Once he departed toward the end of season 3, it was never the same. The episode topics were awful and the whole show just seemed not as funny as it did before he left.

season 4 to 6 was like a car riding down the road with 1 flat tire and a less than a half of tank of gas



The one big thing that made the show not as good after season 3 was Fred being NICER to Esther

Once he departed toward the end of season 3, it was never the same. The episode topics were awful and the whole show just seemed not as funny as it did before he left.

season 4 to 6 was like a car riding down the road with 1 flat tire and a less than a half of tank of gas



The one big thing that made the show not as good after season 3 was Fred being NICER to Esther


I never thought Fred was nicer to Esther from that season on. If anything, he was way more nastier to Esther. He even made Esther cry in that adoption episode. And yes, Redd Foxx was part of the reason this show went down hill, but it was the producers and writers as well. I thought the worse season was 5. That whole season stunk, like you said, the topics and the writing was horrible. Season 6 was bad, but I found more episodes watchable than 5. To me, 6 was a mild recovery from 5.

I never thought Fred was nicer to Esther from that season on. If anything, he was way more nastier to Esther. He even made Esther cry in that adoption episode. And yes, Redd Foxx was part of the reason this show went down hill, but it was the producers and writers as well. I thought the worse season was 5. That whole season stunk, like you said, the topics and the writing was horrible. Season 6 was bad, but I found more episodes watchable than 5. To me, 6 was a mild recovery from 5.


season 6 the exchange between fred and esther was more pleasant. Plus by that time the esther character was toned down

season 6 the exchange between fred and esther was more pleasant. Plus by that time the esther character was toned down

It was all numbers-game banter anyhow, they were best of friends in real life, and possibly janked like that with each other when they were just hanging out.

Sharp, snarky wits witha touch of street-smart soul... brilliant stuff when it flows right.

Richard Pryor was another genius with this approach.

It was all numbers-game banter anyhow, they were best of friends in real life, and possibly janked like that with each other when they were just hanging out.

Sharp, snarky wits witha touch of street-smart soul... brilliant stuff when it flows right.

Richard Pryor was another genius with this approach.


Old facts

Old facts

True, the whole subject of 1970s culture is old, am I right?

Once he departed toward the end of season 3, it was never the same. The episode topics were awful and the whole show just seemed not as funny as it did before he left.

season 4 to 6 was like a car riding down the road with 1 flat tire and a less than a half of tank of gas



The one big thing that made the show not as good after season 3 was Fred being NICER to Esther

40 year-old facts... heh.

40 year-old facts... heh.


stop posting

stop posting

Oh, I remember you now... you were the fellow who was so confused about Good Times being a spin-off of Maude, am I right?

Oh, I remember you now... you were the fellow who was so confused about Good Times being a spin-off of Maude, am I right?


Log out and stop posting

Log out and stop posting


Okay... sure.

Heh.

some of the best episodes were actually with Grady playing Fred's role

some of the best episodes were actually with Grady playing Fred's role
To me, they were unwatchable and not that funny. No one can take Fred's place.

Redd Foxx had a big head and wanted (rightfully) to be respected since he had one of the top five shows, back in the 1970's. He and NBC got into it, and Redd went "on strike" against NBC, during the time where Whitman Mayo was the lead of the show.

Foxx jumped ship to ABC to headline a variety show which failed miserably. This action is what killed Sanford and Son, because the show was still pulling good numbers.

Also, Redd Foxx was addicted to cocaine at the time, and so was Demond Wilson. Wilson went on to other programs (like something called "Baby I'm Back, and an African American version of The Odd Couple with Ron Glass) which failed, but he refused to be a part of a new Sanford and Son show, which became the short lived "Sanford".

Loved Sanford and Son and it never Jumped the Shark, even when Crazy Grady ran the joint!

I don't see the decline in S&S as all that different from most long term sitcoms.

Most burn out their original premise in three to four years and most seasons after that are either a struggle to be funny and carry on OR they shift the premise of the show (e.g. CHEERS - Diane years v. Rebecca years)

Still one of my favorite shows on this era.

Redd Foxx had a big head and wanted (rightfully) to be respected since he had one of the top five shows, back in the 1970's. He and NBC got into it, and Redd (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068128/board/flat/227661361?p=1) went "on strike" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068128/board/flat/233106085?p=1) against NBC, during the time where Whitman Mayo was the lead (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068128/board/flat/232489227?p=1) of the show.

Foxx jumped ship to ABC to headline a variety show which failed miserably. This action is what killed Sanford and Son, because the show was still pulling good numbers.

Also, Redd Foxx was addicted to cocaine at the time, and so was Demond Wilson. Wilson went on to other programs (like something called "Baby I'm Back, and an African American version of The Odd Couple with Ron Glass) which failed, but he refused to be a part of a new Sanford and Son show, which became the short lived "Sanford".

Loved Sanford and Son and it never Jumped the Shark (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068128/board/flat/184432410?p=1), even when Crazy Grady ran the joint!

Unwatchable Jump the Shark episodes (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068128/board/flat/178387821?p=1)

To me, they were unwatchable and not that funny. No one can take Fred's place.

Incidentally, I'm watching the "Grady in charge" episodes at the tail end of Season 3 right now on IFC. You can argue that Grady's continued presence in the Sanford household doesn't make sense because why would a grown man like Lamont in essence, need a babysitter while his father was away and out of town?

Also, why would Fred leave Grady to keep his son company while he was gone instead of Bubba? Didn't it seem like Grady was somebody that Fred more or less tolerated but wasn't actually his closest confident and somebody he could truly trust like you could say was actually the case with Bubba?

As it is, Grady kind of strikes me as one of those "a little of him goes a long way" type of characters. What I mean by that is that he's fine in small doses and as a sidekick/supporting player but not as the actually lead who is front and center.

I have always felt the episodes without Redd Foxx weren't as good. It was like watching an episode of The Honeymooners without Jackie Gleason.

I have always felt the episodes without Redd Foxx weren't as good. It was like watching an episode of The Honeymooners without Jackie Gleason.

They should have brought the drunk lady back once Redd Foxx returned

Once he departed toward the end of season 3, it was never the same. The episode topics were awful and the whole show just seemed not as funny as it did before he left.

season 4 to 6 was like a car riding down the road with 1 flat tire and a less than a half of tank of gas



The one big thing that made the show not as good after season 3 was Fred being NICER to Esther

I've tried to point this out and address this before (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=343962), but I don't think that it was Redd Foxx per se who ruined the show so much as it was a change in the show's creative staff.

What hurt the show more than anything I believe, was when Saul Turteltaub (http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2018/11/an-interview-with-saul-turteltaub.html) and Bernie Orenstein replaced Aaron Ruben (https://crackedrearviewer.wordpress.com/2017/12/13/confessions-of-a-tv-addict-5-aaron-ruben-man-behind-the-laughter/) as the showrunners (coupled with the departure of Ilunga Adell from the writing staff) beginning in Season 4. That was coincidentally, around the same time that Redd Foxx returned from his strike. Sanford and Son really started to lose its edge when Turteltaub and Orenstein took over.

I can almost guarantee you that had Aaron Ruben stayed in charge through the end, we wouldn't have gotten nonsense like Fred Sanford "meeting" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ejzWPNtGwWg) Redd Foxx.

Other things I didnt like

No more appearances from Leroy
Adding that dumb kid