"Sanford and Son" (1972) TV series 1972-1977

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Writer:

James R. Stein (writer) (1972-1973)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

14 January 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The misadventures of a cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son.

Plot Keywords:

Sitcom | Junkyard | Remake | Aunt Nephew Relationship | Normal Lear

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 12 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 6	9:30 AM	TVLAND	Jealousy	#2.4
Tue. July 7	9:30 AM	TVLAND	Tooth or Consequences	#2.5

Cast

Redd Foxx	...	Fred G. Sanford / ... (134 episodes, 1972-1977)
Demond Wilson	...	Lamont Sanford (134 episodes, 1972-1977)

(more)

Series Directed by
Peter Baldwin		(21 episodes, 1972-1974)
Alan Rafkin		(17 episodes, 1974-1976)
Jack Shea		(15 episodes, 1972-1974)
Bill Foster		(12 episodes, 1974-1977)
Norman Abbott		(11 episodes, 1974-1976)
Russ Petranto		(9 episodes, 1977)
Bud Yorkin		(7 episodes, 1972-1975)
Mark Warren		(7 episodes, 1973-1976)
Stan Lathan		(6 episodes, 1974-1975)
James Sheldon		(6 episodes, 1975-1976)
Rick Edelstein		(5 episodes, 1972-1973)
Herbert Kenwith		(3 episodes, 1974)
Bob LaHendro		(2 episodes, 1972-1974)
Charles S. Dubin		(2 episodes, 1972)
Sid McCoy		(2 episodes, 1973-1976)
Hal Cooper		(2 episodes, 1974)

Series Writing credits
Bernie Orenstein		(23 episodes, 1974-1977)
Saul Turteltaub		(23 episodes, 1974-1977)
Aaron Ruben		(20 episodes, 1972-1974)
Ilunga Adell		(14 episodes, 1972-1974)
Ted Bergmann		(11 episodes, 1974-1976)
Gene Farmer		(8 episodes, 1973-1974)
Jerry Ross		(8 episodes, 1974-1976)
Allan Katz		(6 episodes, 1972-1973)
Don Reo		(6 episodes, 1972-1973)
Alan Eisenstock		(5 episodes, 1976-1977)
Larry Mintz		(5 episodes, 1976-1977)
Paul Mooney		(3 episodes, 1972-1974)
James Fritzell		(3 episodes, 1972-1973)
Everett Greenbaum		(3 episodes, 1972-1973)
James R. Stein		(3 episodes, 1972-1973)
Bob Illes		(3 episodes, 1973)
Rick Mittleman		(3 episodes, 1974-1977)
Garry Shandling		(3 episodes, 1975-1976)
Lloyd Garver		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Ken Hecht		(2 episodes, 1972-1973)
Richard Pryor		(2 episodes, 1972)
Adell Stevenson		(2 episodes, 1972)
Winston Moss		(2 episodes, 1973-1974)
Arnie Rosen		(2 episodes, 1974-1975)
Redd Foxx		(2 episodes, 1975-1976)
Robert Garland		(2 episodes, 1975)
George Yanok		(2 episodes, 1975)
Earl Barret		(2 episodes, 1976)

