Sanford and Son: The Complete Series (Slim Packaging)

Description

Sanford and Son An early milestone in urban TV comedy,
Sanford and Son was an immediate critical and audience favorite when it
debuted in the early ’70s, signaling the arrival of one of TV’s most memorable
characters: Cantankerous-but-lovable junk dealer Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx). An
African American answer to “Archie Bunker,” widower Sanford and his “Dummy”
son Lamont (Demond Wilson) run a family junk business in Watts, dreaming up
schemes to strike it rich. Outspoken and outrageous, Sanford serves up big
laughs as he skewers stereotypes, forever threatening, “How’d you like one
across your lip?” Aided by a colorful cast that includes acid-tongued Aunt
Esther (LaWanda Page), Sanford and Sons provided a showcase of black talent of
all generations, featuring guest stars like Lena Horne and episodes written by
Richard Pryor. Timely and topical during its highly-rated five-year run
(1972-1977), Sanford and Son emerged as one of the decade’s biggest TV hits,
inspiring producer Norman Lear to develop more barrier-breaking shows like The
Jeffersons and Good Times. Sanford and Son: The Complete Second
Season Sanford and Son’s second season began on September 15, 1972. 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!”). –Paul Gaita Sanford and
Son: The Complete Third Season Though conflict erupted between comic Redd Foxx
and the producers of Sanford and Son during its third season, viewers are
spared the backstage rancor and instead enjoy more hilarious episodes, fueled
as always by Foxx’s Emmy-nominated performance as cantankerous junkman Fred
Sanford. Sanford and Son was a solid ratings hit as it entered its third
season (ranked third among network shows) and Foxx had won a Golden Globe the
previous year, but a contract dispute had driven a wedge between him and
series producers Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear (who also ran the season’s top-
rated program, All in the Family). Negotiations would eventually break down,
and Foxx would be absent from six episodes (Fred was said to be visiting
relatives in St. Louis) and did not return to the show until season 4 was
underway. Foxx’s departure allowed the spotlight to shine more brightly on co-
star Demond Wilson (who would soon launch his own contract disputes, which
prompted his leaving the series in 1976) as well as new cast member Whitman
Mayo, who joined the show that season as Fred’s pal Grady. While series
aficionados are firmly divided over Grady, Mayo is quite funny, especially
during the final six episodes (in particular “Will the Real Fred Sanford
Please Stand Up?” and season closer “Hello Cousin Emma, Goodbye Cousin Emma”).
Other standout episodes include “The Blind Mellow Jelly Collection” (in which
Fred attempts to reclaim his donated record collection) and “Fred Sanford,
Legal Eagle” (Fred defends Lamont in traffic court), which features Starsky
and Hutch’s Antonio Fargas. The third-season scripts, penned mostly by story
editor Ilunga Adell (Moesha), remain sharp, as does the direction (the lion’s
share is handled by Peter Baldwin, though Bud Yorkin helms two episodes). Fans
and first-timers alike will find plenty of laughs, which unfortunately lack
any extras. –Paul Gaita Sanford and Son: The Complete Fourth Season Sanford
and Son’s fourth season (1974-1975) was the highest rated of its five years on
network TV (the program reached no. 2 on the Nielsen charts); the program and
star Redd Foxx both received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the season.
Behind the scenes, however, the series was in turmoil due to Foxx’s
dissatisfaction with the tone and quality of the program, and he went missing
from nine episodes, three of which kick off the first disc (Fred’s absence is
explained away as a trip to St. Louis). But even without Foxx, Sanford and Son
still managed to generate plenty of laughs, thanks in no small part to its
hard-working supporting cast; Whitman Mayo’s Grady, in particular, gets plenty
of chances to shine, especially in “Grady and His Lady” and “The Family Man”
(which served as the pilot for Mayo’s own short-lived series). Pat Morita’s Ah
Chew makes his first appearance in “There’ll Be Some Changes Made and Gregory
Sierra as Julio makes his last in “The Stung”; guest stars include Billy
Eckstine and Scatman Crothers. Sanford and Son’s fourth season can be viewed
as something of a swan song for the popular series; after a ratings dip and
timeslot change in the fifth season, Foxx and Wilson would both depart the
show by the sixth season, and the show was cancelled in 1977. –Paul Gaita
Sanford and Son: The Complete Fifth Season Guest stars and more guest stars
seem to be the theme of Sanford and Son’s very funny fifth season (1975-1976).
The 25 episodes feature a parade of celebrities supporting stars Redd Foxx and
Demond Wilson in guest and recurring roles, including John Larroquette and
Robert Guillaume in Steinberg and Son, a TV sitcom based on Fred and Lamont’s
life; Marlene Clark as Lamont’s girlfriend June; Nancy (The Beverly
Hillbillies) as Officer Hoppy’s overprotective mom; and George Foreman, Merv
Griffin, Steve Lawrence, and Eydie Gorme as themselves. The other addition to
the series comes with the introduction of the Sanford Arms, a apartment built
on former neighbor Julio’s place, and which comes complete with a host of
eccentric guests (the hotel, along with Sanford stars LaWanda Page and Don
Bexley, would be the focus of its own short-lived sitcom following Sanford and
Son’s cancellation in 1977). Otherwise, it’s business as usual at Fred and
Lamont’s junkyard, with the pair getting involved in bank robberies,
earthquakes, and escort services, while still finding time to go camping (in
the season finale, written by Garry Shandling). The sheer amount of laughs
offered by season 5 was a strong reminder of why the show had remained so
popular for four seasons; unfortunately, time slot changes and the disinterest
of both leads would spell the show’s demise only one season later. –Paul
Gaita

Features:

Product Details:

• Genre: Comedy/Television, Television
• Format: Multiple Formats, Box set, NTSC, Subtitled, Color, Full Screen
• Contributor: Taylor, Nathaniel, Mayo, Whitman, Wilson, Demond, Foxx, Redd, Bexley, Don
• Language: English
• Number Of Discs: 17
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.25 x 1.5 inches; 11.2 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 4313326
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Box set, NTSC, Subtitled, Color, Full Screen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 55 hours and 31 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ October 28, 2008
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Foxx, Redd, Wilson, Demond, Bexley, Don, Mayo, Whitman, Taylor, Nathaniel
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish