Trivia for
"The Jeffersons" (1975) More at IMDbPro »

• Spin off from "All In the Family" (1971).
  
  
• The picture on the Jeffersons' desk by the telephone changes in every episode. It alternates between shots of Louise, George, Lionel, and Mother Jefferson.
  
  
• George Jefferson was a navy veteran who had served in the U.S. 7th Fleet.
  
  
• The Jeffersons returned to television in 1995 to appear on an episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990), and again in 2001 for a series of Denny's Restaurant commercials.
  
  
• The building in the opening sequence is located at 185 E 85th Street in Manhattan.
  
  
• Though it is rarely mentioned on the show, the name of the building the Jeffersons live in is called "Colby East".
  
  
• The Jeffersons live on the 12th floor of the Colby East.
  
  
• The Jeffersons' neighbor, Harry Bently, worked as a translator at the United Nations.
  
  
• Louise had an older sister named Maxine, who ran away from home several years earlier after she got pregnant. She eventually moved to France where she worked as a singer.
  
  
• When Zara Cully died during the 1977-1978 season it was decided to write Mother Jefferson off the series by having her die as well. The character 'George Jefferson' was ranked #44 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" (20 June 2004 issue).
  
  
• Ja'net DuBois sang the shows famous opening theme song "Movin' On Up" and it's closing credits as well.
  
  
• CBS never gave "The Jeffersons" a proper series finale. The cast, bitter that they never got a chance to say goodbye, reunited years later for a stage play based on the sitcom. Sherman Hemsley said he found out the show was canceled by reading it in the paper.
  
  
• When the show first started George constantly referred to Tom as a honky. After a few seasons Sherman Hemsley asked the writers to stop having George call him that, as he felt that the characters were friends and he felt George would not use a racist term on a friend. When the writers refused to stop Hemsley simply mumbled the the word every time he said it, forcing re-shoots. Eventually the writers stopped using the word.
  
  
• When Mike Evans left the show for a second time, his absence was explained by having Lionel and Jenny separate and eventually divorce.
  
  
• Sherman Hemsley is only 11 years older then Mike Evans. Hemsley is also 21 years younger then Isabel Sanford.
  
  
• Isabel Sanford did not want to do a spin-off. She told producers that she was happy with her recurring role on _"All in the Family" (i971)_. When they told her that they were writing Louise Jefferson off of All in the Family, and moving the character to the Jeffersons with or without her, she decided to stay in the role.
  
  
• Mike Evans left the role of Lionel Jefferson to work as a writer/producer on Good Times. When that show ended, he came back to the Jeffersons again.
  
  
• During their 11 seasons, the Jeffersons were placed into 15 different time-slots.
  
  
• Several CBS executives tried to get the interracial kiss between Tom and Helen Willis edited out, but executive producer Fred Silverman successfully lobbied to keep it in.
  
  
• 'Sherman Helmsley' found out about the show's cancellation by reading it in the newspaper. Isabel Sanford found out from a relative that called her, who had read it in a trade publication.
  
  
• Marla Gibbs was given her own spin-off, "Checking In" (1981), where Florence went to work as an executive at a hotel. As a precaution in case the show failed, Gibbs would be allowed to return to "The Jeffersons". Roseanna Christiansen was hired as Florence's replacement, Carmen. When the spin-off was canceled after four episodes, Gibbs returned to the show.
  
  
• Florence was originally intended to be a recurring cast member, but the character became so popular with fans, that the producers made Marla Gibbs a series regular.
  
  
• Sherman Hemsley was the only actor to appear on all 253 episodes.
  
  

Related Links