Season 11

The Jeffersons: Season 11
The Jeffersons Season 11 DVD cover.
Program information
Episodes aired:
24
Dates aired:
October 14, 1984 - July 2, 1985
Network/Country:
FOX-TV / United States
Previous Season: Season 10
Next Season: None -end of series

The Jeffersons: Season 11

A total of 24 episodes of The Jeffersons aired on CBS-TV during Season 11, the show's final season, from October 14, 1984 to the season and series's conclusion on July 2, 1985.

Series overview 

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

Season summary

The Jeffersons had finished the previous season (1983-84) ranked #19 in the Nielsen ratings. But would fall to #59 by the end of this season -- precipitated by a midseason time slot change from Sunday nights where it had enjoyed some of its highest ratings during the previous five years to Tuesday nights opposite NBC's Top 10 hit The A-Team.

The cast was not told of the cancellation as it wasn't announced until AFTER CBS unveiled their 1985-1986 fall schedule in May of 1985 and The Jeffersons just wasn't on it. At the time, the series was on hiatus with four episodes left to air. Sanford found out about the cancellation from a cousin, Hemsley read about it in the newspaper, and Cower heard the news after watching Entertainment Tonight. So after 10 1/2 years, The Jeffersons was forced into retirement without a proper series finale (as was accorded to Alice that year and One Day at a Time the year before). The last episode was "Red Robins" on July 2, 1985. Furthermore, the accidental series finale was supposed to have been the Season 12 premiere had CBS picked it up for the 1985-86 season, with "Off-Off-Off-Off Broadway" being intended as the Season 11 finale.

But nearly thirty years later, the show remains the longest-running broadcast network series with black leads in TV history (followed by Family Matters at nine seasons and The Cosby Show at eight seasons).

Casting changes

Mike Evans and Berlinda Tolbert appear as Lionel and Jenny for the final time in the episodes "The Separation: Part 1" and "The Seperation: Part 2".

Ebonie Smith made four appearances as Jessica Jefferson, the granddaughter of the Jeffersons and the Willises in the episodes "Ebony and Ivory", "Sayonara, Parts 1 & 2" and "Red Robins", the series finale episode.

Notable guest stars

Susie Garrett, Marla Gibb's real-life sister (soon to co-star on NBC-TV's Punky Brewster sitcom series), appeared as a friend of Florence's in the episode "The Odd Couple".

Jaleel White, five years before breaking out as Steve Urkel on the 1989-1998 ABC-TV comedy series Family Matters, appeared in the episode "Ebony and Ivory" as the snooty grandson of an even more snooty rival of Louise's.

Character actor Julius Carry III (now widely known as Sho' Nuff from the then just-released The Last Dragon) appeared in the episode "Off-Off-Off-Off Broadway" as a musician hired by George to help him win a talent contest.

And Kathleen Wilhoite, an early ER guest star, appeared as a free-spirited new neighbor in the episode "State of Mind".

Season 11 (1984-85)

• Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson
• Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson
• Mike Evans as Lionel Jefferson
• Marla Gibbs as Florence Johnston
• Franklin Cover as Tom Willis
• Roxie Roker as Helen Willis
• Berlinda Tolbert as Jenny Willis-Jefferson
• Ebonie Smith as Jessica Jefferson
• Paul Benedict as Harry Bentley
• Ned Wertimer as Ralph the Doorman

