Season 6

The Jeffersons: Season 6
The Jeffersons Season 6 DVD cover.
Program information
Episodes aired:
24
Dates aired:
September 23, 1979 - April 13, 1980
Network/Country:
CBS-TV / United States
Previous Season: Season 5
Next Season: Season 7

The Jeffersons: Season 6

A total of 24 episodes of The Jeffersons aired on CBS-TV during Season 6, from Sepember 23, 1979 to the season's conclusion on April 13, 1980.

Season summary

Scheduling and ratings

At the beginning of the summer of 1979, CBS moved The Jeffersons from Wednesdays at 8pm to Sundays at 930pm as part of its newly-assembled Sunday night lineup -- which consisted of 60 Minutes in the 7pm lead-off position followed by the All in the Family continuation series Archie Bunker's Place at 8pm, One Day at a Time at 830pm, Alice at 9pm and Trapper John, M.D. at 10pm. This lineup would remain intact for three seasons -- with the entire lineup ranking in the Nielsen Top 20 for each of those seasons.

After two seasons ranked well out of the Top 30 (#56 for the 1977-1978 TV season and #49 for the 1978-1979 TV season), The Jeffersons shot up to #8 for the 1979-1980 TV season and remained a Top 20 show until its final season.

Casting changes

Mike Evans, who originated the role of Lionel on All in the Family and the first season of The Jeffersons, returned to the role for the first time since 1975. He had co-created Good Times -- which had just aired its final episode six weeks prior to the start of this season of The Jeffersons. His return to the series was in the season premiere episode titled "The Announcement" in which Lionel and Jenny tell the family that they're going to have a baby.

Story notes

In "The Expectant Father", Lionel seeks refuge from the pressures of pending fatherhood so George counsels him on the important things about fatherhood. In "The Shower", Lionel leaves Jessica's baby shower in order to go to work. George then goes to the office to talk to him about how quickly the time passes by and much of his daughter's childhood he'll miss by spending so much time at work as he had. And in "The Loan", the loan for Lionel and Jenny's new house falls through. Though Lionel wants to handle the situation himself, George, Louise, Helen and Tom each secretly go over to Lionel's bank in order to co-sign.

In "The First Store" the story flashbacks to April 1968, when George was applying for a loan to open up his first dry cleaning store in Harlem. This event coincided with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- news the Jeffersons found out about as George was showing Louise and Lionel the site of the first store that he had just put a down payment on by selling their car in anticipation of securing a loan. A militant teenaged Lionel was angry and ready to join the looting and rioting but George was torn between being angry and moving ahead to do better for himself and his family while Louise was just trying to keep peace between them.

George was able to secure the loan, but because of the looting and rioting, the loan was contingent on moving the location of that first store out of Harlem. George refused, kicked the man out of their apartment and lost the loan. Still determined to open up that store, George, Louise and Lionel listen to King's final speech (which, within the context of the flashback, had been delivered the night before) playing on the radio.

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 6 (1979-80)

