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The Facts
Sanford and Son premiered on NBC on January 14, 1972. It was actually an idea taken from a popular British sitcom, Steptoe and Son. The show revolved around Fred G. Sanford--The "G" was for every word in the universe that began with the letter "G", from guacamole to guts, guts, and more guts. Fred was a 60-something widower (who swore he was still 47) who was a native of St. Louis. When Fred was a young man, he relocated the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles and made his living by selling junk. Fred loved drinking "Ripple", and his favorite song was "If I Didn't Care" by the Ink Spots ("...and would I be sure that this is love, beyond compaaaaaarrrre, would all this be true? If I didn't care for yoooooouuuuuu). Fred was best known, however, for his simulated "heart attacks" when things didn't go his way or when he was caught in a bind--he clutched his chest and called out to Heaven: "This is the big one! You hear that, Elizabeth? I'm coming to join ya, honey!" If you didn't go along with Fred's plan or if you rubbed him the wrong way, you'd be threatened with five across yo' lips. As he sold junk, Fred tried to concoct many, many, many get-rich-quick schemes--one of which was creating his own religious sect, the Seventh Day Junkists--which would ultimately blow up in his face! After his wife Elizabeth died, Fred took on the responsibility of taking care of his only child, Lamont. Lamont, affectionately known as "You Big Dummy", wasn't too thrilled about being the heir to the "junk empire"; he was a bachelor in his 30s who lived at home with his Pop! Other characters included Aunt Esther, Fred's sister-in-law. One reason the show was wildly successful was because of the constant fussing that carried on between Fred and Esther. Fred made it a habit of teasing the not-so-attractive Esther and her husband Woody, who was an alcoholic. The Bible-thumping, take-no-mess Esther would tell Fred to "Watch it sucka" when he made her mad, then would turn around and call Fred a "fish-eyed fool," and finally leave the Sanford home filled with the Holy Ghost! Then there were Fred's closest friends, Bubba and Grady. Even though Fred thought that the pair had the combined IQ of a walnut, Fred could always count on them to share a drink and a good laugh or give a helping hand. Rounding out the cast was the Puerto Rican neighbor Julio, who usually found himself at the brunt of Fred's racist insults and jokes; Rollo, who hung out with Lamont when he wasn't in jail; Hoppy and Smitty, a modern day version of the Keystone Kops who seemed to be at Fred's place more than they were at the precinct; Fred's on-again, off-again girl friend and practical nurse Donna; Ah Chew, a magnficent Japanese cook; and Melvin, another one of Fred's old chums. Another memorable aspect of the show was the funky theme song, penned by music legend Quincy Jones. |
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