The Time Has Come, Jenny Jefferson...Part 1

We were watching Six Feet Under last night, and there upon the screen was Jenny Jefferson (Belinda Tolbert). I thought, man, you really don't see many of the surviving Jeffersons on TV anymore. You might catch Sherman Hemsley or Marla Gibbs doing TVLAND shows, like the new Back To The Grind, but that's about it these days. Oh, what I wouldn't give to see the second (phoney) Lionel in a Geico ad. Anyhow, it made me realize that I really haven't done a proper post on the Jeffersons. This is one of my all time favorite TV shows. Sure, I've seen all of the episodes numerous times - and I do mean numerous - but I feel that you reach a new dimension of enjoyment when you become that familiar with a piece of entertainment - or art, for you highbrows. So I don't want to just rehash the usual stuff that you see all of the time on "retro tv" sites, etc. I want to give you a glimpse of my, um, well, no, obsession is a bit strong, but, well, ok, maybe, but, you know, my interest in the show.

I'll start with Bob Dudno. Don't remember him, do you? That's because he really wasn't on the show. He was a co-worker that Tom Willis would sometimes tell stories about. I guy that worked with him at Pelham Publishing. Bob was always besting Tom, much to his chagrin, even if it was just grabbing the last creamer when Tom was ahead of him in line for coffee. Usually a retort with a play on his last name followed: "Oh, he claims not to have known, but Dudno Did Know!!" A real laugh riot, see?

I also enjoy the multi-part episodes that featured the Jeffersons traveling. They went to Hawaii, Los Angeles and on a whodunit cruise with famous mystery novelists. There was also a one part episode in Atlantic city. The afficianado will note that Garrett Morris, playing George And Louise's "step-son" Jimmy, appeared in both the Los Angeles and Atlantic City travel-eps. Greg Morris from TV's Mission Impossible joined them on the former as Jimmy's cousin.

The whodunit cruise featured Russell "the professor" Johnson and Edie McClurg as famous mystery novelists. I like this one because George has to pose as one of the famous novelists to be on the cruise. He comes up with great fake book titles like, "In By 9, Dead By Five" and "Bloodstains, No Problem." See, he was a dry cleaner. Another laugh riot. Oh yes, I forgot to mention, "The Stiff Wore Starch."

We'll pick up here next time...