The Jeffersons: 10 Inconsistencies Compared To All In The Family
The shows All in the Family and The Jeffersons are two pillars of Norman Lear’s career. The beloved sitcoms are intertwined, and numerous others are connected to their universe. It started with All in the Family in 1971. While this show was still on, George and Louise Jefferson left the neighborhood of Queens with their son Lionel to live in an expensive Manhattan apartment.
All in the Family ended in 1979, but The Jeffersons ran from 1975 to 1985. The overlap between the original and the spin-off created some inconsistencies. Here are ten of them.
Lionel’s Looks
Mike Evans played Lionel on All in the Family and on the first season of The Jeffersons. He had another role in the circle of Lear shows that came out of All in the Family. All in the Family’s first spin-off, Maude, gave way to its own spin-off, Good Times. Mike Evans co-created Good Times and became so busy with this important African American sitcom that he temporarily forfeited his role as Lionel.
The actor chosen to take over the role of Lionel coincidentally shared Mike’s last name: Damon Evans. Damon played Lionel from season 2, episode 3 to season 4, episode 17. Mike came back to the role in 1979 upon the cancellation of Good Times.
Lionel Leaving
The saga of Lionel continues. Mike Evans left the role again in 1982, just a few years before the show’s completion. He did return for the two-part finale in 1985.
The re-casting of characters was not uncommon in this era of television, but Lionel’s long absence in the later years of The Jeffersons is quite a change from the character’s regular appearances while on All in the Family before The Jeffersons.
George Jefferson is a critical piece of The Jeffersons, but some viewers of both shows might forget that he did not appear on All in the Family until 1973. The actor who played George, Sherman Hemsley, wanted to finish his commitment as part of the cast of a Broadway show called Purlie.
Norman Lear saved the role for Hemsley during that time. It’s interesting that the Jeffersons were introduced piecemeal on All in the Family before taking on the starring role of their own sitcom. First, everyone met Lionel (before Archie Bunker), then they saw Louise, and finally, much later, George.
Who’s in the Family?
While Norman Lear was waiting for Sherman Hemsley to come play George Jefferson, he needed another character to fill out the Jefferson family. On the first two seasons of All in the Family, Lionel has an uncle named Henry. When Lionel’s father finally shows up, someone apparently has to leave to make room. The episode with George’s first appearance is called “Henry’s Farewell,” which is a fitting title–we never see Uncle Henry again.
He makes no appearance for the remainder of All in the Family and is never seen on The Jeffersons, either. Despite Henry’s sudden lack of existence, his son Raymond goes to visit Aunt Louise and Uncle George in their show’s fifth season.