GOOD TIMES:
My opinion lies omewhere between MBarnum and Matt H.
They've been showing marathons on TVLand, so I tuned in and watched a few for old times' sake. They started out enjoyable, then really started to grate on me a bit.
The issues good and bad:
What is done well is conveying the inside of a slum apartment and the lifestyle within. I think it was important for me to see that as a youngster living in suburban (white) Chicagoland.
You have great characters with strong spirits, Michael, the younger brother, a unique kid character in TV, as this politically aware and smart kid. John Amos conveyed the father very well.
With JJ though, you have shameless mugging, even though he said some funny stuff, especially his putdowns of Thelma, it got a bit obnoxious at times. And Florida was a bit sanctimonious. And then the show never lifted out of the doldrums, like when they are finally moving and they kill off the dad. Then Moses Gunn came on to battle JJ for overacting. THEN Thelma marries a promising football player who JJ trips at their wedding causing him to blow out his knee and ruining his career...
It was like, okay, if they are going to live in poverty, that's one thing, but they kept having these near brushes with escape that turned into even worse situations.
It was a downer. And too loud. But sometimes worthwhile nonetheless.
And that's GOOD TIMES as I saw it.
Great theme, too.
