James is all excited because he's sure he's going to get a high paying job. However, at the interview, he learns that he's too old to join the company's union. Meanwhile, Florida and the kids get ah…

J.J.'s painting of a Black Jesus, becomes the family's good luck charm after a string of success hits each family member. However, Florida refuses to entertain the notion that the painting had anythi…

With an eviction notice over their heads, the Evans family scrambles to come up with $74 dollars needed for their rent. Despite Florida's opinion, James goes down to the pool hall to try to hustle so…

An old friend of James, who is now a shady televangilist, stops by the Evans apartment and offers James a job that would pay $100 a day. James is set to take it, however, Florida is dead set against …

Michael comes home from school early one day with the announcement that he has been suspended. This, after telling his teacher that George Washington was a racist. James and Florida become determine…

Florida finds what she believes to be a dirty story called, ""Sexual Behavior in the Ghetto"". Assuming it to be J.J.'s, Florida confronts him, but she's in for a surprise when Thelma claims it and h…

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…

Florida and James are worried that J.J. won't pass into the 12th grade but when he gets his report card he did indeed pass but the grades seem to be a far cry from what they should be. This leads Jam…

Michael submits a angry letter about the conditions in the Evans' apartment to a newspaper and gets an immediate response from a housing commission official who quickly finds himself stranded in the g…

Florida is running in a cleanest apartment competition and is sure she will win. However, her chances are dashed when Michael tries to help someone in need and brings home Ned the Wino.

Florida comes home from the supermarket with great news, she's been offered a role in a TV commercial. What's even better is the pay she will get, $5,000. However, once she reads the script and test…

Florida and the kids become concerned about James's health after reading an article in a magazine about hypertension. When he learns about their concerns, he goes through the roof and refuses to go i…

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.

Florida's strange behavior has the family and Willona wondering what's wrong with her. Michael thinks she's beginning menopause while Willona believes she's fed up with the boredom that comes with be…

J.J.'s 18th birthday has James and Florida in a fit when they find out they won't be able to give J.J. the art supplies he wanted because James' credit has been reduced to 0. After the birthday party…

J.J. is taken down to the police station for questioning in the liquor store robbery. The family gathers there and tries to think up ways to raise enough money for J.J.'s bail and ultimately consider…

Michael has the chance to be bused to a better school in a white neighborhood but he is determined to get out of it. Florida and James first hear about the opportunity when his principal arrives to q…

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 b…

Thelma's been seeing the same man for two months and hasn't introduced him to the family yet. However, when she comes home with an engagement ring, Florida and James demand that they meet him and the…

Michael, one of the brightest boys in his class, comes home with the news that he scored the lowest out of his whole class on an I.Q. test.

An encyclopedia salesman is the last person James wants to see when he comes home from work. However, he softens when he learns the man is blind. This leads James to sign a contract and reads the fi…

J.J. secretly has become a member of the Satan's Knights, a gang who are in the midst of a gang war with the Warlords. Two members and the leader of the Satan's Knights arrive at the Evan's home to e…

J.J. is recovering after being shot by Mad Dog, which only turned out to be a flesh wound. Meanwhile, a vengeful James presses charges against Mad Dog but a worried Florida is afraid James's anger wi…

A wedding has Florida realizing that Willona is the only friend of hers left that isn't married. So this leads Florida to try her hand at matchmaking, and matches her with a friend of James'.

James finds a bag of robbery loot adding up to $27,000. After some coaxing from Florida, James decides to turn it in. However, what Florida doesn't know is that there was $29,000 in the bag and Jame…

Cousin Naomi is visiting the Evans' for the Christmas season. However, her visit is not a happy one for Thelma, who discovers that Naomi is hiding a serious drinking problem.

James is sure he's going to get a sales position at a department store but when he brings Florida along on the interview he is in for a big surprise, the supervisor would rather hire Florida rather th…

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.

A woman aks J.J. to paint a nude portrait of her as a birthday gift for her husband. However, Florida has a hard time understanding why a woman would pose in the nude and why she has to pose in the E…

Realizing his mechanical skills, Florida suggests that James open a fix-it shop but when they go to the bank, they're turned down for a loan. This leads James to set up shop right in the apartment, d…

J.J. is enchanted with his new girlfriend, Clarissa, and is all set to take her to a ritzy debutante ball. However, Clarissa has come to the Evans' apartment with some bad news, her parents won't let…

An elderly resident of the projects appears to be living on pet food after Michael takes out her garbage. The Evans family's attempt to do something for her is complicated when she brings a meat loaf …

A childhood friend of James' arrives for a visit and quickly his gambling problem becomes an Evans family problem when two hoods show up looking for him to pay off a $5000 debt.