Image	No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code
	230	1	"Blood and Money"	Oz Scott	Writers: Jeffrey Richman and Joyce Gittlin Story by: James Kutras	October 14, 1984	11.1 / 1101
The Help Center is having a blood drive and Louise tries to get George to give some. A leery George pays Ralph to give blood in his name, but when the blood saves the life of Mrs. Whittendale her husband decides to pay George back for his good deed, and of course Ralph wants in.
	231	2	"Ebony and Ivory"	Oz Scott	Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner	October 21, 1984	11.2 / 1106
The snobby socialite that beat Louise out of a Volunteer of the Year award is back and bragging about how her grandson is going to win a piano recital. This leads Louise to enter her granddaughter, Jessica, in the recital with the intent of beating the snobby competition.
	232	3	"Bobbles, Bangles, and Booboos"	Oz Scott	Winston Moss	October 28, 1984	11.3 / 1110
Louise and Florence have the perfect plan to get the best of George: They've got the hidden-video show Bobbles, Bangles and Booboos coming over on the pretense of an interview with George. But Louise and George develop suspicions about the show when the apartment is robbed.
	233	4	"A House Divided"	Oz Scott	Ann Gibbs, Joel Kimmel	November 4, 1984	11.4 / 1109
Louise is running for tenant council president and is sure she's going to win, until she discovers someone is running against her: George.
	234	5	"Some Enchanted Evening"	Arlando Smith	Writers: Sandy Sprung, Marcy Vosburgh Story by: Marla Gibbs, Billy Dee Williams	November 18, 1984	11.5 / 1108
George, Louise, Tom and Helen go to a charity ball where Florence's favorite soap star is scheduled to appear. When Florence is left behind because the event is sold out, she daydreams a Cinderella story of ending up with a Prince Charming.
	235	6	"The Gift"	Oz Scott	Bobby Herbeck	November 25, 1984	11.6 / 1104
Louise is excited that for once George has remembered her birthday after she sees him sneaking around with party favors. However, George, who overhears Helen and Louise, realizes that he has forgotten her birthday and scrambles to buy her a gift before it's too late.
	236	7	"They Don't Make Preachers Like Him Anymore"	Michael Moye	Michael Moye & Ron Leavitt	December 16, 1984	11.7 / 1105
Florence is excited because she and her church choir are going to Ohio for a competition, but she loses her faith in God when the Reverend steals the money for the entry fee.
	237	8	"Try a Little Tenderness"	Oz Scott	Joe Rosario & George Scott	December 23, 1984	11.8 / 1114
Teenagers break into George's store. When he catches them he wants to call the police, but Louise wants to go a different way. Louise takes the thugs in and treats them to milk and brownies. After learning that the girl thief stole George's wallet Louise is convinced that they are really thieves.
	238	9	"You'll Never Get Rich"	Oz Scott	Lewis Goldstein and Richard Kraut	January 8, 1985	11.9 / 1119
Florence joins the Jefferson's on a trip to Atlantic City. Louise becomes so consumed with meeting a star that she is oblivious to the actual celebrities she meets, while Florence allows a lucky gambling streak get the better of her. Guest stars include Phyllis Diller, Charo, Engelbert Humperdinck, Helen Reddy, Joe Frazier, and Michael Spinks.
	239	10	"The Unnatural"	Oz Scott	Writers: Jerry Perzigian & Don Siegel Story by: Andy Horowitz	January 15, 1985	11.10/ 1118
George attends a Yankees game and is publicly embarrassed when he drops a home run hit by Reggie Jackson, a former Yankee now playing for the California Angels. Louise gets into the Angels' locker room and convinces Jackson to talk to George. Jackson's teammates Brian Downing and Mike Witt also appear in the episode as themselves.
	240	11	"Chairman of the Bored"	Oz Scott	Vito J. Giambalvo & Stu Goldman	January 22, 1985	11.11 / 1117
When George, Louise and Helen are busy for an evening, an ignored Tom gets all the attention he could want from the sister of Mr. Bentley's girlfriend. This leads Tom to daydream what it would be like to get all the attention all the time from five Playboy Playmates.
	241	12	"Sayonara: Part One"	Oz Scott	Peter Casey & David Lee	January 29, 1985	11.12 / 1120
Lionel and Jenny return to New York after a trip to Japan, and they have a very important announcement. Louise, George, Tom and Helen assume that Jenny is pregnant, so no one is prepared for their real announcement: They've decided to get a divorce.
	242	13	"Sayonara: Part Two"	Oz Scott	Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner	February 5, 1985	11.13 / 1121
After hearing the news of the divorce, George and Louise get into a fight with Tom and Helen that continues all the way through Family Night at Jessica's school. The constant bickering leads Jessica to run out of the school and onto the streets of New York.
	243	14	"Last Dance"	Oz Scott	Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner	February 12, 1985	11.14 / 1111
George's assistant, Clark, doesn't have a date for the prom and Florence agrees to go with him. Once there, Florence runs into the man with whom she wanted to go to her prom but he never asked her.
	244	15	"The Gang's All Here"	Oz Scott	Al Aidekman	February 19, 1985	11.15 / 1115
When Charlie goes out of town for the weekend, Louise agrees to be the bartender for a party he had previously booked. Louise quickly finds herself in over her head when the party is for a reunion of a biker gang.
	245	16	"Hail to the Chief"	Oz Scott	Hans Kracauer	March 12, 1985	11.16 / 1103
Tom is up for a promotion and is disappointed when it looks as if he's not going to get it. When he does get promoted, he finds the responsibility too overwhelming and considers resigning.
	246	17	"A Secret in the Back Room"	Oz Scott	Jerry Perzigian & Don Siegel	March 19, 1985	11.17 / 1107
George and Louise's anniversary party comes to a screeching halt when they learn that Charlie, the bartender, has a drinking problem, which caused his separation from his wife.
	247	18	"That Blasted Cunningham"	Oz Scott	Peter Casey & David Lee	April 2, 1985	11.18 / 1112
George is in yet another advertising war with Cunningham Cleaners, and each has vowed to out-promote the other. The festivities go too far, leading to Cunningham's death and leaving George to deal with his vengeful widow.
	248	19	"State of Mind"	Oz Scott	Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner	April 23, 1985	11.19 / 1113
Louise is up in arms over the new young tenant who has just moved into the building. The woman's constant partying prompts Louise to call a tenants' meeting that ends with Louise discovering a little bit about age when the tenants accuse her of turning into an "old fuddy-duddy".
	249	20	"And Up We Go"	Oz Scott	Writers: Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner Story by: Warren S. Murray	April 30, 1985	11.20 / 1116
When Louise and Helen go to a spa for the weekend, they leave behind two bored husbands. To pass the time, George and Tom decide to break a record, and the record they choose is how many times they can go up and down on the elevator.
	250	21	"The Truth Hurts"	Paul Benedict	Writers: Sara V. Finney, Vida Spears Story by: Stephen Neigher	June 4, 1985	11.21 / 1122
Louise is excited about the completion of her painting in art class, but everyone who sees her painting lies about how they really feel, leading Louise to believe she has created a masterpiece, and she decides to put on an art show.
	251	22	"The Odd Couple"	Oz Scott	Peter Casey & David Lee	June 11, 1985	11.22 / 1102
Florence is tired of being alone and decides to place an ad in a personals column. The one response she gets is from someone she least expects: Mr. Bentley.
	252	23	"Off-Off-Off-Off Broadway"	Oz Scott	Matt Robinson	June 25, 1985	11.23 / 1124
Louise and Helen need quick cash to save their Disabled Youth Services program down at the Help Center. To raise money, they decide to put on a talent show, while George thinks it'll be a great way to promote his business.
	253	24	"Red Robins"	Oz Scott	Peter Casey, David Lee, Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner	July 2, 1985	11.24 / 1123
George is vying to win the Dry Cleaner of the Year award but finds he's short on the community service portion. This leads him to take over as "nest mother" of Jessica's Red Robin troop, and he gives the girls irresponsible tips on how to sell candy. (This episode aired only in syndication after the show's original run ended.)