The reason I bring this up is because when Redd Foxx decided to go missing for a few episodes, Whitman Mayo stepped in and got their largest ratings! However, when Redd Foxx decided to continue the series without Demond as simply "Sanford," the new show tanked!

http://classic-tv.com/shows/sanfordandson/cast.jpg

Demond Wilson was a great straight man who gave the show a more youthful perspective (even though he was in his 30s) to the situations that came up at the junkyard. Not only was he the straight man, but he was also the compassionate character of the show and the voice of reason at times. Fred hated Julio simply because he was Puerto Rican, while Lamont was one of his best friends. He played a great counter to Fred's unfounded bigotry. However, in some cases his youthful nature brought with it blunderings due to inexperience. Examples of this were when he got taken with the chamber pot and the card sharks episode.

Sanford was not a bad show, but Cal didn't really represent any of these things. He was just a dude from the country that shacked up with Fred. Sanford had some funny moments, but a character like Lamont was needed to recapture the magic of Sanford and Son.

Demond Wilson was a great straight man who gave the show a more youthful perspective (even though he was in his 30s) to the situations that came up at the junkyard. Not only was he the straight man, but he was also the compassionate character of the show and the voice of reason at times. Fred hated Julio simply because he was Puerto Rican, while Lamont was one of his best friends. He played a great counter to Fred's unfounded bigotry. However, in some cases his youthful nature brought with it blunderings due to inexperience. Examples of this were when he got taken with the chamber pot and the card sharks episode.

Sanford was not a bad show, but Cal didn't really represent any of these things. He was just a dude from the country that shacked up with Fred. Sanford had some funny moments, but a character like Lamont was needed to recapture the magic of Sanford and Son.

Replacing an important character with a character with a similar personality never goes down well, with the exception of Woody on Cheers replacing Coach after Nicholas Colasanto died. I personally don't think Sanford would have lasted much longer than it did if Wilson was involved.

Replacing an important character with a character with a similar personality never goes down well, with the exception of Woody on Cheers replacing Coach after Nicholas Colasanto died. I personally don't think Sanford would have lasted much longer than it did if Wilson was involved.

Indeed, it's sort of like what happened when Jack Burns replaced Don Knotts on The Andy Griffith Show, or when Robert Prosky replaced Michael Conrad on Hill Street Blues.

Demond Wilson was so good, but as the series progressed, and Redd Foxx brought in more and more of his old cronies, Lamont was often given little to do. You can see in some of the later episodes that Demond was basically walking through the show, with little interest in it, and I can't blame him.

Lamont was the heart and soul of the show, the voice of reason and decency. Characters like that are often necessary where everyone else is eccentric. Although "Amos 'n' Andy" is looked down on now, Lamont had basically the same function Amos had on that series.

no, IMHO, Redd Foxx was the undisputed star of the show, but the rest of the cast, especially Demond Wilson, did a stellar job of making that the case.

I think Redd Foxx was the main star of the show, BUT, he and Demond made a terrific duo. They played off of each other perfectly. One of the great duos in show biz, in my opinion. They made each other better. Lamont's character had developed sufficiently by the third season so it didn't matter that Fred was not there for those Grady episodes. I like the Grady episodes, and the show had the most momentum around that period, so it could go on even when an integral character was absent. It's really a testiment to all the main characters of the show.

It was the combination of Redd and Demond. Each had his own importance to the show. Regardless of whatever ratings were during the Grady takeover, those episodes were lacking. I liked Grady as a supporting character.

fred and his antics were the star

Grady was just a great fill in

Demond Wilson was a great straight man who gave the show a more youthful perspective (even though he was in his 30s)

You do know Demond's bday is October 13, 1946. This means he was 26 when S&S began. He didn't turn 30 until 1976 towards the end of S&S. I agree he LOOKED like he was in his 30s. But he served in Vietnam and was wounded. That would age anybody, lol

one of my fav scenes was mamas baby papas maybe, was Lamont telling Fred he meant more to him, then the House and the business and

it going be Sanford and Son Forever