A Very Special Episode...

[Khan]

I can see where you're coming from on that front, VH. Obviously, Ajai Sanders (Gina) was a real find for the show; and although Jada Pinkett (Lena) was clearly raw as an actress, I felt as if she, too, had a spark that, with a little time and patience, might have been a real asset to the show (again, had it been allowed to continue). But the others -- Karen Malina White (Charmaine), Bumper Robinson (Dorian), Patrick Y. Malone (Terrell) -- yeah, girl, they could be triflin' sometimes.

The best thing about the first class after S1 -- Jaleesa, Whitley, Kim, Freddie, Dwayne and Ron -- was how diverse they were. Jaleesa was the older student who had been through marriage and divorce and had had some experience "out in the world;" Whitley was the "legacy child" from a privileged background; Kim was the cop's daughter from a middle-class neighborhood; Freddie was the naive and idealistic "flower child" who'd had an unconventional childhood in the desert (?); and Dwayne and Ron were "bruthas from da 'hood," with Ron having it marginally better on account of his father being a successful car salesman. To me, that's a good mix of experience, or lack thereof, from which to draw rich stories about campus life at a historically Black university.

The class in S6 -- Gina, Lena, Charmaine, Dorian and Terrell -- was good overall, too. However, what probably hurt them, aside from questionable acting talent in some cases, was the fact that they were not as diverse as the preceding class had been. Most, if not all, of these five seemed to be of the same demographic, coming from more-or-less the same neighborhood, sharing similar experiences. Therefore, it seems as if there wasn't as much variety to the kinds of stories they told. I've said in the past that S6 needed at least one character whose background, lifestyle and attitudes clashed greatly with the rest. Otherwise, the conflict is less socially relevant and more traditionally (and okay, generically) comedic.

[Khan]

Bill Cosby wanted someone on the show who came from a dissimilar background than the rest of the family. The Huxtables appeared to exist in this bubble of social and economic affluence, so what would happen if you had someone who came from a more humble environment? On paper, it was a good idea. However...

1) Pam, as a character, was so ill-defined beyond the fact that she wasn't as affluent.

2) Erika Alexander never found the right footing on which to play that particular character (which made her later work on "Living Single" all the more surprising to me).

3) TCS itself was in serious decline, both from being on the air for too long, and for not having the strong(er) writing staff that it had had in seasons past.

4) It's a little strange to introduce this concept of the character who doesn't have it as easy as the rest of the Cosby kids in S8 when, for the most part, TCS was a show that deliberately steered clear of making any broad social or topical statements.

[DRW50]

The show had a very sharp change in tone in season 6. I thought this was probably needed, as season 5 had become too much of a self-parody, but everything was suddenly much more serious, and some of the characters, like Dwayne, Ron and Freddie, seemed completely different. I liked most of the changes, especially because I had gotten sick of Whitley/Dwayne before season 6, but it was a little jarring.

(I think the only part of season 5 I watched more than once was that episode where Kim became a huge diva).

[Khan]

People tend to disparage "Gimme a Break!" for the fact that it made Nell Harper, who had given up her singing career in order to raise her dying friend's three daughters, look like Mammy from "Gone with the Wind." And I really can't argue with that. It's like when Wanda Sykes talked in one of her stand-up specials about the sort of sitcom pitches the different networks were making to her at that time: "She's a maid for this rich White family who wins the lottery...but she loves the family sooooo much....".

[DRW50]

For me it was Telma Hopkins and Nell Carter who made Gimme a Break. I know someone could say they ended up being something like a modern day episode of Beulah, but they just had such great chemistry together.

[Khan]

"The Jeffersons" was great, at first, although I don't think the writing was nearly as sharp as it had been on AITF. Unfortunately, as ratings declined, writers backpedaled the show's more controversial aspects; and by 1980 or so, "The Jeffersons" had become just another dumb sitcom, only one with AA's as the titular main characters. From a ratings standpoint, it probably saved the show from cancellation. (At one point, I think, "The Jeffersons" was the second most watched show on the air, right behind "Dallas.") However, if you look at an episode from the latter seasons and compare it to one from before, it really is like watching two different series.

[Khan]

Years ago, I heard a rumor that this scene actually got her the role in "Showgirls." Is that true? Because, if so...., lol.

And yes, there was an episode of "Family Ties" where Alex Keaton, cramming for finals, got hooked on speed, and ended up trying to paint all his bedroom walls dark blue.

[Khan]

IA. Without Telma Hopkins, or Rod Parker & Hal Cooper as showrunners, GAB was just pure excrement. Nevertheless, what do the writers do when the daughters, and especially Samantha, grow up and don't need Nell as much anymore? They introduce Joey. [!@#$%^&*]. Lawrence.

[Khan]

To this day, I don't know why ADW wasted our time with the Byron Douglas arc except to delay the inevitable Dwayne/Whitley nuptials until the very end of the season.

[DRW50]

Whitley just became too much, too precious, too everything. I started wincing as the years went by. The last season might be seen as sexist in how often Dwayne went into the "you're my woman" mode, but having a more low-key Whitley was a nice change of pace.

[DRW50]

And then his brother.

The main bright spot of Joey Lawrence (the only one in his career, for me) was the breakdancing episode. It was all so ridiculous but Nell following him to where he went with the other kids, saying, "My man, my man," as Joey has the face of terror - it is one of my favorite memories of the show.

[ChitHappens]

Whitley became unbearable in the later years. I couldn't stand to watch her, and the younger crew weren't a good enough distraction. JG as the southern belle from an upscale black family was pure gold in the early years of ADW. Then, Whitley "grew up" and it was absolutely shameful. The country twang had elevated and every cliched story in the book was thrown in her direction. It was a mess! Dwayne and Whitley didn't make much sense to me when they started, but they made even less sense with the decline of Whitley. When I heard the show was canceled, it was a bit of a relief.

[DRW50]

It always annoyed me most that they said she was a terrible singer, when she was a fine singer in the early seasons.

Early Whitley is one of the reasons I didn't hate the first season the way so many did. I loved the episode with Whitley and Rudy. I didn't even mind Denise on the show. The biggest problem was the poor scripting, which focused too much on the stereotype of a college life, not on characterization.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Season 1 was oddly the show's highest rated season.

I have to say, I did enjoy the Denise character better upon her return to the TCS (more than I did her earlier seasons), I just wish it wasn't with Olivia....

[Khan]

Same!