"The Jeffersons" was perhaps the most-successful spin-off series to "All in the Family." George Jefferson was the Black version of Archie Bunker in many respects: both were loud-mouthed, opinionated, and set in their bigoted ways. By 1975, Jefferson's fledgling dry-cleaning business, Jefferson Cleaners, had successfully grown into a small chain; his newfound wealth led to moving his family to a "deluxe apartment in the sky" in Manhattan. His family included his wife Louise, a level-headed and open-minded woman who often had to scold George when his mouth got him into trouble; and their son Lionel, an engineering major at a local college. George especially disliked Tom and Helen Willis, an interracial couple (he was white, she was Black) whose daughter Jenny was dating and later married Lionel; Florence, his sharp-tongued maid; and Harry Bentley, the esoteric Englishman who lived next door. George often flaunted his wealth and displayed rude, arrogant, bigoted behavior; however, he often found that money didn't open every door or win him favor with everyone. In later years, George and Louise became grandparents when Lionel and Jenny welcomed their adorable little daughter Jessica; and Lionel and Jenny found work, he as an electrical engineer, she as a fashion designer; but Lionel and Jenny's marriage crumbled. Meanwhile, as Jefferson Cleaners continued to expand, George continually had to deal with competing dry-cleaning franchises who sought to put him out of business. In the final season, George and Tom formed a partnership and purchased Charlie's Bar, their favorite hangout.
—Brian Rathjen <briguy_52732@yahoo.com>
