Here's an essay I was rather proud of writing, about Suits LA and how it honored veteran actor John Amos after his passing. It so happened that Amos guest-starred in the pilot episode, so the show followed up a few episodes later after he died.
That's an excellent piece! Thank you for posting that link.
Like most people who were kids in the 70s, I knew him from Good Times and Roots, and the Disney film The World's Greatest Athlete (one of those dumb live-action Disney films that were big in kidworld at the time and are forgotten now, probably justifiably). Later, I noted him in guest-appearances and earlier, minor roles in groundbreaking films that I hadn't seen at the time, Vanishing Point and Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (both 1971). I have a vague memory of him appearing briefly in an educational film from probably, pre-1970 that some teacher showed, but I can find no reference to it anywhere, so perhaps I am mistaken.
Here's an essay I was rather proud of writing . . .
A fine piece of work, CK, and this time, about a subject with whom I am most familiar.
I was a huge fan of John Amos. The first venue in which I saw him (awaringly saw him, that is; I'l explain in a bit) was when he played Gordy the Weatherman on Mary Tyler Moore. Even then, in the handful of episodes in which he appeared as Gordy, he had a presence which I enjoyed and appreciated. He exuded authority, even when he was playing a casual, easy-going character.
When Good Times débuted, I watched it, even though there was nothing about the show that represented my own life. I watched it because John Amos was in it. Remember my comment, a few pages back, about sitcoms needing a "voice of reason"? John Amos was it for Good Times (as was, to a lesser extent, Esther Rolle). I could stomach the antics of J.J., because I knew James Evans was there to rein him in and restore sensibility. I couldn't identify with the situational premise of the show, or the family's hardships, or the influences of that standard of living---all of that was alien to me---but I did identify with James Evans, a strong decent man with a strict moral compass.
When Good Times turned into "The Jimmie Walker Show", and Amos' character was, first, marginalised, and then killed off, I stopped watching it immediately. Without James Evans, the show turned into a farce.
Not too long before he died, I came across one of those "Archives of American Television" interviews on YouTube, with John Amos. And I learnt something which I had not known. It turns out that I had seen Amos before Mary Tyler Moore. He was in one of my favourite commercials---it was the one which introduced McDonald's "You Deserve a Break To-day" slogan, in 1971. It's a nicely choreographed musical commerical depicting how clean McDonald's employees maintain their restaurants. Most folks at least remember the opening lines---"Grab a bucket and mop, scrub the bottom and top . . . " To this day, I have the whole jingle memorised. As familar as I was with that commercial, I was surprised to hear Mr. Amos' account of how he got a part in that advertisement. Fortunately, the commercial is on YouTube, and when I viewed it again, sure enough, there he was. (He's most recognisable as the worker who comes out holding a broom and a handbrush, singing, "With a broom and brush, clean it up for the rush . . . ")
John Amos certainly appeared in many parts which I never saw---I've never seen Roots, for example---so I cannot state, comprehensively, what his finest performance was. But I know the one I found the best---when he played Admiral Fitzwallace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on The West Wing. He was born for that rôle---a man of quiet, but indomitable authority. When he was on screen, all attention was on him because of his poise and demeanour and leadership. The show was so well written, I rarely took exception to it, even when events occurred that I didn't like or that didn't make sense. But I was sorely disappointed when the show killed off ADM Fitzwallace.
I keep a mental list of actors and actresses I wish I could meet in person. Most of them are the second-stringers or character actors; very few, almost none, are the big names. But John Amos was one big name I wish I could've spent five minutes with, telling him the things I just said above.
Thanks, CK, for showing me your article; it did Mr. Amos, and you, proud.
ClarkKent_DC > Commander BensonAugust 8, 2025 at 7:12pm
I saw an interview in which John Amos explained that he enjoyed working on The Mary Tyler Moore Show very much; the people at the MTM studios were easy to work with and classy all the way. However, Gordy the Weatherman was a part-time role. So when he got the offer to do Good Times, he was torn, so he told the MTM producers about it.
