The WORST episodes of The Jeffersons

Every episode of The Jeffersons ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The Jeffersons!

A black couple, headed up by opinionated loud-mouth George Jefferson, moves from a modest Queens neighborhood to deluxe apartment in Manhattan's ritzy East Side.

Last Updated: 11/11/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
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Rich Man's Disease
star
5.58
59 votes

#1 - Rich Man's Disease

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/22/1975

With the doctor's diagnosis that George has an ulcer, Louise tries to do everything to not allow George to become upset. This task proves difficult with Harry, Tom and Helen dropping in.

Writer: Bruce Howard
My Maid, Your Maid
star
5.63
8 votes

#2 - My Maid, Your Maid

Season 8 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/25/1981

With Florence working at a new job, Louise and George decide to hire a new maid. However, George and Louise are at odds when they each have separate candidates in mind for the position.

Directors: Bob Lally
Heeeere's Johnny
star
5.67
6 votes

#3 - Heeeere's Johnny

Season 9 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/31/1982

Louise is not looking forward to the visit of one of George's best friends, Johnny Moore, due to the fact that she can't stand his chauvinistic jokestar mannerisms. Things get worse when she inadvertantly gets him to stay at the Jeffersons' apartment during his stay in New York.

Directors: Bob Lally
Writer: Michael Moye
Louise's Father
star
5.67
9 votes

#4 - Louise's Father

Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/18/1981

A newspaper photo alerts George to the fact that the man in the photo could very well be Louise's father, since they both have the same name. Louise refuses to entertain this notion since she believes that her father died when she was young. However, George learns the truth after visiting the man.

Directors: Bob Lally
Lionel's Pad
star
5.68
40 votes

#5 - Lionel's Pad

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/10/1976

George and Louise are initially upset when Lionel announces he will be moving out. Their anger worsens when he announces that he'll be moving in with Jenny.

Mother Jefferson's Boyfriend
star
5.79
98 votes

#6 - Mother Jefferson's Boyfriend

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/8/1975

George learns of Mother Jefferson's intentions of marriage and is totally against the idea, thinking her fiancee is after his money.

Directors: Jack Shea
Tom the Hero
star
5.89
44 votes

#7 - Tom the Hero

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/17/1976

George becomes indebted to Tom after he gives George the Heimlich remover at Charlie's bar, when George begins to choke on some popcorn. However, George quickly finds away to end the debt after everyone makes a fuss over Tom's good deed.

Directors: Jack Shea
Mr. Piano Man
star
5.95
135 votes

#8 - Mr. Piano Man

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/15/1975

George refuses to participate in a tenants meeting until he learns the Mr. Whittendale will be there. George has hopes of doing business with the man. Meanwhile, George's want for a grand piano becomes a burden during the meeting.

Directors: Jack Shea
Bodyguards Are People Too
star
6.00
6 votes

#9 - Bodyguards Are People Too

Season 9 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/30/1983

Jenny is depressed that no one will take a chance on her fashion designs so she stops by the Jefferson's apartment for a visit. Meanwhile, George's bodyguard, Hugo, is determined to find love now that, as he puts it, is in the spring of his life. When he runs into Jenny he falls for her and is determined to make her his even though she's married.

Directors: Bob Lally
Sayonara (2)
star
6.00
8 votes

#10 - Sayonara (2)

Season 11 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/5/1985

After hearing the news of the divorce, George and Louise get into a big fight with Tom and Helen and the fight continues all the way through Family Night at Jessica's school. The constant bickering leads Jessica to run out of the school and onto the streets of New York.

Directors: Oz Scott
George's Skeleton
star
6.04
108 votes

#11 - George's Skeleton

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/22/1975

An old friend of George's, Monk Davis, drops in after learning of George's new found success. However, Monk has more on his mind than just a friendly visit.

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Real Men Don't Dry Clean
star
6.11
9 votes

#12 - Real Men Don't Dry Clean

Season 10 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/29/1984

Louise, Helen and Florence are in awe of the instructor of their self defense class, due to his rugged manly ways. This leads George and Tom to prove they are too are manly and they decide to go on a hunting trip. However, after not getting anything on the trip they hire a taxidermy company to bring in stuffed animals and brag that they caught them.

Directors: Oz Scott
Florence's Cousin
star
6.11
9 votes

#13 - Florence's Cousin

Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/7/1980

Florence's cousin Ernie pays a visit, but George is convinced that Ernie is a crook.

