brian_m_hass
This American sitcom is about a father and son who own a scrap business called Sanford and Son Salvage. The son, Lamont Sanford, usually played the straight man to the more comical father, Fred G. Sanford. The father was played by comedian, Redd Foxx. This sitcom was based on the British sitcom, "Steptoe and Son."The show always tended to keep the mood light and fun. The character of Fred G. Sanford could occasionally be grouchy; but, he was also more relaxed and fun-loving than his son, Lamont. Whenever Fred came up with schemes, his son frequently assumed the position of moral high ground and preached to Fred about whatever it was that he was doing. The father and son often engaged in role-reversal, with the son acting as the father's disciplinarian. Although Lamont frequently preached morality to his father, he sometimes defended one of his own friends against his father's moral criticisms. Fred was outspoken and never feared burning bridges with anybody whom he did not like. If Fred thought that the person was ugly or irritating, he would tell that person what he thought in the most insulting (and humorous) manner possible. In many ways, Fred was a something of a geriatric teenager who simply wanted to have fun.The show featured a great cast of characters. Fred's friends, Bubba and Grady, frequently paid visits to the Sanford home. Aunt Esther was Fred's feisty and religious sister-in-law, whom Fred routinely antagonized. Julio was the Sanfords' friendly and easy-going Puerto Rican neighbor, whom Fred frequently insulted with racial slurs. Fred and Lamont both dated women who often appeared on the show.The show occasionally touched on sensitive topics. The issue of racism was sometimes addressed on the show; but, it would often be dealt with by poking fun at its absurdities. The sitcom always kept humor at the forefront; and, the show's mood always remained light-hearted.This sitcom was easily one of the funniest American television shows from the 1970's. The show was a great platform for displaying Redd Foxx's comical talents. The interactions of the characters as well as the catch phrases were always a lot of fun."Sanford and Son" is highly recommended.
sonya90028
Sanford and Son was about the misadventures of elderly junk dealer Fred Sanford, and his son, Lamont. It was one of the few 70s sitcoms, that had blacks as the main characters. Unlike other 70s comedies built around the lives of blacks, Sanford and Son never resorted to buffoonery, to get laughs.The considerable comedic talents of Red Foxx as Fred Sanford, and Demond Wilson as Lamont, were what made this show so much fun to watch. Fred and Lamont were always aggravating each other, and it was hilarious to watch their father-son squabbles. And they (especially Fred) were always coming-up with hare-brained money-making schemes, to supplement their meager income as junk dealers. The viewer was always wondering how Fred and Lamont could get out of trouble, after one of their latest ill-conceived plots to make it big, fell-through.On one of my favorite episodes, Fred decides to try and make quick money, by purchasing an old race horse. Lamont comes home, goes to the kitchen to make a sandwich, and all the while doesn't seem to notice that Fred's horse is standing right there in the kitchen. At least, the viewer thinks that Lamont doesn't notice-until he exits the kitchen, and dryly asks Fred; 'Pop, what's that horse doin' in the kitchen??' Though the chemistry between Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson was what made the show great, the supporting characters added much to this show. Especially Lawanda Paige, as Fred's wild, holy-roller sister-in-law, Esther. The knock-down, drag-out verbal battles between Fred and Esther, were always drop-dead funny.Creator Norman Lear, had a well-deserved rep for crafting excellent, cutting-edge 70s sitcoms. Lear was, after all, the man who gave TV viewers the brilliant sitcom, All In The Family. Sanford And Son, wasn't as ground-breaking a show as All In The Family was. But it was still one of Lear's sitcom gems. I for one, hope that Sanford And Son lives forever in reruns, on cable TV.
hfan77
Norman Lear's second sitcom Sanford and Son is definitely a 70s classic. Redd Foxx's portrayal of Fred Sanford is so funny, yet he was bigoted like Archie Bunker. He also had great chemistry with Demond Wilson, who played his son Lamont. Though Lamont was the smarter of the two, Fred kept calling him "Dummy" which I thought wasn't very nice. What made the show funny for me was Fred's frequent phony heart attacks when he would clutch his heart and bellow "OHH! THIS IS THE BIG ONE! YOU HEAR THAT ELIZABETH, I'M COMING TO JOIN YOU!!" Every time he did that, i would crack up laughing. The other phrase he constantly used was variations on "How would you like five across your lip?" What also made Sanford and Son stand out was the chemistry between Foxx and LaWanda Page, who played Aunt Esther. Both were long-time friends who grew up in St. Louis. I thought Page delivered her lines with gusto and really brought her character to life. My only dislike of the show were the episodes without Foxx, who sat out due to a contract dispute and were centered around Grady. Whitman Mayo was an outstanding supporting player, but I felt he couldn't carry the show as a lead actor and that was why his spin off Grady was short-lived. It was like watching an episode of The Honeymooners without Jackie Gleason. There were a lot of good episodes, but two of my favorites were the Gong Show episode and Steinberg and Son, a TV show that mirrored the Sanford's lives. Each season of Sanford and Son is on DVD so if you haven't seen them, do so. You won't worry about commercials.
Richard-757
Simple, sweet. Very few shows touched this genre without dealing (too deep) with the politics of the time, at the time this show existed, every other TV show was trying to make some huge one sided statement. You can't help but laugh. Clearly Redd Foxx was the beginning of the concept that led to "All in the Family". What makes this show special is that it is so easy to watch and just enjoy! Of course, the lettuce comment is, well, funny, unless your house smells like lettuce, then I guess to you, it's not funny, The stars that cameo'ed on the show were perfect! I have to give this show an excellent because TV has yet to reproduce a show that is simply fun, like this one. This is one of those shows that needs to be released on DVD as a collection. It needs to be available to all generations to enjoy a man who just had that special gift, to just kinda make us laugh, without even seeming to try.