Season 5

Good Times: Season Five

Good Times Season 5 DVD Cover.

Season Information

Episodes aired: 24 aired

Network/Airdates: CBS-TV, September 21, 1977 - April 3, 1978

Previous Season: Season 4

Next Season: Season 6

Good Times: Season Five episodes

This page lists all of the episodes aired in the fifth season of Good Times. The season's premiere episode, "The Evans Get Involved: Part 1", premiered on September 21, 1977, as Janet Jackson joined the cast as Penny Gordon, an abused child who lives in the project building with her mother that Willona winds up adopting in an 4-episode story arc that opened the season.

The season's final episode, "That's Entertainment, Evans Style" aired on April 3, 1978, as a total of 24 episodes were aired.

Season 5 (1977-1978)

Season 5 episodes
Image	# in Series	Prod. Code	# in Season	Title	Written by	Directed by	Original Air Date	Tape Date
	86	501 (501a)	1 (1a)	"The Evans Get Involved: Part 1" a.k.a. "Meet Penny"	Austin Kalish & Irma Kalish	Gerren Keith	September 21, 1977	August 11, 1977
When a cute little girl follows J.J. to his home, she tells the story of a happy home life which couldn't be further from the truth. Meanwhile, Florida is honeymooning in Arizona.
	87	502 (501b)	2 (1b)	"The Evans Get Involved: Part 2" a.k.a. "Meet Penny"	Sid Dorfman	Gerren Keith	September 21, 1977	August 11, 1977
When Penny shows up with a broken arm, Willona, J.J., Thelma and Michael are certain that she is being abused, but they have a hard time finding someone who will believe them.
	88	503 (501c)	3 (1c)	"The Evans Get Involved: Part 3" a.k.a. "The Solution"	Gordon Mitchell & Lloyd Turner	Gerren Keith	September 28, 1977	August 18, 1977
Penny and her abusive mother unexpectedly move, which shocks Willona and the kids. When Penny runs away and hides at the Evans household, her mother decides to abandon her.
	89	504 (501d)	4 (1d)	"The Evans Get Involved: Part 4" a.k.a. "The Fina1"	Austin Kalish & Irma Kalish	Gerren Keith	October 5, 1977	August 25, 1977
Willona thinks her chances of adopting Penny are bleak because she's unmarried, so Bookman pretends to be her husband for the interview with the social worker.
	90	505	5	"Thelma Moves Out"	Michael S. Baser & Kim Weiskopf	Gerren Keith	October 12, 1977	September 8, 1977
Thelma is anxious to have her own privacy and moves to an apartment that seems more crowded than the one she just left.
	91	506	6	"Willona, the Fuzz"	Richard Frieman (story & teleplay) Sid Dorfman (teleplay)	Gerren Keith	October 19, 1977	September 15, 1977
Willona's new job goes against her morals, but she decides to put her values on the back burner to earn spare money for Penny's ice skating lessons.
	92	507	7	"Wheels"	Michael S. Baser & Kim Weiskopf (teleplay) Bill Freedman & , Al Schwartz (story & teleplay)	Gerren Keith	November 2, 1977	September 29, 1977
J.J. and his friends buy a car from Bookman. The problems with the car are not as big as the problem of deciding who gets to drive it next!
	93	508	8	"Breaker, Breaker"	Elroy Schwartz	Gerren Keith	November 9, 1977	July 28, 1977
Michael has fun pretending to be J.J. while using a CB radio. But the girl he meets over the airwaves doesn't disclose everything about herself.
	94	509	9	"Bye, Bye, Bookman"	Robert Wolterstoff & Paul M. Belous	Gerren Keith	November 16, 1977	October 6, 1977
The deplorable conditions of the building cause the Evanses and Willona to generate a petition to get Bookman fired. Bookman and his wife create their own scheme to stay in the building.
	95	510	10	"Thelma's Brief Encounter"	Bruce Kalish & Philip John Taylor	Gerren Keith	December 7, 1977	October 13, 1977
J.J., Michael, and Willona think that Thelma's new boyfriend is married. J.J. uncovers some shocking information.
	96	511	11	"Requiem for a Wino"	Gordon Mitchell & Lloyd Turner	Gerren Keith	December 14, 1977	October 20, 1977
