35 years and a television legacy ...

It was 35 years ago today that “The Jeffersons” became a part of the American (now global) television landscape. We first met Louise and George Jefferson (Isabel Sanford and
Sherman Hemsley) on Norman Lear’s grounding breaking 1970’s television series “All in the Family.” The characters proved to be so popular, that Lear and his team spun them off into a ground-breaking series of their own in 1975.

The program had a record-breaking run of 11 years on CBS-TV, the longest running comedy series at that time. Since then, “The Jeffersons” has found homes in international syndication, TV Land and, probably, in your own home through the release of most of the series’ seasons on DVD.

Of the many “firsts” attributed to the “The Jeffersons,” there was none more important and note worthy than the Emmy Award win of Isabel Sanford as Best Actress in a Comedy, in 1981, becoming the first (and to this date the only) African American actress to earn that title.

Much has been said about the legacy of “The Jeffersons” and the cast, crew, producers and writers who made it possible. But, there is nothing quite like getting it from the top source: Isabel Sanford herself.

Some things are worth repeating, so if you haven’t yet had a look, you can watch Isabel talk about the series and her career in three segments from our 1992 interview now playing on the RerunIt.com Home page.

Even if you have seen it before, it’s worth seeing again.

Movin' on up, indeed.

BL