Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Admirable film.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Watching Sanford And Son back to back with the Amos And Andy shows from the Fifties and I defy you to tell me the differences. The difference and it's a big one is that Amos And Andy originated on radio by white performers Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll. In there rare big screen appearances they were in black-face. That's what makes Amos And Andy unacceptable today.Because seeing those episodes there's not too much difference between George 'Kingfish' Stevens and Fred Sanford. Both were continually trying to get rich quick with some kind of wacky scheme. Both had a rather slack worth ethic, Fred Sanford's case he had a dutiful son, with the Kingfish it was always his gullible pal Andy whom he hooked into his endeavors. The dialog was such it could be interchangeable.Fred at least had a business, it was the junk business. Fred Sanford was a role tailor made for nightclub comedian Redd Foxx who while black always worked blue in his act. I did see him once on stage and he was as sexist as could be. A black version of Andrew Dice Clay. Sanford was a widower and his wife must have been something wonderful to put up with him. Getting under his skin and a great share of the laughs was LaWanda Page who was his late wife's sister Esther. They were the spark of the show.Providing a moral balance to Fred's lazy incorrigible ways was Demond Wilson as his son. Who definitely took after his mother. You can picture her through him. Aunt Esther was married to Raymond Allen and he took an occasional drink. What did this poor man ever do in a previous life to have that harridan for a wife?The great catchphrase when Foxx was caught in a lie or one of his schemes blew up was him clutching his chest and moaning "I'm having the big one now". Ironically Foxx did have the big one on the set of another show he had just debuted with. Life does imitate art.But I defy anyone to tell the difference between the humor of Sanford And Son and the television Amos And Andy.

Just purchased and viewed the entire series in one nice package. One of the greatest and funniest shows of its time. Kudos to Norman Lear on yet another groundbreaking show with a cast of supporting characters bar none. Between Lear and Lucille Ball, they both knew how to pick character actors. Season two thru four I thought were the best. Season One did not quite have it going yet and I thought the last two seasons distracted us from the show's regular characters by introducing too many famous stars and going off to places away from "ground zero" which was the South Central junkyard itself. Demond Wilson, however, had his best performances during the later seasons. I had this same complaint about All in the Family as well. The first five seasons were priceless. Both of these shows only needed the main characters in their own home, just sitting around making comments on life and the things around them. That was the humor in of itself. Like any great show, it appeared to be dragged on a season or two too long. Nevertheless, I enjoyed all of it immensely.

Growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s, I had no intentions to think of any show before that era. It's not that I didn't like them, I just felt that the shows I grew up on were the best. A couple of years ago I grew weary of the state of television and decided to find something that would satisfy my taste buds. When I found Sanford & Son being aired on TV Land, I was surprised. I never knew beforehand that so many good sitcoms came out of the 1970s, and this is no exception.Originally based off of "Steptoe & Son", Sanford & Son revolves around a junk dealer and his son living in a neighborhood in Watts, Los Angeles. Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) is a sarcastic and stubborn person who's plans usually backfire, causing trouble. His son Lamont Sanford (Demond Wilson) usually has to complete tasks and order his own father to complete jobs. It was very amusing to see the two argue against each other and have to become loyal in order for things to come back to normal.But there are a couple other interesting characters in the series worth mentioning. Aunt Esther (LaWanda Page), who is sister of Fred Sanford's late wife Elizabeth, is a Baptist who just can't seem to handle Fred too well. In most cases they spew insults to each other such as "Gorilla Face" and "Fish-Eyed Fool", and what makes this funny is that it never gets old. I always found myself laughing whenever Fred gave Aunt Esther a dirty joke. Grady Wilson (Whitman Mayo), who is Fred's closest friend, usually acts as his "sidekick" and is involved in get rich schemes. Unfortunately, Redd Foxx left the show for some episodes (due to a feud with the producers) and thus Grady had to fill in, in order to watch the junk yard business. Many characters appear in the show, and not one of them is really that boring to watch.I recommend this to anyone who enjoys the classic sitcoms, well before Cable TV and Reality TV started getting out of hand. I consider the 1970s to be the "Golden Age of Sitcoms," because that was when barriers were broken and actors displayed their best talents to make themselves stand out. All in the Family, M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Happy Days, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Three's Company, Different Strokes, Taxi, and numerous others. Sanford & Son puts most of the 1990s and 2000s sitcoms to shame. It was a stroke of genius, and Redd Foxx was a one of a kind individual. No one beforehand thought a stand up comic would be good in his own show. But he did it, in a big way. It's still a hit among old and young generations alike, and if Sanford & Son still lives on even after over 35 years, then you know that it's a classic. Like Archie Bunker, Fred Sanford is a unique person.So don't waste your time watching the Disney Channel or anything that comes out of Reality TV. Sanford & Son is a timeless sitcom that will keep you laughing. Highly recommended.9 out of 10.

"SANFORD AND SON," in my opinion, is a pure definition of must-see TV! Despite the fact that I've never seen every episode, I still enjoyed it. My favorite one is where Fred (Redd Foxx) goes to the dentist. You'll have to have seen it for yourself if you want to know how any why. Everyone always gave a good performance, the production design was spectacular, the costumes were well-designed, and the writing was always very strong. Before I wrap this up, I hope that all you die-hard fans of the show will always have it live on in syndication. In conclusion, even though it can be seen on TV Land now, I strongly recommend you catch it before it goes off the air for good.