The Best Episodes of The Jeffersons
Last Updated: Mar 18, 2019
A sitcom about a black couple "movin' on up" from a modest Queens neighborhood to deluxe apartment in Manhattan's ritzy East Side. The show was spun-off from "All in the Family" in 1975 and for the next 11 seasons, The Jeffersons lived among a kaleidoscope of characters, including their sassy maid Florence, a bizarre British neighbor named Bentley, and the Willises -- TV's first married couple in which one character was black and one was white. Like All in the Family, The Jeffersons had a bigoted, opinionated loud-mouth at its center: George Jefferson, who was constantly putting his foot in his mouth. The show tackled many serious issues, although comedy was the key element of its success.
#1 - A Case of Self-Defense
Season 8 - Episode 17
When Lionel and Jenny's apartment gets broken into, George begins to worry that his apartment could just as easily be broken into. His solution: buy a gun, something that Louise is totally against. However, George buys one on the sly and later proves to be a dangerous possession.
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#2 - My Wife, I Think I'll Keep Her
Season 8 - Episode 18
Upset that their husbands do not feel they should be involved in business matters, Louise and Helen move in together leaving George and Tom to live together in the Jefferson apartment. All this prompted by George not consulting Louise about a commercial he was making and Tom's plans to go ahead publishing a book by written by a sexist.
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#3 - Designing Woman
Season 9 - Episode 23
George is trying to drum up some cleaning business from a famous fashion designer, Camille Hendricks. George tricks Jenny into swinging by the apartment to meet her in order to show her some of her designs, however Jenny is unprepared for this unexpected surprise.
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#4 - How Not to Marry a Millionaire
Season 10 - Episode 5
Florence and her friend, Betty go down to the museum in hopes of landing millionaires. Florence is surprised when a millionaire follows her home and begins showering her with expensive gifts. However, his true intentions prove to be extremely painful to Florence.
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#5 - The Other Woman
Season 5 - Episode 18
A business trip of Tom's sparks an argument between him and Helen which gets even worse when she discovers that a beautiful blond is accompanying him.
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#6 - Blazing Jeffersons
Season 8 - Episode 15
George is distraught when he learns that his Brooklyn store has burned down due to faulty wiring. However, Tom raises his spirits by reminding him that his insurance will cover it by taking to court the person responsible for the faulty wiring. Just then George remembers who put in the wiring, Lionel.
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#7 - Men of the Cloth
Season 8 - Episode 16
For Jessica's baptism, Louise wants Florence and her gospel singing group to perform and Jenny agrees with her. However, George wants someone else and sets out to get Andrae Crouch to preform at the baptism, going so far as to say he is a reverend.
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#8 - Thammy the Thongwriter
Season 8 - Episode 12
George and Louise receive a post card from Harry, who's been transfered out of the country. Soon after, they meet the man who's moving into Harry's old apartment, a jingle writer whom George tries to get to write a jingle for his business. However, jingles are far from his mind, since he's having marital problems.
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#9 - Homecoming (2)
Season 5 - Episode 3
Alan moves in with the Jeffersons and George continues efforts to get the warehouse for himself. Meanwhile, battles with the landlord prompt Louise and Helen to try to find a better place for the Help Center.
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#10 - George's Guilt
Season 3 - Episode 16
George feels guilty for not staying in touch with the members of a childhood gang, after the death of one of the members. This leads George to hold a reunion at the apartment which also leads to a confrontation with the leader, JoJo.
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#11 - The Loan
Season 6 - Episode 21
Lionel and Jenny are excited with the news that they're trying to purchase a home. However, when the bank turns down their loan application, George, Louise, Helen and Tom each go down to the bank to help them get one, after each promising not to interfere.
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#12 - How Now Dow Jones
Season 9 - Episode 12
George's investment advice for Tom proves fruitful and puts Helen in a fur coat. This prompts Florence to want to make some money so she asks George for advice. However, since she doesn't have enough money for investing, he suggests she go in on the venture with the other maids in the building. The results of the ordeal prove to be less that satisfying, for George anyway.
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#13 - Mr. Wonderful
Season 9 - Episode 15
George forgets to pick up opera tickets and this leads to Louise and Helen comparing him to the "thoughful" Tom. A miffed George spills the beans about Tom buying an insurance policy and has made a cousin the beneficiary, a cousin who is a racist and is against Tom and Helen's marriage.
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#14 - George's Dream
Season 5 - Episode 5
Workaholic George falls asleep in his office, one evening, and has a dream that takes him to the year 1996. In the dream, Louise is celebrating the 22nd anniversary of George's business, who isn't there celebrating, since he passed on a few years earlier.
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#15 - Half a Brother
Season 5 - Episode 8
George is being considered for a position on a bank's board of directors and when a banker comes over to interview him, Alan and the banker's daughter hit it off. This leads George to worry that because Alan is half black this will jeopardize his chances of getting the position.
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#16 - A Case of Black and White
Season 3 - Episode 17
George's latest business deal is with a black man married to a white woman, so when he invites them over for dinner, he also has Tom and Helen come over, to make it look like he doesn't have racial prejudices. However, when Tom and Helen discover his plot, they storm out before the guests have arrived. This leads to George having Florence and Ralph impersonate Tom and Helen.
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#17 - The Christmas Wedding
Season 3 - Episode 12
Christmas eve brings disharmony to the Jefferson household when George argues with Tom over the preparations for Lionel and Jenny's wedding which is to take place that evening.
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#18 - Harry's House Guest
Season 5 - Episode 11
Harry practically moves into the Jefferson's apartment to avoid his annoying house guest, Felicia. George tries to help him out by giving him tips to throw her out but this results in Felicia thinking that Harry is proposing.
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#19 - Louise Takes a Stand
Season 6 - Episode 22
George is excited when he learns he will be able to expand his store on the first floor of the building. However, his excitement starts to dwindle when he learns the expansion means taking over Charlie's bar, since Charlie's lease is not being renewed.
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#20 - The Wedding
Season 2 - Episode 24
After reading an article about Harry Belafonte renewing his marriage vows, George decides to do the same thing. However, Louise has second thoughts when she gets into an argument with George over her being an equal partner in Jefferson Cleaners.
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#21 - A Night to Remember
Season 6 - Episode 20
On their anniversary, George and Louise get into an argument over his honesty, this prompts George to storm out to a hotel and Louise is left to think about George's fidelity. Things get worse when she arrives at his hotel and discovers a young woman in his room.
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#22 - The First Store
Season 6 - Episode 23
As Louise and George look through old photos, they recall George opening his first store in 1968. His opening coincides with the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr and when news of his death circulates, chaos erupts in the Jeffersons' neighborhood.
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#23 - Louise's Cookbook
Season 2 - Episode 20
Louise is offered the opportunity to write a cookbook for Tom's publishing company, Pelham Publishing. However, just as she gets started, a green-eyed George tries his best to put an end to her cookbook.
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#24 - 984 W. 124th Street, Apt. 5C
Season 4 - Episode 15
It's the Christmas season and the 1st wedding anniversary of Lionel and Jenny. However, George is sneaking around sending gifts to a mysterious address in Harlem. This leads Louise to follow him and she is shocked at what she discovers.
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#25 - George and the President
Season 3 - Episode 1
George's rival in the dry cleaning business, Cunningham, is running a campaign due to the Bicentennial celebration. This prompts George to come up with his own campaign and decides to dress up as Thomas Jefferson to lure in new customers.
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