Checking In
Encyclopedia
Checking In was a short-lived 1981
television sitcom and spin-off
of The Jeffersons
, which itself had spun off from All in the Family
.
In the series, the Jeffersons' maid, Florence Johnston, played by Marla Gibbs
, accepted a job to become the executive housekeeper at the fictional St. Frederick Hotel in Manhattan
.
Checking In premiered on CBS
on April 9, 1981. It lasted for only four episodes in the Thursday, 8pm (EST) timeslot. Faced with low ratings
, the series was swiftly cancelled, ending the show on April 30, 1981. Gibbs returned to The Jeffersons as the character of Florence. It was explained that the St. Frederick Hotel had burned down, so Florence decided to return to her former job with the Jeffersons.
Checking In was one of the few All in the Family-related series that was not successful, unlike The Jeffersons
, Maude
, and Good Times
.
1981 in television
The year 1981 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1981.For the American TV schedule, see: 1981-82 American network television schedule.- Events :...
television sitcom and spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
, which itself had spun off from All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
.
In the series, the Jeffersons' maid, Florence Johnston, played by Marla Gibbs
Marla Gibbs
Marla Gibbs is an American television and film actress and singer. She is best remembered for playing Louise and George Jefferson's sarcastic maid, Florence Johnston, on The Jeffersons and spinoff Checking In...
, accepted a job to become the executive housekeeper at the fictional St. Frederick Hotel in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Checking In premiered on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
on April 9, 1981. It lasted for only four episodes in the Thursday, 8pm (EST) timeslot. Faced with low ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, the series was swiftly cancelled, ending the show on April 30, 1981. Gibbs returned to The Jeffersons as the character of Florence. It was explained that the St. Frederick Hotel had burned down, so Florence decided to return to her former job with the Jeffersons.
Checking In was one of the few All in the Family-related series that was not successful, unlike The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
, Maude
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
, and Good Times
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 Michael Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer...
.
Cast
- Marla GibbsMarla GibbsMarla Gibbs is an American television and film actress and singer. She is best remembered for playing Louise and George Jefferson's sarcastic maid, Florence Johnston, on The Jeffersons and spinoff Checking In...
as Florence Johnston - Larry LinvilleLarry LinvilleLawrence Lavon "Larry" Linville was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of obnoxious, pious, self-important and inept surgeon Major Frank Burns in the television series M*A*S*H.-M*A*S*H:...
as Lyle Block - Ruth BrownRuth BrownRuth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
as Betty - Patrick Collin as Earl Bellamy
- Robert Costanzo as Hank Sabatino
- Jordan Gibbs as Dennis
- Liz TorresLiz TorresElizabeth "Liz" Torres is an actress, singer, and comedienne of Puerto Rican descent.-Early years:Torres was born in the Bronx borough of New York City where her parents had settled after moving from Puerto Rico. There she received her primary and secondary education...
as Elena Beltran
Episodes
| Series # | Season # | Title | Notes | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Boo Who? | Florence and Elena suspect that a ghost is roaming the building. | April 9, 1981 |
| 2 | 2 | Block's Party | Lyle throws a party, but his high school rival (now a pro football coach) and his team arrive to crash it. | April 16, 1981 |
| 3 | 3 | Whose Side are You On? | Florence is caught between Lyle and Elena when they have a fight. | April 23, 1981 |
| 4 | 4 | Florence and the Salesman | Florence thinks an elderly salesman is coming on to her. | April 30, 1981 |