Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: When was the first time you saw a TV character that you felt represented you or your experience? Who was it? How did you feel? (This is jumping on the #FirstTimeISawMe hashtag about representation.)
Eric Deggans (@deggans), NPR
This is a tough question, because I don’t think I’ve seen a character like me yet on television (black comics nerd who loves playing drums, has a thirst for pop culture, spent his teens grooving to Frank Zappa and Parliament/Funkadelic and has a passion for racial issues and opposing stereotypes in media. Nope, haven’t seen that character yet). But the first time I saw...
This week’s question: When was the first time you saw a TV character that you felt represented you or your experience? Who was it? How did you feel? (This is jumping on the #FirstTimeISawMe hashtag about representation.)
Eric Deggans (@deggans), NPR
This is a tough question, because I don’t think I’ve seen a character like me yet on television (black comics nerd who loves playing drums, has a thirst for pop culture, spent his teens grooving to Frank Zappa and Parliament/Funkadelic and has a passion for racial issues and opposing stereotypes in media. Nope, haven’t seen that character yet). But the first time I saw...
- 8/15/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
After more than a decade as Aaron Hotchner on “Criminal Minds,” Thomas Gibson got the boot from the CBS show following reports that he kicked a writer on the series. He’s not the only small-screen star to say “sayonara” to a steady gig on the heels of controversy. Read on for TheWrap’s roundup of TV stars fired for bad behavior. John Amos claims that he was fired from ground-breaking comedy “Good Times” after clashing with producers over the direction of the show. Amos’ character, family patriarch James Evans, was subsequently killed off. Nothing funny about that. Damn, damn,...
- 8/15/2016
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
John Amos is one of those actors fortunate enough to have more than one iconic role on his résumé. His two biggest parts were as patriarch James Evans Sr. on Good Times and as the elder Kunta Kinte on Roots. But he first won fame with a smaller, yet still enduring, part: Gordy the weatherman on CBS’s The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Amos appeared roughly a dozen times over the course of the show’s first three seasons, and even though he left to take a regular gig on Good Times in 1974, his character was vital enough that he returned with his own spotlight episode during the final season of Mary Tyler Moore. Tonight Amos can be seen talking about his experiences on the show, alongside Betty White, Valerie Harper, Ed Asner, Van Dyke, and others, as part of Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration, airing at 8 p.m.
- 10/13/2015
- by Josef Adalian
- Vulture
"Cooley High" ought to be remembered as a cinema milestone, and its writer and director remembered as pioneers.
Released 40 years ago this week (on June 25, 1975), it ought to be celebrated for its vast influence on movies, TV, and music. As a young-men-coming-of-age movie, it deserves to be mentioned alongside Fellini's "I Vitelloni," George Lucas's "American Graffiti," Barry Levinson's "Diner," and John Singleton's "Boyz N the Hood." And yet, the film and its creators have been largely forgotten, lost to history.
The story behind "Cooley High" is even more dramatic than the comedy-drama that unspooled on the screen. It's the story of Kenneth Williams, who, like protagonist Preach, left Chicago's Cabrini-Green projects with dreams of becoming a Hollywood screenwriter. Having dropped out of high school, he hitchhiked from the Windy City to Hollywood with $5 in his pocket and no connections, and for a while he supported himself selling drugs.
Released 40 years ago this week (on June 25, 1975), it ought to be celebrated for its vast influence on movies, TV, and music. As a young-men-coming-of-age movie, it deserves to be mentioned alongside Fellini's "I Vitelloni," George Lucas's "American Graffiti," Barry Levinson's "Diner," and John Singleton's "Boyz N the Hood." And yet, the film and its creators have been largely forgotten, lost to history.
The story behind "Cooley High" is even more dramatic than the comedy-drama that unspooled on the screen. It's the story of Kenneth Williams, who, like protagonist Preach, left Chicago's Cabrini-Green projects with dreams of becoming a Hollywood screenwriter. Having dropped out of high school, he hitchhiked from the Windy City to Hollywood with $5 in his pocket and no connections, and for a while he supported himself selling drugs.
- 6/25/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony is currently developing a film based on ”Good Times”, the popular Sitcom that ran on CBS from 1974-1979. Sony has enlisted Scott Rudin and Eli Bush as producers. Phil Johnston (Wreck-It-Ralph, Cedar Rapids) will write.
The original show starred Ja’net DuBois, John Amos, Ralph Carter, Jimmie Walker, BernNadette Stanis and Esther Rolle.
Good Times synopsis from Tvland:
Good Times follows the challenges and joys of the close-knit Evans family — patriarch James, mother Florida, eldest son and accomplished amateur painter J.J. (James Evans, Jr.), brainy and beautiful daughter Thelma, and youngest son Michael, a political and social activist — who live together in a high-rise housing project on the South Side of Chicago.
The show took an honest look at the reality of life in the urban Projects, and tackled social and political issues around race, poverty, unemployment, inflation, crime and addiction — hot button...
The original show starred Ja’net DuBois, John Amos, Ralph Carter, Jimmie Walker, BernNadette Stanis and Esther Rolle.
