Sanford and Son

By Paul Gaita

"Elizabeth! I'm comin, honey!" Those were the words often heard coming from 9114 South Central, home to Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) and his son Lamont (Demond Wilson) - known more affectionately to each other as "Pop" and "Dummy" - and their junkyard business.

The sitcom quickly vaulted to the No. 2 spot on the network ratings--right behind creators Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin's previous effort, All in the Family. The second season brought no changes to the show's basic format--comedian Redd Foxx remained the focus as cantankerous junkman Fred Sanford, with Demond Wilson as his son and perennial foil, Lamont. What the second season did bring was several new characters and some of the series' funniest episodes.

The second season supporting cast was filled out by some of Foxx's fellow comics, including Leroy and Skillet ("A Visit from Lena Horne") and LaWanda Page as Aunt Esther, who became a recurring character after "The Big Party." Also joining was Don Bexley as Bubba ("By the Numbers"), Nathaniel Taylor as Rollo ("Have Gun, Will Sell"), and Barney Miller's Gregory Sierra as neighbor Julio ("The Puerto Ricans Are Coming!").

But Sanford and Son's strength remained in Foxx's sharp-tongued and often improvised performance, which was ably abetted by the scripts (a number of plotlines were taken directly from Steptoe and Son, the U.K. series that inspired Sanford). Richard Pryor and Paul Mooney penned two of the collection's most laugh-filled half-hours, "The Dowry" and "Sanford and Son and Sister Make Three," but every episode has its share of hilarity thanks to Foxx and his costars. Though only English and Spanish subtitles are offered as extras, series fans should be pleased with the set, especially as a reference for Fred's best zingers ("I'm gonna stick your face in a bowl full of dough and make gorilla cookies!").

		Sanford and Son on DVD!

Sanford and Son is now available on DVD! Get it at Amazon.com! Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four, Season Five, Season Six

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Sanford and Son is by far my all time favorite Sit-Com! Asking me to select a favorite episode is much like asking me to choose a favorite child. There were so many enthralling episodes that could compete for the #1 spot. If I had to rank them, I would grudgingly put the episode that introduced Julio Fuentes at the top spot. It was hilarious and an episode that gave Redd Foxx the opportunity to shine. Where on earth he came up with all those stereotypes is beyond me? The show was funny, captivating, intriguing, and for me, addictive. It was the ideal Super70s sit-com that paralleled "All in the Family" in significance, domestic comedy routines and in dealing with issues of the day. My goal someday is to have each and every episode at my disposal & memorize parts of my favorite ones. --Anonymous

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