Good Times: Season 1

Tests indicate that James is a candidate for a union apprenticeship program, but his birth certificate says differently.

When the Evans family hangs JJ's painting of a black Jesus in the home against Florida's protests, everybody suddenly gets a run of good luck.

A shortage of funds for the rent and an eviction notice causes James to take drastic action to get cash.

Reverend Sam, a flashy televangelist who instead of living the word who uses religion as a hustle, pays a call on his old army buddy James and offers him a job with his entourage that will pay him $700 a week(Sam told James "$100 a day, 7 days a week"). However, Florida, who sees right through Sam's act, is less than thrilled that her husband would want to work with him. James then has a clash of conscience when he sees how Sam's hustle really works and when JJ thinks about following in that path.

Michael is suspended from school for disparaging George Washington to his teacher. Now he wants to drop out. Florida and James try to convince Michael to remain in school and to apologize to his teacher.

While cleaning the apartment, Florida finds a notebook titled "Sexual Behavior in the Ghetto" and thinks that its a sex manual. She then accuses JJ of bringing it in the apartment and yells at him for doing so. JJ denies it and when she shows it to James he has a totally different reaction and laughs it off thinking that it is JJ's way of learning about the birds and the bees. However, when James finds out that the book belongs to Thelma, he blows a gasket. Complicating things even more is the fact that she is dating a 21 year old college student.

J.J. begins coming home with new art supplies to the point that Florida accuses him of "finding" things. However, he soon reveals that he has a patron who was impressed by his work. However, when J.J. mentions that the man's name is LeRoy Jackson, James Sr. throws a fit because a man with the same name, who was James' best friend, lost all the money they were saving to buy a gas station on a horse. When Jackson arrives at the Evans' apartment, it proves to be the same man and James promptly throws him out. Unfortunately, this doesn't sit well with J.J., who runs away and moves in with Jackson. Now Florida must find a way to bring her son back and reconcile Junior and Senior.

It looks like J.J. will be held back a grade.

Michael writes a letter to the paper complaining about the conditions in their building. However, Florida and James aren't too happy due to the fact that it might get them kicked out of their apartment. To make matters worse, a representative from the housing authority is sent over to discuss the matter and things get really interesting when the man's cab driver runs off to avoid being caught in the middle of a rumble. Now he gets a first hand view of life in the ghetto by having dinner with the Evans family.

Florida tries to clean the apartment in order to win first prize for the nicest apartment in the ghetto. Unfortunately, Michael picks the wrong time to show how good a Christian he is by bringing home Ned the Wino. Now, they not only have to clean the apartment, but clean, and disinfect, Ned before the judging committee arrives.

While food shopping, Florida is chosen to become a spokesperson for Vita Brite, a new health tonic.

James does not want to go to the doctor for a physical checkup. Florida and the children tell him he needs to go because they depend on him.

One of the most popular girls at school is interested in JJ. He starts making plans for going steady, buying her things, and proposing to her. No one in the family likes her because she is overly sweet. Of course, she has ulterior motives.