• 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
• 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
	112	1	"The Announcement"	Bob Lally	Jay Moriarty & Mike Milligan	September 23, 1979	6.1 / 601
Lionel and Jenny both have some wonderful news, Jenny is pregnant, but they only share the news with Tom and Helen, reason being Lionel doesn't want George making jokes about what color the baby will be. However, when Florence overhears the news, she accidentally lets slip to Louise and she in turn tells George which leads to yet another argument. Note: The series is now airing on Sundays until January 1985. Mike Evans returns to the role of Lionel Jefferson, the character he originated.
	113	2	"A Short Story"	Bob Lally	Neil Lebowitz	September 30, 1979	6.2 / 603
George is ecstatic when he learns he's been named Small Businessman of the Year. However, Louise quickly learns that the basis of the award is purely physical. The award is to honor short businessmen.
	114	3	"Louise's Old Boyfriend"	Bob Lally	Jerry Perzigian & Bob Siegel	October 7, 1979	6.3 / 602
Louise is excited when she receives a letter from her old boyfriend, Bill Simpson, asking her out to dinner. However, she decides not to go because she knows George will be upset if she does, so Florence secretly goes and pretends to be Louise, but things get really confusing for Bill when Louise changes her mind and shows up with George in tow.
	115	4	"Now You See It, Now You Don't: Part One"	Bob Lally	Writers: Mary-David Sheiner and Sheila Judis Weisberg Story by: Susan Straughn Harris	October 21, 1979	6.4 / 606
It's Halloween, and the Jeffersons and the Willis are all gearing up for a costume contest; they're each going as old movie stars. Meanwhile, Harry brings his telescope over onto the Jefferson's balcony to view a specific star; this leads to Louise taking a peek but what she sees is totally unexpected, she sees someone dressed as a rabbit murder someone.
	116	5	"Now You See It, Now You Don't: Part Two"	Bob Lally	Peter Casey & David Lee	October 28, 1979	6.5 / 607
When the Killer Rabbit overhears Louise telling Harry what she saw through the telescope, he follows her to her apartment and waits until everyone leaves to confront her. The Killer Rabbit soon finds that killing Louise is not going to be an easy task with constant interruptions preventing him.
	117	6	"Where's Papa?"	Bob Lally	Peter Casey & David Lee	November 4, 1979	6.6 / 605
While going through a bunch of old items, George and Louise discover an old will which belonged to his father. The will states that his father wanted to be buried next to Mother Jefferson, so George sets out to do just that but quickly discovers that this is no easy task.
	118	7	"The Expectant Father"	Bob Lally	Michael G. Moye	November 11, 1979	6.7 / 604
Lionel becomes overwhelmed with advice on being a father when he and Jenny arrive at the Jefferson apartment, one evening which prompts him to storm out.
	119	8	"Joltin' George"	Bob Lally	Jerry Perzigian and Don Siegel	November 18, 1979	6.8 / 608
George takes Marcus to the gym to teach him how to box, after the boyfriend of a girl that Marcus made a move on beats him up. However, George's big mouth gets him in the ring with another boxer but George is confident he'll win since he used to be called "Joltin' George".
	120	9	"Baby Love"	Bob Lally	Joanne Pagliaro	December 2, 1979	6.9 / 610
With all the excitement over Jenny's pregnancy, Florence begins to hear her biological clock ticking. This prompts her to find a prospective husband and father through a dating service.
	121	10	"Louise vs. Florence"	Bob Lally	Written by: Jerry Perzigian, Don Siegel Story by:Paul M. Belous, Robert Wolterstoff	December 9, 1979	6.10 / 611
Louise is to present a Volunteer award and must take care of the engraving on the plaque. However, when Florence takes it to her boyfriend, he misspells the name. This leads to a huge fight between Florence and Louise which results in Louise firing her. When George hires her back to serve some guests he's entertaining, constant bickering erupts.
	122	11	"Me and Mr. G."	Bob Lally	Michael G. Moye	December 30, 1979	6.11 / 609
Louise is excited when she gets to have an orphan stay at the Jeffersons's apartment for a week. However, when she and Florence go out to the store and leave George in charge, some of his prejudiced attitudes rub off on the impressionable young lady leading to what was supposed to be a week turns into only a few hours.
