Even after the abrupt cancellation of the show, we’re still hoping for a new season of Norman Lear’s ‘The Jeffersons’ – How long do we have to wait?
‘The Jeffersons’, developed by Norman Lear, premiered in 1975 as a spin-off of ‘All in the Family’. It revolves around the lives of George and Louise Jefferson, an affluent Black couple who live in New York City. George is a dry-cleaning store owner who is distrustful of whites. While he is all stingy, his wife Louise is generous and kind. The show had run for 11 seasons before it was canceled suddenly. Undoubtedly, the ending was abrupt, but does that leave room for a new season after three decades?
Highlights —
- ‘The Jeffersons’, developed by Norman Lear, cancelled – Why?
- Was season 11 episode 24 the end or was there more?
- Is it coming back with a new season?
Here’s why Norman Lear’s sitcom ‘The Jeffersons’ failed in the 80s.
‘The Jeffersons’, developed by Norman Lear, cancelled – Why?
It was cancelled for the same reason most shows are cancelled – low ratings. It was ranked 59th among the 96 prime-time series that aired on the network. Since the ratings for the show had fallen badly, the cancellation came as no surprise.
‘The Jeffersons’, developed by Norman Lear, used a concept that was sensational and very popular in the 70s – an upwardly mobile, argumentative Black family, who didn’t take crap from anyone. But, by 1985, this concept had become hackneyed and the show didn’t have anything fresh to serve to the audience. Fourteen years is a very long time for a show to be aired, and so, it was taken down by CBS.
Was season 11 episode 24 the end or was there more?
‘The Jeffersons’ Season 11 episode 24 “Red Robbins” featured Jessica Jefferson and her Red Robbins scout troop where George attempted to help his granddaughter Jessica sell cookies. However, the cookie business flopped due to George’s dishonest and irresponsible sales pitch business advice.
The last scene had Louise scolding George for ruining the field trip. What happened next? Nobody knows, thanks to CBS taking down the show – all so abrupt! Norman Lear’s ‘The Jeffersons’ ended up in controversy after CBS cancelled the series without allowing for a proper series finale. The cast was not informed until after CBS unveiled their 1985-86 fall schedule and the show just wasn’t on it. At the time, the series had four episodes left to air.
After almost 11 years, this sitcom was forced into retirement without a proper series finale. Does that mean we can hope for a new season that would continue the story? But with almost all of the entire original cast dead, will it really be possible? We don’t know yet! The cast can be changed but will people want to watch entirely different faces on a show that is more than 30-years-old?
Is it coming back with a new season?
Knowing that there were still four episodes left to air, it is okay to hope for a new season. But the fact that it has been 35 years since the last episode was aired makes us a bit bland about the show’s return. There are no official announcements regarding the renewal of ‘The Jeffersons’ Season 12, at least until now, but then again, hope makes the world go round! Isn’t it?
‘The Jeffersons’ was actually the longest surviving Norman Lear’s 1970s sitcom, so don’t feel too badly for it! Since the ratings of the show were destroyed, and it had nothing fresh to bring to the table, we think it was the right decision to take it down. As much as we would have loved to watch the remaining four episodes, we cannot question CBS’s decision to end the series abruptly.
Have you watched all the 11 seasons of ‘The Jeffersons’? Would you like a new season? Let us know in the comments.
