6 Things You Never Knew About ‘The Jeffersons’

The Jeffersons first premiered on January 18, 1975, and by the time it wrapped on July 2, 1985, it had aired 253 episodes across 11 seasons, making it one of the longest-running sitcoms in television history. A spin-off of All in the Family, the show followed George and Louise Jefferson, a successful Black couple who left behind their working-class roots in Queens and “moved on up” to a luxury apartment in Manhattan.

Created by Norman Lear, The Jeffersons blended sharp humor with serious social commentary. While it eventually leaned more traditional, early episodes tackled bold topics that few sitcoms dared to address, from racism and alcoholism to illiteracy and even the Ku Klux Klan.