	123	12	"One Flew Into the Cuckoo's Nest"	Bob Lally	Peter Casey & David Lee	January 6, 1980	6.12 / 613
While making a dry cleaning delivery at a mental institution, George is accidentally mistaken as a mental patient, when the real patient escapes disguised as George.
	124	13	"Louise's Setback"	Bob Lally	Robert Wolterstoff	January 13, 1980	6.13 / 612
Louise is ecstatic when she learns that a television documentary will be done on the suicide helpline available down at the Help Center, and she is going to be interviewed. However, in the midst of all the excitement, Louise inadvertently neglects a teenage girl who later swallows a bottle of pills.
	125	14	"Brother Tom"	Bob Lally	Jerry Perzigian and Don Siegel	January 27, 1980	6.14 / 614
When two old friends of Helen's come for a visit, Tom feels like a "white" outsider in his own home. This prompts him to ask George to teach him how to act black.
	126	15	"The Arrival: Part One"	Bob Lally	Neil Lebowitz	February 3, 1980	6.15 / 615
George and Louise are disappointed with the news that if Lionel gets the job that he's getting interviewed for, Jenny and he will have to move to Boston. Meanwhile, when Tom comes down with the flu, he can't take Jenny to her Lamaze class, which prompts George to take her, but when the class is over and everyone has gone, George gets stuck there with Jenny, who has gone into labor.
	127	16	"The Arrival: Part Two"	Bob Lally	Michael Moye	February 10, 1980	6.16 / 616
George rushes Jenny to the hospital as she begins having contractions. Meanwhile, Lionel is offered the job in Boston, and returns from the interview to find out the news the Jenny has gone into labor. At the hospital, the family gathers and George begins to worry if the baby's skin color will be black or white.
	128	17	"The Shower"	Bob Lally	Celia Bonaduce, Arthur Bonaduce	February 17, 1980	6.17 / 617
George and Louise are happily planning a belated baby shower for Jenny and Lionel. However, as soon as the shower begins, a workaholic Lionel walks out, leaving behind a lonely wife.
	129	18	"The Longest Day"	Bob Lally	Bob Baublitz	February 24, 1980	6.18 / 618
When Louise, Helen, Florence and Jenny go out for the day, George, Tom and Lionel are left to take care of baby Jessica. They soon find out that taking care of a baby is no easy chore and the Jefferson apartment begins to slowly turn to shambles.
	130	19	"George's Birthday"	Bob Lally	Jerry Perzigian & Don Siegel	March 2, 1980	6.19 / 619
Louise is planning a surprise party for George's 50th birthday and has invited all his friends to meet up at the Willis for the party. Meanwhile, George gets the idea to throw a birthday party for himself and finds all his friends refusing to attend; this leads him to wallow in Charlie's bar.
	131	20	"A Night to Remember"	Bob Lally	Writers: Peter Casey, David Lee Story by: Stephen A. Miller	March 9, 1980	6.20 / 622
On their anniversary, George and Louise get into an argument over his honesty; this prompts George to storm out to a hotel and Louise is left to think about George's fidelity. Things get worse when she arrives at his hotel and discovers a young woman in his room.
	132	21	"The Loan"	Bob Lally	Writers: Peter Casey & David Lee Story by: Celia Bonaduce	March 23, 1980	6.21 / 620
Lionel and Jenny are excited with the news that they're trying to purchase a home. However, when the bank turns down their loan application, George, Louise, Helen and Tom each go down to the bank to help them get one, after each promising not to interfere.
	133	22	"Louise Takes a Stand"	Bob Lally	Bryan Joseph, Jerry Perzigian and Don Siegel	March 30, 1980	6.22 / 623
George is excited when he learns he will be able to expand his store on the first floor of the building. However, his excitement starts to dwindle when he learns the expansion means taking over Charlie's bar, since Charlie's lease is not being renewed.
	134	23	"The First Store"	Bob Lally	Jay Moriarty & Mike Milligan	April 6, 1980	6.23 / 621
As Louise and George look through old photos, they recall George opening his first store in 1968. His opening coincides with the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and when news of his death circulates, chaos erupts in the Jeffersons' neighborhood.
	135	24	"Once Upon a Time"	Bob Lally	Michael G. Moye	April 13, 1980	6.24 / 624
While babysitting his granddaughter Jessica, George entertains her with his version of King Arthur, King George. In his tale, King George is defending his kingdom from the evil, Inflation.