Characters

George Jefferson

To call George Jefferson a black Archie Bunker would be an apt comparison. A loud-mouthed bigot with a surprising heart, George has elevated himself from rags to riches. Once his chain of dry-cleaning stores begins to prosper, George moves his family from Queens to an apartment building on New York's Upper East Side. Though he's obsessed with money, George shows signs of generosity. When it comes to verbal fireworks, level-headed Louise and pig-headed George have quite a few knock-down, drag-outs. George initially despises his neighbors the Willises, but that eventually subsides in time: He stops calling Tom a "honky" and even goes into business with him. He's proud of his son Lionel and adores his granddaughter Jessica. He kowtows to his mother, often at Louise's expense. A navy veteran, his old war buddies appear from time to time - and sometimes complicate George's schemes.