TIMES!\\
Any time you meet a friend!\\
GOOD TIMES!\\

* AbusiveParents: Penny's mom Lynnetta. One of the show's most infamous scenes is of her burning Penny with a ''hot iron''. And that actually happens off-screen, we just see the iron about to be used and the bandaged wound afterwards. Also, although FairForItsDay, James' heavy-handed disciplining of his kids. He uses his belt on them, which is relatively uncommon today.

Both Esther Rolle and John Amos grew dissatisfied with J.J's character. Rolle felt that J.J. was not a good role model for blacks, and Amos felt the show was becoming more about his antics, than about its original intent to be about family values. The show's [[JumpTheShark most controversial move]] was [[DroppedABridgeOnHim killing off patriarch James]] at the beginning of the fourth season. Esther Rolle hoped this would bring a shift in J.J.'s character from the clownish KavorkaMan he had been, to a more responsible Man Of The House. The writers didn't see it that way, seemingly ramping up J.J.'s [[UncleTomfoolery foolishness]] (though it's worth noting that Jimmie Walker, who played J.J., was a stand-up comedian and not much of an actor). This led to Rolle quitting the show for the entire fifth season, her character having [[PutOnABus relocated to Arizona]] to be with her second husband. She was brought back in the sixth and final season with promises to clean up J.J.'s act (and [[BrotherChuck never reference her second marriage]], which Rolle thought went against Florida's character in multiple ways).

When the fifth season started, an 11-year old Music/JanetJackson joined the cast as [[CousinOliver Millicent "Penny" Gordon Woods]]; after Penny's abusive mother Lynnetta reveals that she was abused as a child after a fight with Thelma and Willona, Lynnetta tells Penny that she deserves better. In the sixth season, Lynnetta has remarried and starts sending Penny anonymous gifts while attempting to frame Willona as an unfit adoptive parent who throws wild parties with undesirable guests. After her scheme is exposed, she leaves and Penny regards Willona as her real mother.

* TheChick: Thelma, the only daughter in the family. She is hyper-emotional where Florida is calm and stoic, but she's also the most compassionate.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: That song Michael sings at Thelma and Keith's wedding? It's a Music/StevieWonder song, "You And I (We Can Conquer The World)" from the album ''Talking Book''.

* MsFanservice: Thelma, a beautiful, shapely young woman who's still a regular on "hottest TV stars ever" lists. Also Willona on occasion, especially when she [[ShesGotLegs wore a skirt.]]

* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: As much as they struggled to make ends meet, James and Florida would readily turn down an opportunity if it went against moral principles. Such as when James is offered a job from a televangelist friend, which he’d initially accepted. But when he saw the impact his doing so would have on his children (he would have been feigning ailments so that he could be “healed“), he changed his mind. Likewise, Florida turning down a TV commercial spot upon learning she’d be selling a product made mostly of alcohol; as soon as Michael gets drunk from drinking the tonic, Florida wants no further part of it. Also when J.J. is making good money with a small-time gangster/gambling operation, Florida refuses to accept any of his "dirty money" and kicks him out of their apartment, until he comes to his senses.

Hangin' in and jivin'!! (GOOD TIMES!)\\

Keepin' your head above water!\\

* PlayingGertrude: John Amos was only 34 when the show began, making him just 8 years older than his "son" Jimmie Walker, and 19 years ''younger'' than his "wife" Esther Rolle. He pulled it off by being [[YoungerThanTheyLook Younger Than He Looks]].

-> "'''''Good Times''''' ''is recorded on tape before a live audience.''"

-> "'''"Good Times"''' is recorded on tape before a live audience."

'''''GOOD TIMES!!!'''''"''

-> "'''Good Times'''" is recorded on tape before a live audience.

-> ''Just lookin' out of the window\\

'''GOOD TIMES!!!'''"''