Line #0 YMMV/SanfordAndSon


1	* AdaptationDisplacement: Far more Americans are familiar with this show than with the BritCom that it was a ForeignRemake of, ''Series/SteptoeAndSon''.
2	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O20Sljxmy9M "The Streetbeater"]] by Music/QuincyJones, otherwise known as the catchier-than-all-get-out theme tune to the show. It's hummed by J.D. and Turk in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', and a remix of this song eventually became Turk's theme.
3	* CrossesTheLineTwice: In "Legal Eagle", when Fred is put on trial for speeding.
4	-->'''Fred:''' Listen, why don't you arrest some white drivers?\
5	'''Cop:''' I do.\
6	'''Fred:''' You do? Well, where are they? Look at all these niggas in here! Look around here! There's enough niggas in here to make a Franchise/{{Tarzan}} movie!
7	* DesignatedVillain:
8	** In "A House is Not a Pool Room", Lamont buys Fred a billiards table and he and Donna are quickly annoyed about how he is neglecting them and his work to play pool with his buddies. Fred decides to sell the table to make them happy and the show treats him like he's in the wrong for wanting to keep the money for himself instead of giving it to Lamont, even though Lamont gave him the table as a gift, making it Fred's property to do with as he pleases.
9	** In "Jealousy" Lamont is presented as the bad guy for stirring up his father's titular jealousy against his rival Osgood over Donna's affections. The trouble is everything Lamont says is true: there IS no good reason for Osgood to be present ''at Donna and Fred's date'', Osgood is actually healthy while Donna is unaware, he has been giving her gifts and at one point he cuddles with her in front of Fred. And yet Lamont is treated as the villain.
10	* EnsembleDarkhorse: At least two:
11	** Grady Wilson began as a guest character --played by a different actor-- and was then reimagined and eventually took over the show for a time when Redd Foxx walked off the show.
12	** Aunt Esther (Fred's late wife's sister) first appeared in a second-season episode and essentially became a regular from that point forward.
13	* FridgeBrilliance: During the period where Fred was PutOnABus thanks to disputes between Redd Foxx and the producers, Grady stepped in as main character, and was seemingly setup as a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute for Fred (likely stemming from using pre-written scripts). Considering Grady and Fred were buddies, it's possible Grady was subconsciously coping with Fred not being around by, well, trying to ''be'' Fred.
14	* HarsherInHindsight:
15	** For all of the jokes, it was firmly established on the show that Fred Sanford did indeed have a real heart problem. Then, on a VerySpecialEpisode of ''Sanford'', he suffered a very real heart attack and nearly died in part because [[CryingWolf no one believed it was legitimate]] initially. And sadly, [[DeathByIrony that's almost exactly what happened to Redd Foxx some years later]].
16	** In the episode "Fred's Cheating Heart", the Sanfords are visited a man soliciting funds for a heart attack prevention program. Thalmus Rasulala, who played the solicitor, had his own fatal heart attack two days before Foxx had his.
17	** The season 4 episode "Going Out of Business" where Fred not wanting to pay his taxes. Redd later had tax problems during the 1980s, reportedly owing the IRS $3.6 million when he died.
18	* MemeticMutation:
19	** [[BlatantLies "I WANT MY DADDY'S RECORDS."]] from "Blind Mellow Jelly."
20	** "I'm coming to join you, honey!" and "I'm coming, Elizabeth", which Sanford says when he's faking a heart attack.
21	** "You big dummy!"
22	* RetroactiveRecognition:
23	** Sid [=McCoy=] directed two episodes and guest starred in two other episodes. [=McCoy=] is best known as the announcer for ''Series/SoulTrain''.
24	** Ilunga Adell wrote 16 episodes. Adell is best known as co-creator and co-executive producer of ''Series/MyBrotherAndMe''.
25	** Don Reo wrote six episodes. Reo is best known as creator and executive producer of ''Series/{{Blossom}}'', ''Series/WizardsAndWarriors'', and ''Series/TheJohnLarroquetteShow'' and co-creator and executive producer of ''Series/MyWifeAndKids'' and ''Series/TheRanch''.
26	** Creator/GarryShandling wrote four episodes.
27	** James R. Stein co-wrote three episodes. Stein is best known as co-creator and co-executive producer of ''Series/SonOfTheBeach''.
28	** Creator/RichardPryor wrote two episodes.
29	** Earl Barret also wrote two episodes. Barret is best known as co-developer and co-executive producer of ''Series/TooCloseForComfort''.
30	** Earl Pomerantz wrote an episode. Pomerantz is best known as developer and executive producer of ''Series/MajorDad''.
31	** The singing, dancing "Whopper Chopper" salesman is played by Danny Wells, years before he played Luigi on ''Series/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow''.
32	** Paul Mooney wrote or co-wrote 3 episodes. He is best known for starring in the Negrodamus and "Ask a Black Dude" sketches on ''Series/ChappellesShow''.
33	* SeasonalRot:
34	** The final season has its share of problems including a VacationEpisode in Hawaii that features Fred and Lamont running for their life from jewel thieves, a multitude of guest stars and an especially bizarre episode centered around Fred (played by Redd Foxx) entering a contest to meet his idol... Redd Foxx.
35	** Arguably, the marker for the rot is the end of the third season, when Grady took over for Fred due to Redd Foxx's contract negotiation problems. After that, the plots began to get more divorced from reality, the celebrity cameos became more common and the dreaded [[VerySpecialEpisode episodes with a message]] started getting made.
36	** Some fans will argue that part of the problem stemmed from the overhaul in the production staff, when the show's most prolific Black staff writer Ilunga Adell left at the end of the third season, along with series {{Showrunner}} Aaron Ruben (''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow''). The last three seasons used a mostly new and almost entirely white team of writers, causing the series to lose its original authentic urban vibe and turn into just another standard sitcom.
37	* SoBadItsGood: As ''Sanford and Son'' progressed and rose higher in the ratings, Foxx used his newfound clout to force the producers into hiring his old [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitlin%27_circuit "chitlin' circuit"]] colleagues (most of whom were NOT trained actors, and it showed) for roles on the series. This led to several characters being subject to ChuckCunninghamSyndrome in the second season, when sensible Aunt Ethel (another of Elizabeth's sisters played by Creator/BeahRichards), Slappy (Fred's original foil) and Officer Swanhauser (Smitty's original partner played by prolific sitcom director Noam Pitlik) were written out and replaced with over-the-top counterparts. However, the broad antics and occasional wooden line-readings are [[NarmCharm part of the charm]] of the series, and Redd Foxx picked up the slack admirably when needed.
38	%%* ValuesDissonance: Go look at CrossesTheLineTwice up above. ''NO'' television series today, even one run by African-Americans, would ''dare'' use that line.
39	%% "See X" is not context.

Context YMMV / SanfordAndSon