The Evans family's joy at finally getting to meet J.J.'s girl Henrietta is shrouded by J.J.'s declaration that his immediate future could include Henrietta and matrimony.

The Evans' family is hit with a double dose of unemployment blues after both James and J.J. lose their jobs. Wanting to support his family, J.J. decides to join the U.S. army.

Thelma has a chance at winning a scholarship to an exclusive boarding school in Michigan. However, even before she knows she won, a snobby girl from a fraternity comes around wanting Thelma to join a…

A bully has been stealing Michael's lunches which prompts James to give him some tips on how to handle the situation. However, Michael surprises everyone with his own tactic, he invites the bully hom…

After taking some courses at a trade school, James has a chance of getting a good paying job. However, when he is finally offered one, there is one catch, it's in Alaska.

James brings a gun home to protect his family.

Florida has had a pain in her side for the last two weeks but doesn't want to see a doctor out of fear of the cost. However, when James learns of her dilemma he decides to pay any cost for Florida's …

Thelma has great news, she's engaged. However, her opinion of great news differs greatly with her parents who hit the roof after learning this.

Florida plans on borrowing money from her cousin to help pay some unexpected bills. James's pride stands in the way causing him to storm out to a bar, leaving Florida to learn about the shocking news…

A friend of James' gives him permission to use his cabin to celebrate his and Florida's 20th wedding anniversary. However, the trick is trying to get Florida to stop worrying about the kids.

Florida and the kids throw a baby shower for a friend, Loretta. However, the joyous occasion is dampened when Loretta announces her plans of giving the baby up for adoption.

When James is out of town, Florida and her brother Wilbert are left to deal with a troubled Michael. His cutting classes, getting into fights at school and low grades are all warning signs that lead …

A feud erupts in the Evans' household when James and J.J. take the side of Alderman Fred Davis during his attempt at a re-election while Florida, Thelma and Willona take the side of his young opponent…

When J.J. brings home Walter, a man from his art class, he hits it off with Willona. Despite the fact that he's deaf, him and Willona begin a relationship one that Willona thinks is headed for the al…

Florida and James become outraged when the kids get a touch of food poisoning after eating meat from the local supermarket. She organizes a group of concerned citizens and they boycott the market. The…

J.J. is commissioned by a bank to paint a mural and in return will receive $250 needed for Thelma's college education whom recently won a scholarship and found herself $200 short. However, the bank i…

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.

A bank robbery in Atlanta has the FBI showing up at the Evans' apartment to question Florida since her nephew, Cleatus is the prime suspect. Things get tense, when Cleatus arrives at the apartment wi…

Thelma researches her family tree for a school project and discovers James's father is very much alive and living in the Chicago area. However, when James learns that Thelma has invited him as a surp…

An elderly man that Michael befriended stops by the Evans' apartment just prior to the New Years celebration and knowing that he only has a little time left, decides that this would be the best place …

J.J. and his girlfriend, Diana, are getting serious and the topic of marriage comes up, something which both J.J. and Diana both want. However, both of their parents are totally against the notion. …

On the night of her senior prom, Diana decides to run off to Indiana and elope with J.J. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, switched purses leads the Evans family to discover Diana's drug problem and her su…

J.J. has been commissioned by a number's runner, Sweet Daddy Williams, to paint the portrait of his girlfriend, Savannah. In return, J.J. will get his own art display.

The family is being investigated by the FBI because they are suspected to be security risks due to Michael doing research about and communicating with a Communist country for a term paper.

When the children are left at home for the weekend, J.J. receives bad news that he has given VD to an ex-girlfriend. This leads an embarrassed J.J. to debate on whether or not to visit a free clinic …

After a morning of being take granted for by her children and her husband, Florida decides to take her boss up on a lunch invitation. This eventually leads to a confrontation with a jealous James.