Directors: Bob Lally
Meet the Press
star
6.14
64 votes

#14 - Meet the Press

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/15/1975

Wanting publicity for his stores, George tries to get in on a reporter's series of stories on successful black businessmen. However, once he finally gets the reporter to make an appearance he finds it difficult to hold his attention, with the Willis' and Mr. Bentley hanging around.

Directors: Jack Shea
A Date with Danger
star
6.17
35 votes

#15 - A Date with Danger

Season 9 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/7/1982

At a party thrown by the Willis, the guest of honor, Joe Blake, a successful author, asks Florence out and she can't wait to go out with him. However, soon after he takes her away on their date, Tom and Helen let George and Louise know the fact that he was in prison for murdering his girlfriend.

Directors: Bob Lally
Charlie's Angels
star
6.19
37 votes

#16 - Charlie's Angels

Season 9 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/24/1982

Charlie wants George to provide him with a loan for some improvements on his bar. George refuses but does offer him some advice on how to get some more business, including hiring waitresses and dressing them provocatively. This leads Charlie to go to Tom who goes in on the deal and quickly the bar is buzzing with business, something George now wants a part of.

Directors: Bob Lally
Double Trouble
star
6.33
6 votes

#17 - Double Trouble

Season 9 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/27/1983

George is in yet another promotional battle with Cunningham. This time Cunningham has hired a popular soap star to boost sales, so for competition, George tries to get celebrities too. However, his idea may get him in trouble with the law when he hires celebrity look alikes and is going to try to pass them off as the real thing.

Directors: Bob Lally
The Retirement Party
star
6.35
43 votes

#18 - The Retirement Party

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/30/1976

George is ready to sell out to a big corporation after a company makes him a lucrative offer. This would make him a vice president however, after reading over a booklet on the rules and regulations, George discovers that this would also mean some of his best workers will be forced into retirement.

Directors: Jack Shea
The Odd Couple
star
6.38
8 votes

#19 - The Odd Couple

Season 11 - Episode 22 - Aired 6/11/1985

Florence is tired of being alone and decides to place an ad in a personals column. However, the one response she gets is from someone who you would least expect, Mr. Bentley.

Directors: Oz Scott
Florence Did It Different (2)
star
6.40
5 votes

#20 - Florence Did It Different (2)

Season 8 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/15/1981

When Florence learns the Jeffersons have hired a new maid she decides to let Carmen have the job. However, Carmen doesn't want to take Florence's job away from her so she decides to let her have it. With both Florence and Carmen at odds over who should keep the job, Louise decides to hire them both. However, on the sly, Florence makes plans to get fired.

Directors: Bob Lally
Writer: Michael Moye
Chairman of the Bored
star
6.40
10 votes

#21 - Chairman of the Bored

Season 11 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/22/1985

When George, Louise and Helen are busy for an evening, an ignored Tom gets all the attention he could want from the sister of Mr. Bentley's girlfriend. This leads Tom to daydream what it would be like to get all the attention all the time from five Playboy Playmates.

Directors: Oz Scott
Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner?
star
6.50
6 votes

#22 - Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner?

Season 8 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/14/1982

Louise, George, Tom and Helen plan a surprise party for Florence just to let her know how much they appreciate her friendship. However, when Florence walks in on the planning stages Tom makes an excuse and tells her she's invited but only to serve the meal. This prompts Florence to drown her sorrows in a $500 bottle of wine George just bought.

Trading Places
star
6.50
8 votes

#23 - Trading Places

Season 10 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/12/1984

Louise has had it with George who breaks all his previous engagements with Tom and Mr. Bentley to go golfing on Saturday. This prompts Louise to daydream what it would be like to be in George's shoes and not care about the feelings of those around him.

Directors: Oz Scott
The Unnatural
star
6.50
4 votes

#24 - The Unnatural

Season 11 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/15/1985

George undergoes constant insults and humiliation after dropping Reggie Jackson's home run hit at a baseball game. This leads Louise to make attempts to boost his floundering self-esteem.

Lionel the Playboy
star
6.57
79 votes

#25 - Lionel the Playboy

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/8/1975

Lionel's new wealthy lifestyle begins to have an effect on him and a carefree attitude begins to be seen by his family. He stays out all night every night and cuts class. This leads to him debating on whether or not to drop out of college.

Directors: Jack Shea