Reply #2: I think that, had they not tried to keep it a comedy, albeit a serious one [View All]

[Rabrrrrrr]

like All In the Family was, they would have been okay. But trying to mix serious social commentary, while also condescending down to a level in which JJ had to say "Dy-no-mite!" every episode and do other silly cliche antics, drove it to stupidity.

Like Family Strokes, which always had to have that "Whatchootalkin'bout?" line, though Good Times was at a higher level when it was good, and at a far lower level when it was attempting to hit the lowest common denominator "DY-no-mite!" line.

It's because of the bullshit of the JJ character that I couldn't stand to watch the show. And I wasn't real old when it came out, but I remember watching it a number of times, and thinking, wow, good storytelling, but also being really turned off by the cliche bullshit.

Truly sad, because it was, in so many ways, and in ways that Movin' On Up never approached, way ahead of its time, risky, and offering of a lot of positive and necessary social critique.