Sanford

Why is this series so hard to come by? These further adventures of Fred Sanford was just as good as the original series, I thought the show would pick up with the return of Aunt Esther & Grady but the 26 episodes of this series was actually very entertaining especially with Cal replacing Lamont!

I grew up seeing this first so maybe nostalgia clouds me here but I liked this show a lot. I really though the episodes (at least the ones where the Cal character was featured) were really funny. I liked the banter between Cal and Fred and remember Cal reading "the little engine That Could" quite humorously.OK it isn't as funny as the original and yes the guest stars seem unrealistic, but for folks who have seen the original 100 times and never caught this version its really worth seeing. One thing I never understood though is why the Norman Lear shows watered down the characters as they ages. I like the original Archie, George, and Fred. Sure they weren't nice but that was the point. OK Lear didn't have anything to do with this spin off but it seems that all of the daring he puts into his lead roles loose their fizz. Still worth catching Dennis in my favorite role of his.

Redd Foxx was the star of Sanford and Son. Here he reprises his role as Fred Sanford without his son, Lamont. He has a new partner played by Dennis Burkley. His character is white, overweight sidekick but he's quite funny at times. The other characters include a wealthy widow, Evelyn Lewis, played by Marguerite Ray who does a great job. Lawanda Page comes back to torment her brother-in-law as Aunt Esther. The show was your typical sitcom from the early 1980s. Sadly, sitcoms are no longer in abundance nor are they packaged to be funny anymore. Redd Foxx was enormously funny and outrageous at times without being offensive to the audience regardless of your skin color. I was pleasantly surprised to see this show which must have been under my radar back when it first aired on television. BET has brought it back to new audiences who will rediscover Redd Foxx's wit and comedic genius.

I actually saw this show before I ever saw an episode of "Sanford and Son". After watching them both, I honestly thought that "Sanford" was much funnier. Redd Foxx, in his older age, seems to have a sharper, more spiteful humor. He certainly carries the show, but the supporting characters make great targets for "Fred's" off-color remarks. If your already familiar with "Sanford and Son", then you may not like "Sanford" simply due to the fact that major staples in the show are missing. However, if you haven't grown accustomed to Lamont, and other familiar characters that don't appear in "Sanford", then you will probably agree that it is much more enjoyable over all. Give it a fair chance without expecting it to be just another spin off.

This was actually a very funny show and the back and forth between Redd and Cal was hilarious. Typical establishment though - anything that is different, people are opposed to accepting. I would have liked to have seen Redd's son in some episodes to complete the transition to just the "Sanford." show. With all the nonsense poor quality shows before, at the time. and since, this show should have lasted much longer and gotten much more credit than it received. I was sorry to see the actor who played Cal passed away. He too had great talent and never went as far as he should have in the business.