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24 Episodes 1976 - 1977
Episode 1
Sat, Sep 25, 197625 mins
In order to drum up business during the American Bicentennial, George claims to be a descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings.
Episode 2
Sat, Oct 2, 197625 mins
Florence reports to work at the Jeffersons' in a foul mood. After a typical exchange between her and George, she also vents to Louise. Finally, she reveals why she is so uptight: Her landlord evicted her, presumably because the apartment building where she lives is being razed. Concerned for Florence, Louise allows her to move in and become the family's full-time live-in maid. Florence readily accepts, but Louise realizes she overlooked something very important: she forgot to tell George. George--already losing his patience with Florence's constant sass and stressed-out over trying to close a business deal with Mr. Owens, who is selling new vans at deep discounts--comes home and doesn't want any trouble from Florence. When Louise gives him the news about Florence, George snaps: not only does he fire Florence, but he wants her out immediately. Later, Mr. Owens arrives to close the transaction for the new vans. While George is busy mixing drinks, Mr. Owens accepts a phone call from his partner. As George is about to hand over the check to Mr. Owens, who is in a hurry, Florence comes in and admits that she eavesdropped on Mr. Owens' call. Mr. Owens and George are upset until Florence reveals what she heard: it seems that Mr. Owens and his partner are involved in a scam involving water-damaged vans, and they were trying to sell George worthless vans; the reason he was in a rush to leave was that their past victims had reported their activities to the police. George realizes he was about to become another "pigeon," cancels the deal, and ejects Mr. Owens. Then he realizes that despite her smart mouth and other faults, Florence has her virtues and allows her to stay as their maid.
Episode 3
Sat, Oct 9, 197625 mins
George is opening a new store. But his strange behavior, coupled with Louise jumping to conclusions about a love letter sent to Harry Bentley, lead her to think that George is actually committing adultery.
Episode 4
Sat, Oct 16, 197625 mins
On his first day at his new job, Lionel is expected to submit to a polygraph test and then quits because he feels the test is a violation of his privacy.
Episode 5
Sat, Oct 23, 197625 mins
George and Louise discover that Lionel told his friends that his dad graduated college with honors. Knowing that this isn't the truth, George suspects that Lionel might be ashamed of him because he didn't even finish high school. The fathers of Lionel's friends all have college degrees and George wants to at least compare at some level, so he borrows general-education schoolbooks and studies to earn his high-school diploma.
Episode 6
Sat, Oct 30, 197625 mins
George is excited when a major corporation makes an offer to buy him out and keep him on as management. However, as part of the buyout, he must force a long-time employee and friend into early retirement.
Episode 7
Wed, Nov 10, 197625 mins
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.
Episode 8
Wed, Nov 17, 197625 mins
While having a drink in Charlie's bar, George chokes on some popcorn. Tom leaves a neighboring table to perform the Heimlich maneuver and save George's life. But George isn't as grateful as he should be.
Episode 9
Wed, Nov 24, 197625 mins
Jenny's premarital jitters about whether or not she loves Lionel enough to marry him are put to the test when he, George, and Tom go to a football game and may have been seriously injured in a charter bus accident en route.
Episode 10
Wed, Dec 8, 197625 mins
After Bentley explains the concept of prenuptial agreements to George and Louise, George then suggests that Lionel talk Jenny into signing one. This leads to a rift between Lionel and Jenny.
Episode 11
Wed, Dec 15, 197625 mins
Florence brings home a man she has been seeing and did not tell George and Louise. When they discovered the man in their kitchen, he was taken for as a burglar. After Florence tells George and Louise that he was her date, they get into an argument about uninvited guests and Florence's work habits. Infuriated, Florence quits her job; however, having discovered later that the man she has been dating is actually married, she plans to "change her ways" in order to get her job back.
Episode 12
Wed, Dec 22, 197625 mins
Lionel and Jenny plan to get married on Christmas, even though the minister they choose doesn't meet George's criteria for religious denomination or skin color.
Episode 13
Wed, Jan 5, 197724 mins
Despite trying to improve her memory, Louise forgets to call George's broker about a stock tip that George got from Ralph, and she's scared of how George will react. Meanwhile, Florence has an altercation with a fellow elevator passenger.
Episode 14
Wed, Jan 12, 197724 mins
Bentley has issues with a grouchy man at the parking garage, and George advises him to be more aggressive with people during disagreements so he won't be pushed around. George's advice only gets Bentley a black eye. George taunts him for being a coward, and Bentley decides to toughen up and he punches a man's lights out. Unfortunately, the man is a police officer.
Episode 15
Mon, Jan 17, 197725 mins
Louise is concerned when George takes lessons to become an airplane pilot.
Episode 16
Mon, Jan 24, 197724 mins
One of the members of George's old street gang, "The Seven Saints," dies, and when he gets back from the funeral, George tells Louise that he regrets not keeping in touch with his "Seven Saints" friends over the years. When he learns that Florence is leaving work early to attend her high-school reunion, George decides to invite his gang's surviving members to his apartment for a reunion. But during the party, Louise resents gang leader JoJo's domineering attitude.
Episode 17
Mon, Jan 31, 197730 mins
George invites Frank Howard, a man he hopes to do business with--and who is in an interracial marriage--to his apartment to meet his "dear friends" Tom and Helen to show Frank that he is not prejudiced towards interracial couples. But Tom and Helen walk out on him and he asks Florence and Ralph to pose as the Willises.
Episode 18
Mon, Feb 7, 197725 mins
While visiting his parents' apartment, Lionel becomes sick. Louise decides to take care of him and tend to his needs, but Jenny insists that he return home with her. Louise tells Jenny that as Lionel's mother, she knows what is best for him; however, Jenny disagrees, saying that she is now his wife, and being there for him while he is sick is a priority. While the argument continues, Louise discovers that she is acting just like Mother Jefferson when she was coddling George.
Episode 19
Mon, Feb 21, 197725 mins
Tom & Helen have brought the romance back into their marriage. Louise now wants to try the same thing with George, who is reluctant to do the necessary work.
Episode 20
Mon, Feb 28, 197725 mins
Louise studies French in night school and befriends a tall, dark, handsome male classmate, leading George to feel jealous and suspect that the man wants more than just friendship from Louise.
Episode 21
Mon, Mar 7, 197725 mins
Mother Jefferson invites George's old girlfriend, Harriet Johnson, over to his apartment for dinner. Louise isn't pleased; Harriet was George's first girlfriend and what if the old flame reignites? When Harriet visits, she solicits money from George, telling him that it is rent for an apartment. After receiving the money, she tells him she wants an "arrangement" from him although he is married.
Episode 22
Mon, Mar 21, 197725 mins
Jenny wins a summer scholarship to Oxford University and faces a three-month separation from Lionel, whose conflicting feelings about it lead to a disagreement among them and all four of their parents.
Episode 23
Mon, Mar 28, 197724 mins
George's ulterior motive for pledging money to open a Harlem youth center is to qualify for a community service award. But will he still make good on his pledge even if he loses the award to a competitor?
Episode 24
Mon, Apr 11, 197730 mins
Louise returns from a physical exam depressed, despite the fact she is 100% healthy. Unbeknownst to Louise, family and friends are planning her surprise birthday party - 5 days early. Will the party cheer her up and bring out why she's so down?