Season 1

The Jeffersons: Season 1
The Jeffersons Season 1 DVD cover.jpg
Program information
Episodes aired:
13
Dates aired:
January 18, 1975 - April 12, 1975
Network/Country:
CBS-TV / United States
Previous Season: N/A - start of series
Next Season: Season 2

The Jeffersons: Season 1

A total of 13 episodes of The Jeffersons aired on CBS-TV during Season 1, from January 18, 1975 to the season's conclusion on April 12, 1975.

Season summary

The Jeffersons first aired in January of 1975 on CBS as a mid-season replacement. The series was a spin-off of All in the Family in which the Jeffersons were Archie and Edith Bunker's next door neighbors. George, Louise, and Lionel continued to appear on All in the Family until 1975, when the spin-off The Jeffersons, also created by Lear, premiered. The characters of Lionel's biracial fiancée, Jenny Willis, and her family, all of whom first appeared in the 1974 All in the Family episode "Lionel's Engagement," were also written into the new series. However, the roles were all recast, with Berlinda Tolbert taking over the role of Jenny, veteran actor Franklin Cover playing her father Tom, and Roxie Roker as her mother Helen. Zara Cully, who portrayed George's mother, Olivia Jefferson in one episode of All in the Family, resumed her role on The Jeffersons.

In 1975, the Jeffersons moved on up when George found success in a dry cleaning business. This allowed him and his wife, Louise and their son Lionel to "move on up" into a spacious high rise apartment. At the beginning of the series, Lionel was attending college and graduated in February 1976.

Series overview

Seasons		Episodes	Originally aired
			Season premiere	Season finale
	1	13	January 18, 1975 (1975-01-18)	April 12, 1975 (1975-04-12)
	2	24	September 13, 1975 (1975-09-13)	March 6, 1976 (1976-03-06)
	3	24	September 25, 1976 (1976-09-25)	April 11, 1977 (1977-04-11)
	4	26	September 24, 1977 (1977-09-24)	March 4, 1978 (1978-03-04)
	5	24	September 20, 1978 (1978-09-20)	April 18, 1979 (1979-04-18)
	6	24	September 23, 1979 (1979-09-23)	April 13, 1980 (1980-04-13)
	7	20	November 2, 1980 (1980-11-02)	March 29, 1981 (1981-03-29)
	8	25	October 4, 1981 (1981-10-04)	May 16, 1982 (1982-05-16)
	9	27	September 26, 1982 (1982-09-26)	May 1, 1983 (1983-05-01)
	10	22	October 2, 1983 (1983-10-02)	May 6, 1984 (1984-05-06)
	11	24	October 14, 1984 (1984-10-14)	July 2, 1985 (1985-07-02)

Appearances

Starring

• Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson (13/13)
• Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson (13/13)
• Mike Evans as Lionel Jefferson (11/13)
• Zara Cully as Olivia "Mother" Jefferson (12/13)
• Franklin Cover as Tom Willis
• Roxie Roker as Helen Willis
• Paul Benedict as Harry Bentley
• Berlinda Tolbert as Jenny Willis

Recurring

• Marla Gibbs as Florence Johnston
• Ned Wertimer as Ralph the Doorman

Image	No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod.code
	1	1	"A Friend in Need"	Jack Shea	Barry Harman & Harve Brosten	January 18, 1975	1.1 / 101
With growing pains in their posh new digs, George demands Louise hire her friend as their maid. But when the couple ends up hiring sassy maid Florence instead, George and Weezy learn you can "move on up" without looking down upon others. Note: The pilot episode of The Jeffersons appears in the fifth season of All in the Family, in episode #102, "The Jeffersons Move Up", aired January 11, 1975.
	2	2	"George's Family Tree"	Jack Shea	Perry Grant & Dick Bensfield	January 25, 1975	1.2 / 103
When George boasts he's "King of the Mountain," Louise teaches him a lesson by uncovering a few skeletons in the closet of his ancestors' family tree.
	3	3	"Louise Feels Useless"	Jack Shea	Lloyd Turner & Gordon Mitchell	February 1, 1975	1.3 / 102
When Louise has trouble adjusting to the good life in their new high-rise, she secretly takes a job at George's rival dry cleaners.
	4	4	"Lionel, the Playboy"	Jack Shea	Roger Shulman & John Baskin	February 8, 1975	1.4 / 104
When good son Lionel takes to partying all night, George and Louise want to put a halt to his wild ways before he drops out of school - but it's up to Mother Jefferson to lay down the law and get Lionel back on track.
	5	5	"Mr. Piano Man"	Jack Shea	Lloyd Turner, Gordon Mitchell & Don Nicholl	February 15, 1975	1.5 / 105
To boost his classy image, George is bent on buying an expensive piano. Meanwhile, the Jeffersons refuse to host a "tenants' protest" party organized by the Willises - until George sees it as a chance to impress his rich neighbors.
	6	6	"George's Skeleton"	Jack Shea	Teleplay by: Erik Tarloff, Lloyd Turner, & Gordon Mitchell Story by: Erik Tarloff	February 22, 1975	1.6 / 106
When an old friend threatens to expose an embarrassing secret from George's past unless he's paid in full, Louise and Lionel turn the tables on his buddy's blackmail business.
	7	7	"Lionel Cries Uncle"	Jack Shea	Lloyd Turner & Gordon Mitchell	March 1, 1975	1.7 / 107
When Louise's Uncle Ward pays a visit, he gets the cold shoulder from the men in the house, who see him as an "Uncle Tom".
	8	8	"Mother Jefferson's Boyfriend"	Jack Shea	Gordon Farr & Arnold Kane	March 8, 1975	1.8 / 108
Mother Jefferson has big news for her birthday: her new boyfriend has proposed, and they plan on moving to Florida. George objects to this holy union and tries to break the lovebirds apart.
	9	9	"Meet the Press"	Jack Shea	Dixie Brown Grossman	March 15, 1975	1.9 / 109
Hoping to land some free publicity, George schemes to land a big cover story on his dry cleaning empire - but when the Willises steal his spotlight, George learns the risks of blowing your own horn with hot air.
	10	10	"Rich Man's Disease"	Jack Shea	Bruce Howard	March 22, 1975	1.10 / 110
Living high on the hog, George can't figure out why he's feeling down in the dumps. Upon discovering he's suffering from a mysterious ulcer, George plots to keep the word from getting out to Louise and his friends.
	11	11	"Former Neighbors"	Jack Shea	Bert Joelson & Art Baer	March 29, 1975	1.11 / 111
George hopes to impress a big client by hosting an extravagant dinner - but when his old lower-class neighbors crash the party, George schemes to hide his poor past to close the deal.
	12	12	"Like Father, Like Son"	Jack Shea	Frank Tarloff	April 5, 1975	1.12 / 112
Lionel's bad behavior has his parents worried he's a chip off the old block. Meanwhile, when George and Louise get involved in a local election, the "race card" is played to comic effect, proving that phony politicians come in all colors.
	13	13	"Jenny's Low"	Jack Shea	John Ashby	April 12, 1975	1.13 / 113
Jenny Willis gets jealous when her globe-trotting brother returns from Europe because he is able to "pass" as white while she can't.