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…

The Evans family decides to hold a rent party to help out a neighbor in the building whose electricity has just been turned off. However, the party may come to a quick halt when the heartless buildin…

The family is getting ready to move to Mississippi which is where James has gotten a promising new job. However, the family is waiting for the right time to tell Bookman the news. Later, Willona thr…

The death of James has J.J., Thelma and Michael overcome with grief and also leaves them wondering what is wrong with Florida, who hasn't cried once since she found out the news of James' death. Duri…

Thelma invites her favorite teacher to the apartment and while she is there she is fascinated with JJ's artwork. She and JJ soon develop an instant attraction to each other, which disturbs Florida, wh…

Widespread violence has been running rampant in the neighborhood and a large part of it is due to the street gang, the Warlords. While Florida and some concerned citizens discuss the problem, Michael…

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.

Alderman Davis makes a visit to the Evans' household wanting J.J. to speak at his re-election campaign. However, when J.J. refuses, an eviction notice is immediately handed to Florida.

After loosing his job, J.J. tries his best to find a job. However, when Bookman serves the Evans' family with an eviction notice due to late rent, J.J. decides to take a job offer from a couple of hi…

J.J. is in the money, now that he has a new job working with two friends in a gambling operation. However, little does he know, the gambling business also includes prostitution and drugs. Meanwhile,…

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

Some good luck strikes the family when J.J. wins a lottery. However, the luck doesn't last long, that is until, Thelma's friend Edna shows up with her sister both wielding pistols and demanding the w…

The kids feel Florida has been spending too much time alone and they decide to cancel their plans and spend an evening with her. But Florida surprises them all and goes out with Willona. Willona takes…

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.

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.

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.

The cafeteria at Thelma's college is in disrepair. Thelma and her friends picket the college. She meets Ibe, an African exchange student. They date, and he asks her to move in with him. Thelma is susp…

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.

Willona gets a surprise for her birthday, a visit from her womanizing ex-husband, Ray. Ray does his best at convincing Willona that he's changed and she decides to try to start over with him. Howeve…

When Florida's away for the weekend, J.J., Thelma and Michael throw a wild party. However, it gets even wilder than they had dreamed of when one of the guests takes an overdose of pills and J.J. has t…

Florida is horrified to learn that Michael is harboring atheist attitudes planted by his boss. This leads Florida to confront Michael's boss and get to the bottom of the situation.

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.

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.

JJ has another money-making idea. He starts a greeting card business and has the whole family involved in making up messages. He has the business plans are laid out, but does not have the financing.

Florida and Carl's relationship has gotten quite serious and Carl breaks the news to J.J., Thelma and Michael that he's planning on proposing marriage to Florida. However, after a visit to his doctor…

A furious J.J. confronts Carl, who makes up an excuse that a war injury in the groin is the reason why he's breaking up with Florida. However, later Carl reveals the truth to Florida and he proposes …

When a young girl, Penny Gordon follows J.J. home, she quickly insinuates herself into the Evans household and makes up stories about her life, including forgetting to mention she has an abusive mothe…

Willona and the Evans children are convinced that Penny is being abused, but when Willona takes Penny to see a doctor about a broken arm, he refuses to believe she's being abused.

Willona and the Evans kids are stunned to discover that Penny and her mother have moved. They are equally stunned when they discover Penny hiding the Evans apartment. Later, Penny's abusive mother a…

Willona worries over whether or not she will be able to adopt Penny. Meanwhile, a well meaning, Bookman, tries to help out by telling the social worker, that he's married to Willona, this only makes …

Fed up with having no privacy and being burdened by two brothers, Thelma decides to move out and into an apartment that is shared by three other roommates.

Willona is offered a new job but her morals force her to refuse it. However, when Penny has her heart set on figure skating lessons, Willona decides to set her morals and values aside and take the jo…

J.J. and his friends become partners in the ownership of car, a car that they foolishly bought from Bookman. However, the quality of the car is minor compared to the constant fighting over who gets t…

Michael passes himself off as J.J. while using a CB radio and quickly discovers he's not the only one who's putting on an act. A girl he contacts who calls herself Fun Girl really turns out to be a pa…

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 …

Thelma begins dating a man named Lloyd Williams, however, suspicions run rampant between J.J., Willona and Michael who become convinced he's married. However, J.J. makes a discovery that surprises ev…

Fishbone, a wino, complains that he has no friends and quickly discovers he has many when a vagrant steals his wallet and is later killed in a car accident. Everyone assumes, Fishbone is the one that…

After getting her wallet stolen, Penny steals a necklace from a department store in a desperate attempt to try to get Willona a Christmas gift. However, Penny's attempts may lead to Willona losing cu…

Michael's apathetic behavior towards household chores and homework leads J.J. to put his foot down and to step in as a father figure. He really comes down hard when Michael and Penny are arrested for…

Willona's old boyfriend arrives back in town and asks Willona her hand in marraige. However, Willona turns him down since his job would have her and Penny constantly moving. Meanwhile, Penny, feelin…

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 …

A hole has been burned into one of the couch cushions and J.J., Thelma and Michael each have their own versions of how it got there. However, Penny is the only person who knows the truth of how it re…

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.

