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The Worst Episodes of Good Times

Every episode of Good Times ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Good Times!

Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer. Good Times is a spin-off of Maude, which is itself a spin-off of All in the Family along with The Jeffersons. The series is set in Chicago. The first two seasons were taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood. In the fall of 1975, the show moved to Metromedia Square, where Norman Lear's own production company was housed.

Genre:Comedy
Network:CBS

Lowest Rated Episodes Summary

The worst episode of "Good Times" is "The Judy Cohen Story", rated 5.3/10 from 93 user votes. It was directed by Gerren Keith and written by N/A. "The Judy Cohen Story" aired on 12/22/1976 and is rated 0.9 point(s) lower than the second lowest rated, "The Comedian and the Loan Sharks".

  • The Judy Cohen Story
    5.3/10 93 votes

    #1 - The Judy Cohen Story

    Season 4 Episode 12 - Aired 12/22/1976

    J.J. is managing Michael's singing group and gets them a gig at a local tavern. While there, J.J. comes across Judith Cohen, an act whom he knows will hit it big, given the right exposure.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: N/A

  • The Comedian and the Loan Sharks
    6.2/10 67 votes

    #2 - The Comedian and the Loan Sharks

    Season 4 Episode 13 - Aired 1/5/1977

    J.J. borrows money from a loan shark to back his talented new comedian. However, within days, two thugs come to collect their money, money that J.J. doesn't have.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: N/A

  • I Had a Dream
    6.4/10 72 votes

    #3 - I Had a Dream

    Season 5 Episode 17 - Aired 1/30/1978

    J.J. wants a promotion at work but a co-worker convinces him that the promotion will only go to a white man. This leads J.J. to have a crazy dream where he gets to experience being white.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: N/A

  • The Boarder
    6.4/10 71 votes

    #4 - The Boarder

    Season 5 Episode 18 - Aired 2/6/1978

    To pick up extra money for the rent, J.J. decides to take in a boarder. However, little does he know the man he takes in, is placed their by the police department for his protection.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: N/A

  • Write On, Thelma
    6.4/10 70 votes

    #5 - Write On, Thelma

    Season 5 Episode 23 - Aired 3/27/1978

    Thelma has written a full length play and is ecstatic when it is chosen to be produced as the local theater's latest production. Thelma quickly realizes a few changes to her manuscript may be needed, but it soon feels like almost everything will need to be changed to please the theater owner.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: Judi Ann Mason

  • J.J. and T.C.
    6.4/10 79 votes

    #6 - J.J. and T.C.

    Season 6 Episode 18 - Aired 6/20/1979

    A tomboy who's been helping out Bookman, wants J.J. to ask her to a dance. However, J.J. thinks of her as just one of the guys, that is until he has an encounter with her at a seedy pick-up bar.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: Mark Fink, Wayne Kline

  • Florida and Carl
    6.5/10 75 votes

    #7 - Florida and Carl

    Season 4 Episode 20 - Aired 2/23/1977

    A reluctant Florida agrees to go on a date with Carl. However, once at the restaurant, she gets into an argument with him ending with him walking out.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: John Baskin

  • Something Old, Something New
    6.5/10 61 votes

    #8 - Something Old, Something New

    Season 5 Episode 21 - Aired 3/13/1978

    Grandpa Evans visits and has plans of becoming rich thanks to his new invention. Meanwhile, Lena, Grandpa's fiancee gets tired of being ignored and decides to leave him.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: Sid Dorfman

  • A Loss of Confidence
    6.6/10 79 votes

    #9 - A Loss of Confidence

    Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 12/9/1975

    Thelma brings home a friend of hers and instantly J.J. is smitten. However, when she rejects him he quickly loses all of his confidence and slips into a depression.

    Director: Herbert Kenwith

    Writer: N/A

  • Grandpa's Visit
    6.6/10 68 votes

    #10 - Grandpa's Visit

    Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 11/24/1976

    Florida and the children are excitedly anticipating the arrival of Grandpa Evans. However, he arrives with a loud companion in tow.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: John Baskin

  • My Son, the Father
    6.6/10 69 votes

    #11 - My Son, the Father

    Season 4 Episode 21 - Aired 3/2/1977

    J.J. is all excited about taking Michael to a father-son dinner but when Michael breaks the news that he invited Carl to take him, J.J. storms out.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: Sid Dorfman

  • A Matter of Mothers
    6.6/10 68 votes

    #12 - A Matter of Mothers

    Season 6 Episode 20 - Aired 7/18/1979

    Willona's latest boyfriend, Jeffrey, has been showering her and Penny with extravagant gifts even though they've only been seeing one another for a couple months. Little does Willona know, that he is part of a plan to make Willona look like an unfit mother, a plan engineered by Penny's birth mother.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: Michael G. Moye

  • Junior Gets a Patron
    6.7/10 96 votes

    #13 - Junior Gets a Patron

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 3/22/1974

    J.J. is sure he's bound to make it big when he gets a patron in Leroy Jackson, who begins providing him with all the supplies he needs. However, when James discovers who the patron is, he forbids J.J. to be associated with him and J.J. responds by moving out. This leads to a confrontation at J.J.'s new apartment between James and Leroy.