Their response was that they loved working with him as much as he liked them, but they were not likely to use him any more than they already were. So if he had the opportunity to be the lead in his own series -- which, after all, doesn't happen for every actor -- they weren't going to stand in his way. They sent him off with their blessing and let him know the door was always open if he ever wished to return to the MTM fold.
Unfortunately, working for Norman Lear proved not to be easy as it was for MTM, and ultimately, as described elsewhere, Amos was fired. (I didn’t even get into the half of how troubled that set was, but that’s a story for another day.)
SANDMAN: Finished watching Squid Game tonight and moved right on to Sandman. It's been a while, so we're re-watching S1 before moving on to S2. That's what we'll be watching for the next three weeks or so.
JD DeLuzio > Jeff of Earth-JAugust 9, 2025 at 9:24am
We liked it, though the need to rush to a conclusion means that the season is not as consistently impressive as it might otherwise have been. At one point (for example), a powerful and prescient bit from one story from the original series gets grafted onto another story and character, and it feels unearned. But, overall, they did an excellent job.
The first season inspired me to re-read issues #1-50, so perhaps S2 will inspire me to re-read the rest of it.
Captain Comics > Jeff of Earth-JAugust 10, 2025 at 11:32am
Whta can you tell me about Squid Game? The first couple of times I mentioned it my wife wasn't interested, and I knew no more about it than it was something of a horror show and had good reviews. That wasn't enough to sell her. The last couple of times it's come up in our recommended feed she seems more amenable.But we've been disappointed a few times lately and I don't want to disappoint her again. (Man, Station Eleven just freaking fell apart at the end. When will screenwriters learn that novel writers are better than they are, and to not re-write what already works? Honestly, comic book writers are better than TV screenwriters, IMHO. I can't unsee the screenwriter playbook any more.)
I was totally into Squid Game all the way through. It includes a very intense character study, even before the first game in the first season. You understand what motivates the players to take such a risk (although they don't understand how great the peril is until the first game, which is absolutely horrifying). As the seasons progress we learn more and more about the organization behind the games and its goals. I highly recommend it. I think you will find out if you like it pretty quickly.
Replies
Here's an essay I was rather proud of writing, about Suits LA and how it honored veteran actor John Amos after his passing. It so happened that Amos guest-starred in the pilot episode, so the show followed up a few episodes later after he died.
"‘Suits LA’ Honors John Amos, ‘America’s Father’"
That's a great article & tribute to John Amos. Thanks for sharing it!
That's an excellent piece! Thank you for posting that link.
Like most people who were kids in the 70s, I knew him from Good Times and Roots, and the Disney film The World's Greatest Athlete (one of those dumb live-action Disney films that were big in kidworld at the time and are forgotten now, probably justifiably). Later, I noted him in guest-appearances and earlier, minor roles in groundbreaking films that I hadn't seen at the time, Vanishing Point and Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (both 1971). I have a vague memory of him appearing briefly in an educational film from probably, pre-1970 that some teacher showed, but I can find no reference to it anywhere, so perhaps I am mistaken.
Here's an essay I was rather proud of writing . . .
A fine piece of work, CK, and this time, about a subject with whom I am most familiar.
I was a huge fan of John Amos. The first venue in which I saw him (awaringly saw him, that is; I'l explain in a bit) was when he played Gordy the Weatherman on Mary Tyler Moore. Even then, in the handful of episodes in which he appeared as Gordy, he had a presence which I enjoyed and appreciated. He exuded authority, even when he was playing a casual, easy-going character.
When Good Times débuted, I watched it, even though there was nothing about the show that represented my own life. I watched it because John Amos was in it. Remember my comment, a few pages back, about sitcoms needing a "voice of reason"? John Amos was it for Good Times (as was, to a lesser extent, Esther Rolle). I could stomach the antics of J.J., because I knew James Evans was there to rein him in and restore sensibility. I couldn't identify with the situational premise of the show, or the family's hardships, or the influences of that standard of living---all of that was alien to me---but I did identify with James Evans, a strong decent man with a strict moral compass.