Fishbone (guest star Robert Guillaume) the wino is convinced that he has no friends. When a mix-up makes everyone think he's dead, he's pleasantly surprised at the number of people who show up at his wake.
	97	512	12	"Penny's Christmas"	Robert Stevenson & Rosalind Stevenson	Gerren Keith	December 21, 1977	December 1, 1977
Penny is desperate to buy Willona a Christmas gift but has no money after her wallet is stolen. Stealing a necklace seems to be her only option, but her actions may land her in foster care.
	98	513	13	"No More Mr. Nice Guy"	Dan Wilcox & Tom Dunsmuir	Gerren Keith	January 4, 1978	November 17, 1977
J.J. has to become the father figure of the Evans household when Michael's disinterested attitude about responsibility lands him and Penny in jail for riding in a stolen car.
	99	514	14	"Willona's Mr. Right"	Laura Levine	Gerren Keith	January 11, 1978	November 10, 1977
Willona's ex-boyfriend returns to rekindle their romance. But she declines his marriage proposal because his career would cause the family to constantly move. However, Penny feels like a burden and runs away.
	100	515	15	"J.J. and the Boss' Daughter"	Bob Baublitz & Kevin Hopps (story & teleplay) Michael S. Baser & Kim Weiskopf (story)	Gerren Keith	January 18, 1978	December 8, 1977
When his boss' daughter expresses her attraction for J.J., he decides to pursue a relationship hoping it will put him in favor with the boss.
	101	516	16	"Where There's Smoke"	Bruce Kalish & Philip John Taylor	Gerren Keith	January 25, 1978	December 15, 1977
The mystery of the burned sofa cushion is generating various stories. But Penny seems to be the only one who knows what really happened.
	102	517	17	"I Had a Dream"	Jim Rogers	Gerren Keith	January 30, 1978	November 3, 1977
J.J. fears that a deserved promotion at work is going to go to a white co-worker. Later that night, J.J. dreams of being a white man.
	103	518	18	"The Boarder"	Don Segall	Gerren Keith	February 6, 1978	December 22, 1977
The Evanses get a boarder to help pay the rent. But he's hiding a small secret: he's a witness to a crime and is currently in police protection.
	104	519	19	"J.J.'s Condition"	Bill Nuss & Dusty Kay	Gerren Keith	February 13, 1978	January 19, 1978
J.J.'s relationship with a married woman causes him to get an ulcer. His condition worsens when he realizes the soon-to-be divorced woman still lives with her husband.
	105	520	20	"Willona, the Other Woman"	Michael G. Moye	Gerren Keith	February 27, 1978	January 26, 1978
Bookman's wife, Violet, suspects him of cheating. When she sees him and Willona together on several occasions, she's convinced they're having an affair.
	106	521	21	"Something Old, Something New"	Sid Dorfman	Gerren Keith	March 13, 1978	January 12, 1978
Grandpa Evans comes to visit with his fiance and an idea to make them rich. The plan is derailed when his fiance, Lena, chooses to walk out on him because she feels neglected. Richard Ward guest stars.
	107	522	22	"Willona's New Job"	Michael G. Moye	Gerren Keith	March 20, 1978	February 16, 1978
Willona finally gets a promotion at the boutique, but her boyfriend, Frank, wants her to decline the offer and accept his marriage proposal.
	108	523	23	"Write On, Thelma"	Judi Ann Mason	Gerren Keith	March 27, 1978	February 9, 1978
Thelma's play is chosen as the production for the neighborhood theater. Her happiness quickly evaporates when she learns that her play will need a complete rewrite.
	109	524	24	"That's Entertainment, Evans Style"	Michael S. Baser & Kim Weiskopf	Gerren Keith	April 3, 1978	February 23, 1978
The Evans family produces a neighborhood benefit to raise money for a local day care center.

Good Times
List of Episodes
Season episode guides
* Season 1	* Season 2	* Season 3	* Season 4	* Season 5	* Season 6