The "Good Times" Thread

[PicardMan]

Haven't seen this show yet, but the trailer makes it look 100X worse than Velma in terms of respecting the source material. This is absolutely nothing like the original sitcom from 50 years ago. Not even the catchy original song gets to stay. Okay, there is somebody saying Dy-no-mite, so there is that. Today's kids don't even know about the original show and the only young folks who do are people like me with an obsession with pop culture history. Judging from Rotten Tomatoes reviews, it's another generic vulgar adult comedy cartoon. Trailer is probably too spicy for Toonzone.

Personally, I'd rather experience temporary lay offs (Good Times), easy credit ripoffs (Good Times), than watch this show.

I don't want to see Sanford and Son or the Jeffersons revivals done in this style, so I hope this won't be a trend. I'm just confused about why this was created. If this show is better than it looks, please share your thoughts. If it's just as bad as reviews say, please share your thoughts.

 

[Pooky]

I watched the first half of the first episode. I know "Dy-no-mite" and such through pop cultural osmosis, but I've never seen the original series, not because I'm not interested (I'd be more interested in seeing an episode of the original then I was this), but because it has not, to my knowledge, ever been widely distributed in the UK, at least not in my lifetime (Norman Lear's shows aren't really "a thing" in the UK, perhaps because some of his biggest hits were remakes of UK sitcoms and thus somewhat redundant here)

From my ignorant perspective it did not seem especially egregious, but I also wasn't laughing nor was I otherwise significantly engaged, so I stopped and am unlikely to return. I will say at least the art style is quite nice and distinctive. The animation itself is kind of jerky and vaguely reminiscent of flash and internet toons from 20 years ago; that's certainly an artistic choice and no accident, but why?

 

[Goldstar!]

I've only seen the trailer, but speaking as someone who is old enough to have seen the original series, I know that these characters aren't supposed to be the same characters from the 1970s sitcom, rather this show takes place about three generations later, which strikes me as somewhat curious. Three generations later and the Evans family is still living in the projects? I remember in the last episode of the Norman Lear sitcom, J.J. got a job as a comic book artist and announced that he'd be moving out to a better neighborhood. Thelma (who by this time was married to an NFL hopeful named Keith) also announced that they'd be moving to a better neighborhood and also that she was pregnant with the couple's first child. So what happened with all of that? The Evans' descendants are still living in a dump in the ghetto? Things haven't gotten even a little better for them? Really?

That could have potentially made for an interesting perspective; to see how the times and society have changed and how this family reacted to a changed world and a new suburban environment, but nah, let's just go for the lowest common denominator. That's easier. Let's just have another jive talkin' adult voiced baby, 'cause that shtick never gets old. /s

 

[Fone Bone]

If it doesn't have the theme song, I'm not gonna bother watching it. There's no need without it.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

That could have potentially made for an interesting perspective; to see how the times and society have changed and how this family reacted to a changed world and a new suburban environment, but nah, let's just go for the lowest common denominator. That's easier. Let's just have another jive talkin' adult voiced baby, 'cause that shtick never gets old. /s

Throughout his entire career, MacFarlane has been defined by three things: his love of Norman Lear shows, his love of Star Trek, and his inclination to add in wacky side characters who can't talk in real life. Everything he's ever done leans heavily on one or more of these. Given how good The Orville turned out, I thought he was growing beyond his his usual gimmicks, but...apparently not.

 

[Zorak Masaki]

What's worse is that the Good Times cutaway from Family Guy was both accurate and funny.

"My name is Florida! That's not a name, that's a state!"