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S
anford and Son debuted as a mid-season replacement in January
1972 and was an instant success. It was produced by Norman Lear
and Bud Yorkin, the team responsible for ratings giant All
in the Family. The two shows had a few things in common.
They were both based on popular British sitcoms, and both were
pioneers of edgy, racial humor that reflected the changing politics
of the time. Sanford and Son helped to redefine the genre
of black situation comedy.
Comedian Redd Foxx played the show's central character,
Fred Sanford, a 65-year-old L.A. junk dealer. Sanford's son,
Lamont (Demond Wilson), is his reluctant partner in the junk
business, always looking for a way out. Crotchety old Fred
makes his son crazy with his schemes, but Lamont ultimately
cares for his pop too much to leave him to his own devices.
Many of the arguments end with Fred faking a heart attack
while crying out to his deceased wife ("I'm coming to join
you, Elizabeth!") or Fred calling Lamont "dummy."
A cast of colorful characters add to the hilarity of the
series, including Fred's buddies Melvin (Slappy White), Bubba
(Don Bexley) and Grady (Whitman Mayo), as well as his meddling
sister-in-law, Aunt Esther (LaWanda Page). Another "star"
of the show was the funky theme song, written by Quincy Jones.
Sanford and Son was ranked in the top 10 for its
full five and a half year run, peaking at number two in the
1972-3 and 1973-4 seasons, bested only by All in the Family.
When the two lead actors opted out of the series after the
'76-'77 season, the rest of the cast carried on with the forgettable
follow-up series The Sanford Arms. The show fizzled
in less than a month. An attempt was made at a revival in
1980 with Foxx returning to the series Sanford, but
it only lasted one season.
Next Three Airings:
Will The Real Fred Sanford Please Do Something : TV-PG
Friday, May 09 at 2:00 AM (ET/PT)
Tyranny, Thy Name Is Grady : TV-PG
Friday, May 09 at 9:00 AM (ET/PT)
Aunt Esther And Uncle Woodrow Pfftt. . . : TV-PG
Sunday, May 11 at 10:00 PM (ET/PT)
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