    Director: Herbert Kenwith

    Writer: N/A

  • Thelma's African Romance (2)
    6.7/10 76 votes

    #14 - Thelma's African Romance (2)

    Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 1/19/1977

    Florida hits the roof when Thelma announces her plans of moving in with Ibe. However, things begin moving a little bit too fast when Ibe asks her to marry him and move to Nigeria.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: N/A

  • The Break Up
    6.8/10 79 votes

    #15 - The Break Up

    Season 3 Episode 23 - Aired 2/24/1976

    Thelma's fiancee's idea of romance is taking her to a basketball game but that is the least of her worries after he gets a big break in California leaving her with two options, stay with her family in Chicago or move to California with her fiancee.

    Director: Herbert Kenwith

    Writer: N/A

  • Michael's Great Romance
    6.8/10 66 votes

    #16 - Michael's Great Romance

    Season 4 Episode 5 - Aired 10/20/1976

    Michael is in love with Yvonne but every time he's around her he freezes. When Yvonne meets J.J. she instantly falls for him thus creating a sibling rivalry between Michael and J.J.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: N/A

  • The Hustle
    6.8/10 71 votes

    #17 - The Hustle

    Season 4 Episode 14 - Aired 1/12/1977

    Florida's bad mood prompts the kids to go into the underwear selling business in order to raise enough money to send Florida on a vacation to Lake Geneva.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: N/A

  • Bye, Bye, Bookman
    6.8/10 72 votes

    #18 - Bye, Bye, Bookman

    Season 5 Episode 9 - Aired 11/16/1977

    The conditions in the building become to much for Willona, Penny and the Evans kids to bare so they decide to circulate a petition that would terminate Bookman as the superintendet. However, Bookman and his wife, hatch a plan to save his job.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: N/A

  • J.J. and the Boss' Daughter
    6.8/10 74 votes

    #19 - J.J. and the Boss' Daughter

    Season 5 Episode 15 - Aired 1/18/1978

    J.J. is given a sexy assistant, one whom he makes a play for immediately. However, later when he learns that she's the boss's daughter, he continues to go out with her thinking that it will give him special privileges with his boss.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: Kim Weiskopf

  • The Traveling Christmas
    6.8/10 75 votes

    #20 - The Traveling Christmas

    Season 6 Episode 12 - Aired 12/20/1978

    When Keith's Scrooge-like boss at the taxi-cab company won't give him Christmas off, the Evans family brings their Christmas party to Keith and holds at the company. J.J. hosts the festvities and it features Michael singing, Bookman (dressed as Santa) dancing, Keith doing impersonations & the girls (Florida, Penny, Willona & Thelma) portraying ""The Pointless Sisters"" doing ""Steam Heat"".

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: Wayne Kline

  • Blood Will Tell
    6.8/10 69 votes

    #21 - Blood Will Tell

    Season 6 Episode 16 - Aired 6/6/1979

    Sweet Daddy Williams sends his hoods to snatch J.J. from his home and bring him to the hospital. His reasons: J.J. is the only person they could find that match's Sweet Daddy's blood type and Sweet Daddy is in dire need of a blood transfusion.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: N/A

  • The Physical
    6.8/10 70 votes

    #22 - The Physical

    Season 6 Episode 19 - Aired 7/11/1979

    Florida discovers she must take and pass a physical examination to keep her bus driving job. However, the night before her physical is utter chaos ending with Michael landing in jail.

    Director: Gerren Keith

    Writer: N/A

  • My Son the Lover
    6.9/10 94 votes

    #23 - My Son the Lover

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 5/10/1974

    A popular girl wants J.J. to paint her portrait and J.J. mistakenly assumes that they will become more serious when he makes plans to ask her to go steady. However, Florida and Thelma smell a rat.

    Director: Herbert Kenwith

    Writer: N/A

  • The Man I Most Admire
    6.9/10 86 votes

    #24 - The Man I Most Admire

    Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 10/8/1974

    Michael must write an essay on the person whom he most admires. He first picks Florida for her strength and effort in keeping the family together. However, Florida points out that James may be the best person. However, James' recent actions in applying for a new job leave little to be admired.

    Director: Herbert Kenwith

    Writer: N/A

  • Florida Goes to School
    6.9/10 84 votes

    #25 - Florida Goes to School

    Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 1/7/1975

    Florida is going to night school hoping to achieve a High School Equivalency diploma, but her working in the daytime and going to school at night puts a strain on her relationship with James.

    Director: Herbert Kenwith

    Writer: John Baskin