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.

J.J.'s latest relationship with a woman, Barbara, who's currently married but plans on divorcing her husband, results with him coming down with an ulcer. The situation is compounded when J.J. learns …

Bookman's strange behavior leads his wife, Violet to become convinced that he's seeing another woman. However, appearances can be deceiving especially when Violet catches Willona and Bookman in a com…

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.

Willona's boyfriend, Frank, continues his efforts to try to get her to marry him. Meanwhile, down at the boutique, Willona gets a promotion but Frank is determined to get her to turn down the offer.

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,…

A child-care center in the neighborhood is scheduled to close due to lack of funds. To keep it open, the Evan's plan a show to raise money from the neighbors.

The Evans children and Willona are pleasantly shocked to learn that Thelma has been dating the nationally renowned football player Keith Anderson, a Heisman Trophy candidate currently negotiating a 1,…

Florida arrives home after hearing the news of Thelma's engagement. However, Thelma's impending wedding may never take place, that is if she lets her pre-wedding jitters get the best of her. Meanwhi…

After losing his job, J.J. takes out a $1,000 loan from Sweet Daddy Williams, to pay for Thelma's wedding. The wedding finally goes off without a hitch, but after the ceremony the couples' exit down …

After a joyous wedding ceremony, things are anything but happy. Thelma and Keith cannot go on a honeymoon because Keith's leg is broken and it may end his sports career. Also, the loan sharks come to …

Both Florida and J.J. are looking for work but neither are having any luck. One ad, in the newspaper, for part-time work as a school bus driver sparks Florida's attention, but when Alderman Fred Davi…

Willona adamently refuses to discuss the birds and the bees with Penny especially after Willona learns a 13-year old friend of Penny's is pregnant. This leads Willona to tell Penny, that her friend h…

J.J.'s student has to deal with a violent father who ademently refuses to allow his son to take art lessons from J.J., even though J.J. offers to give them for free.

The Evan's apartment feels crowded with Thelma and Keith still living there after their marriage. In addition, things continue to fall apart. Michael decides he can help the situation by moving into h…

JJ's former girlfriend Vanessa is back in town, and she still has expensive taste. JJ does not want to tell her that he is out of work and cannot afford to take her out all the time. Bookman's assista…

J.J. could pay dearly for witnessing an auto accident.

A snowstorm hits Chicago and Florida gets stuck in it with her school bus. This leads her and the kids on the bus to take refuge in an abandoned building to keep warm.

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 …

The Evans family has found the perfect home to move into and plan on taking out a loan to pay for it. However, they quickly find, as usual, that that's easier said then done, when they run into troub…

A student whom Florida drives to school on her bus, becomes the center of attention when Florida discovers he has a hearing problem and his mother refuses to believe Florida's suspicions.

After a near fatal accident, Larry's mother finally realizes that Larry has a hearing problem. Unable to take him to the doctor because she has to work, Mrs. Baker allows Florida to take him to the d…

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 D…

When Willona goes out of town, she leaves Penny in Florida's care. Shortly after, Penny comes down with a virus and Florida takes her down to the free clinic to be examined. Florida quickly comes fa…

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.

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.

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…

Keith's search for a job results in strange behavior that everyone plainly points out is not just frustration, but rather a bigger problem. Little does anyone know, Keith has developed a serious drin…

With the art contest approaching, J.J. believes that he is shoo-in to win. However things don't go as planned after he trusts a distracted Bookman to deliver his painting to the judges.

Florida gets a surprise visit from her cousin, Raymond, who has hit it big and gives each member of the family an expensive gift. However, Florida is reluctant to accept her gift of an expensive thre…

This final episode brings all too good news for the Evans family. J.J. gets an offer to a comic company, Keith's bad knee is miraculously healed and is offered another football contract, and Florida i…