Good Times synopsis from Tvland:
Good Times follows the challenges and joys of the close-knit Evans family — patriarch James, mother Florida, eldest son and accomplished amateur painter J.J. (James Evans, Jr.), brainy and beautiful daughter Thelma, and youngest son Michael, a political and social activist — who live together in a high-rise housing project on the South Side of Chicago.
The show took an honest look at the reality of life in the urban Projects, and tackled social and political issues around race, poverty, unemployment, inflation, crime and addiction — hot button...
- 3/12/2013
- by Alex Corey
- LRMonline.com
A "Good Times" movie is in the works. According to Deadline.com, Scott Rudin and Sony Pictures will revive the classic 1970s CBS sitcom as a feature film.
Phil Johnston, who recently penned "Wreck-It Ralph," has been tapped to write the "Good Times" movie.
The series, which aired from 1974-79 on CBS, was a spinoff from "Maude." "Good Times" followed the Evans family in the Chicago projects and starred Esther Rolle as Florida Evans, John Amos as James Evans, Sr. and Jimmie Walker as James 'J.J.' Evans, Jr.
"Good Times" is far from the first classic TV series to get the big screen remake treatment. Nicole Kidman starred in a "Bewitched" movie, Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway starred in a "Get Smart" film and Jonah Hill's "21 Jump Street" movie was a success.
On the small screen, there have also been plenty of reboots: Vince Vaughn was working...
Phil Johnston, who recently penned "Wreck-It Ralph," has been tapped to write the "Good Times" movie.
The series, which aired from 1974-79 on CBS, was a spinoff from "Maude." "Good Times" followed the Evans family in the Chicago projects and starred Esther Rolle as Florida Evans, John Amos as James Evans, Sr. and Jimmie Walker as James 'J.J.' Evans, Jr.
"Good Times" is far from the first classic TV series to get the big screen remake treatment. Nicole Kidman starred in a "Bewitched" movie, Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway starred in a "Get Smart" film and Jonah Hill's "21 Jump Street" movie was a success.
On the small screen, there have also been plenty of reboots: Vince Vaughn was working...
- 3/12/2013
- by Chris Harnick
- Huffington Post
Tom Hanks is developing a new comedy series with HBO. Players will focus on a team of college athletes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The half-hour comedy will be executive produced by Hanks and Gary Goetzman. The pair previously worked together on HBO projects Band of Brothers, The Pacific and Big Love. James Evans and Darryl Scott will also serve as producers on the project. HBO is also developing a half-hour comedy (more)...
- 10/25/2011
- by By Morgan Jeffery
- Digital Spy
Andy Schleck won at the highest finish in Tour history, but Thomas Voeckler clings on to the yellow jersey by 15 seconds
Stage 18: Pinerolo to Col du Galibier (200.5km)
Three of the Tour's nine hors category Alpine climbs loom ominously between the riders and the finish line today in a stage that should go some way towards sorting out the men from the boys ... unlike several other stages we predicted would do so, only for the Gc to remain more or less the same.
First up is the Col Agnel (2,744m), the third-highest pass in Tour history, followed by the Col d'Izoard (2,360m) with an average ascent of 7.1%. Finally, an exhausted field must tackle the Col du Galibier (2,645m), where the first rider to the summit will stand on the stage-winner's podium at a higher altitude than any competitor in Tour de France history.
The highest summit finish the Tour...
Stage 18: Pinerolo to Col du Galibier (200.5km)
Three of the Tour's nine hors category Alpine climbs loom ominously between the riders and the finish line today in a stage that should go some way towards sorting out the men from the boys ... unlike several other stages we predicted would do so, only for the Gc to remain more or less the same.
First up is the Col Agnel (2,744m), the third-highest pass in Tour history, followed by the Col d'Izoard (2,360m) with an average ascent of 7.1%. Finally, an exhausted field must tackle the Col du Galibier (2,645m), where the first rider to the summit will stand on the stage-winner's podium at a higher altitude than any competitor in Tour de France history.
The highest summit finish the Tour...
- 7/22/2011
- by Barry Glendenning
- The Guardian - Film News
Long before our June cover girl Alicia Keys sang about the virtues of struggling together "like Flo and James Evans" on her 2005 hit, "Unbreakable," we were cheering for Black couples on the big and small screen. We can't wait to see Sabrina (Paula Patton) and Jason (Laz Alonzo) make things work despite their differences in "Jumping the Broom," just like we couldn't wait for Lisa McDowell to dump her Soul Glo-sporting boyfriend for Prince Akeem in "Coming to America." From Stella getting her groove back to Claire putting up with Cliff's antics, here are our favorite Black couples from TV and the silver screen...
- 5/5/2011
- Essence
Long before Alicia sang about the virtues of struggling together "like Flo and James Evans" on her 2005 hit, "Unbreakable," we were cheering for Black couples on the big and small screen. We couldn't wait for Lisa McDowell to dump her Soul Glow-sporting boyfriend for Prince Akeem in "Coming to America," and we rooted for Whitley and Dwayne to make things work despite their differences on "A Different World." From Stella getting her groove back to Claire putting up with Cliff's antics, here are our favorite Black couples from TV and the silver screen...
- 2/4/2011
- Essence
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.