Series Produced by
Norman Lear	....	executive producer (62 episodes, 1972-1976)
Norman C. Hopps	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
Bernie Orenstein	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Aaron Ruben	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Saul Turteltaub	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Bud Yorkin	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Quincy Jones		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Steven Orland		(unknown episodes)
Jerry Ross		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Jane Murray		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Edward Stephenson		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Rita Riggs		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Harry Blake	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Norman Lear	....	production supervisor (unknown episodes)
Bill Palmerston	....	production manager (unknown episodes)
Andrew J. Selig	....	unit manager (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Larry Vigus	....	carpenter (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Ernie Dellutri	....	sound (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Reed Howard	....	camera operator (135 episodes, 1972-1977)
Roy Holm	....	camera operator (111 episodes, 1972-1977)
Victoria Walker	....	camera operator (24 episodes, 1976-1977)
Jim Kilgore	....	lighting director (14 episodes, 1972)
Steven Castaneda	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
Dick Pickens	....	lighting director (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Ken Denisoff	....	editor: video tape (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Quincy Jones	....	composer: theme music "Street Beater" (135 episodes, 1972-1977)
Pete Rugolo	....	composer: additional music (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Ilunga Adell	....	story editor (unknown episodes)
Ted Baker	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Ted Bergmann	....	story supervisor (unknown episodes)
Bob Chic	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Katy Dowdalls	....	assistant to producers (unknown episodes)
Alan Eisenstock	....	story editor (unknown episodes)
Anne Hopkins	....	assistant to producer (unknown episodes)
Gerren Keith	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Larry Mintz	....	story editor (unknown episodes)
Sue Nevens	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Bernie Orenstein	....	story consultant (unknown episodes)
Doug Quick	....	stage manager (unknown episodes)
Aaron Ruben	....	story consultant (unknown episodes)
Les Shaw	....	video (unknown episodes)
O. Tamburri	....	technical director (unknown episodes)
Saul Turteltaub	....	story consultant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Bud Yorkin Productions
• Norman Lear/Tandem Productions
• NorBud Productions
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1972-1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia Pictures Television
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD) (season 1)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD) (seasons 2 and 3)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD) (seasons 4 and 5)
• Columbia TriStar Television
• Embassy Telecommunications
• P*I*T*S Films
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (complete series)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (season 6)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (complete series) (re-release)
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)

Other Companies

• NBC Studios, Burbank  taping location

Runtime:

30 min (135 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Stage 4, Stage 1, NBC Studios - 3000 W. Alameda Avenue, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Bud Yorkin Productions

Trivia:

In the closing credits, the phrase "Sanford & Son was recorded on tape before a live audience" is spoken by Demond Wilson.

Quotes:

Lamont Sanford: Pop, if we don'y pay our bills the bank is gonna kick us out of our house
Fred Sanford: [Esther walks in] Speaking of outhouses...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Radar Secret Service (#6.20)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

The Streetbeater

Episodes Adapted from "Steptoe and Son" Are the Best!!

It's already known that `Sanford and Son' was the Americanized version of `Steptoe and Son' of England, created by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. `Steptoe' was extremely funny and groundbreaking in England. When the show was brought over to the USA, it's initial transformation to `Sanford and Son' was excellent…in it's early years.

The original premise of `Steptoe' was the direct relationship between the father and son, as the son strives for a better life from the junk business, while his cantankerous father holds him back, due to fear of being alone in his twilight years. Many comedic situations resulted as a result of this conflict.

TVLand currently shows reruns of `Sanford and Son'. If you pay attention to the opening credits, and the writer(s) of the current episode is given, it is sometimes followed by… Based on `The Piano' by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. `The Piano' was an original `Steptoe and Son' episode. This meant that the upcoming `Sanford and Son' episode was merely a retooling of the respective `Steptoe' script for American audiences, now entitled `The Piano Movers'. There were 136 episodes of `Sanford and Son'. If you include all episodes, movies, and TV specials, there were 59 offerings of `Steptoe and Son'. Based on my research, of the 136 `Sanford' episodes, 16 episodes were direct adaptations of the `Steptoe' series. Those `Steptoe' copies were the funniest episodes of the `Sanford and Son' era, due to the exceptional scripts by Galton and Simpson. If you have the DVD, you are able to watch the uncut, unedited versions, which is not the case when watching the TVLand episodes. Other `Steptoe' episodes could not be duplicated because they were either far too oriented in British culture to be adapted for America, or they were considered too crude & vulgar to attempt to tone down for America, although I wish they tried.

Another strong point was the opening theme song by Quincy Jones, as well as the closing theme.

However, due to the extreme popularity of the show, Redd Foxx developed and ego, wanted more money than the producers, and disrupted production of the show to the point where Whitman Mayo (Grady) had to fill in on a temporary basis. This was one of the downsides to the show. Eventually, he came back, and the show labored on. Redd Foxx had marital problems during this time. Being distraught over that, he left the show in 1977, even though the show had more life left.

NBC tried to keep the flame lit by producing `Sanford Arms', which revolved around the Sanford Arm tenants which lived there when Fred and Lamont bought the Sanford Arms when their show was on-the-air. There was also `Sanford.', which did not have Lamont. The less said about these two shows, the better.

All in all, the `Sanford and Son' episodes adapted from the Galton and Simpson scripts from `Steptoe and Son' will always be the better episodes.