When Good Times turned into "The Jimmie Walker Show", and Amos' character was, first, marginalised, and then killed off, I stopped watching it immediately. Without James Evans, the show turned into a farce.
Not too long before he died, I came across one of those "Archives of American Television" interviews on YouTube, with John Amos. And I learnt something which I had not known. It turns out that I had seen Amos before Mary Tyler Moore. He was in one of my favourite commercials---it was the one which introduced McDonald's "You Deserve a Break To-day" slogan, in 1971. It's a nicely choreographed musical commerical depicting how clean McDonald's employees maintain their restaurants. Most folks at least remember the opening lines---"Grab a bucket and mop, scrub the bottom and top . . . " To this day, I have the whole jingle memorised. As familar as I was with that commercial, I was surprised to hear Mr. Amos' account of how he got a part in that advertisement. Fortunately, the commercial is on YouTube, and when I viewed it again, sure enough, there he was. (He's most recognisable as the worker who comes out holding a broom and a handbrush, singing, "With a broom and brush, clean it up for the rush . . . ")
John Amos certainly appeared in many parts which I never saw---I've never seen Roots, for example---so I cannot state, comprehensively, what his finest performance was. But I know the one I found the best---when he played Admiral Fitzwallace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on The West Wing. He was born for that rôle---a man of quiet, but indomitable authority. When he was on screen, all attention was on him because of his poise and demeanour and leadership. The show was so well written, I rarely took exception to it, even when events occurred that I didn't like or that didn't make sense. But I was sorely disappointed when the show killed off ADM Fitzwallace.
I keep a mental list of actors and actresses I wish I could meet in person. Most of them are the second-stringers or character actors; very few, almost none, are the big names. But John Amos was one big name I wish I could've spent five minutes with, telling him the things I just said above.
Thanks, CK, for showing me your article; it did Mr. Amos, and you, proud.
I saw an interview in which John Amos explained that he enjoyed working on The Mary Tyler Moore Show very much; the people at the MTM studios were easy to work with and classy all the way. However, Gordy the Weatherman was a part-time role. So when he got the offer to do Good Times, he was torn, so he told the MTM producers about it.
Their response was that they loved working with him as much as he liked them, but they were not likely to use him any more than they already were. So if he had the opportunity to be the lead in his own series -- which, after all, doesn't happen for every actor -- they weren't going to stand in his way. They sent him off with their blessing and let him know the door was always open if he ever wished to return to the MTM fold.
Unfortunately, working for Norman Lear proved not to be easy as it was for MTM, and ultimately, as described elsewhere, Amos was fired. (I didn’t even get into the half of how troubled that set was, but that’s a story for another day.)
SANDMAN: Finished watching Squid Game tonight and moved right on to Sandman. It's been a while, so we're re-watching S1 before moving on to S2. That's what we'll be watching for the next three weeks or so.
We liked it, though the need to rush to a conclusion means that the season is not as consistently impressive as it might otherwise have been. At one point (for example), a powerful and prescient bit from one story from the original series gets grafted onto another story and character, and it feels unearned. But, overall, they did an excellent job.
The first season inspired me to re-read issues #1-50, so perhaps S2 will inspire me to re-read the rest of it.
Whta can you tell me about Squid Game? The first couple of times I mentioned it my wife wasn't interested, and I knew no more about it than it was something of a horror show and had good reviews. That wasn't enough to sell her. The last couple of times it's come up in our recommended feed she seems more amenable.But we've been disappointed a few times lately and I don't want to disappoint her again. (Man, Station Eleven just freaking fell apart at the end. When will screenwriters learn that novel writers are better than they are, and to not re-write what already works? Honestly, comic book writers are better than TV screenwriters, IMHO. I can't unsee the screenwriter playbook any more.)
I was totally into Squid Game all the way through. It includes a very intense character study, even before the first game in the first season. You understand what motivates the players to take such a risk (although they don't understand how great the peril is until the first game, which is absolutely horrifying). As the seasons progress we learn more and more about the organization behind the games and its goals. I highly recommend it. I think you will find out if you like it pretty quickly.
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