Rating: 
Summary: "One across your lip..."
Review: Cantankerous, and somewhat crude, but with a good heart (no pun intended), Redd Foxx is Fred Sanford, an LA junk dealer, in business with his son Lamont, played by Demond Wilson. Sanford and Son, produced by Norman Lear, was the first of his comedies centered on characters of African-American decent, and like "All In the Family", was based on an English sitcom. Any new program goes through a growth process, as the characters are developed, and the show establishes an identity. Opening with Quincy Jones's classic theme, this program plays to the basic father and son relationship, with dashes of race based humor. Foxx, a night club comedian, tones his act down for TV, and as Fred Sanford, creates a minor TV icon. Among his trademarks, referring to Lamont as "dummy", threatening to deliver one "across the lip", and feigning cardiac arrest. Thoughtful and reasonable, Lamont, is the calming influence, trying to keep Fred from going too far. If Fred's "charm" doesn't win you over, you won't be watching this program for very long. The quality of the episodes varies, but those that feature the Sanfords actually engaged in the junk business, generally hold your interest. In "The Piano Movers", the guys are involved in trying to remove a piano from an eccentric gentlemen's apartment. "The Copper Caper", finds the junkmen involved with a shady character dealing in stolen copper piping. In "Coffins for Sale", Lamont brings home, and stores in the house, a couple of coffins he picked up at a bargain price. When it comes to love and romance, these gents have their ups and downs. Classy actress Lynn Hamilton, guests twice as Donna Harris, Fred's love interest. Nicknamed "the barracuda", she endures much abuse at the hands of both Sanfords, with no justification. As for Lamont, living with his father does tend to cramp his style with the ladies, and he tries to stretch out a bit in "A Pad for Lamont", but it's "Ready Freddie" who seems to benefit most from the situation. In episode three, "Here Comes the Bride, There Goes the Bride", Lamont is on the verge of marriage, when his prospective bride backs out at the altar, and we get to meet more of the lovable Sanford clan. You may wonder how the censors let Fred use a phrase with the "N" word. The transfer of videotape to DVD is not bad, but does show signs of age, and sometimes the image looks flat. As the DVD has no extra features at all, one could hardly say that the studio went out their way to honor the series. Also, for some reason, there are no chapter stops in the episodes. This makes for some rather inconvenient viewing, if you want to skip forward or back in an episode. If you're a big fan of the series, or want to see how it all started, by all means get this set. If not, then you can watch the reruns on cable.
Rating: 
Summary: Just buy it already!
Review: I can't say enough good things about this particular DVD set. The picture and sound quality is great, and these are the original, complete episodes; these are not the chopped up syndication versions currently on TV. The first season focuses mainly on Fred and Lamont, and produces some of the funniest episodes of the entire series. Highly recommended viewing, even if you've never seen Sanford and Son before. Many laughs are waiting for you.
Rating:
Summary: Great acting.
Review: Im a big fan of Sanford and son and to have my own personal collection is just fantastic. The great thing about this season was how well Fred and Lamont handled the scripts. What I mean by that is,in the first few episodes none of the characters are here(Bubba,Grady,Melvin,etc...)it's just Fred and Lamont and its great watching these two characters perform. Its like watching a live play,and the people in the studio audience I envy for I was not there to witness this brilliance.
Later on in the season Donna,Melvin,Smitty,all start showing up-Donna ironicly plays Lamonts evil landlord in "a pad for Lamont" but not under Donna.
Fourteen great episodes. Non-stop laughter. It only gets better.
Rating:
Summary: A must have DVD
Review: This is the most sublime TV show ever made. It's great to see it again after more than 15 years, because of living in Europe. The other reviewers have said everything there is to say about Sanford and Son, but I'd like to add that the U.S. DVD plays without a problem on our European DVD player (Mustek).
Rating:
Summary: Classic Redd Fox
Review: When I seen this in the store,I knew I had to own this! Why?
Because the few times we could get NBC the show was really funny!
Now I could see what I missed and without all the snow!
The picture and sound is good and although there's no extra stuff
I enjoyed it very much. I'll take good sound and picture along with uncut episodes over CHESEEY EXTRAS ANY DAY! Also whenever they add extras even if it does'nt cost them more to do it you end up paying more!I say just give us the shows uncut and remastered to look and sound as good as they can be at a fair price and I'll be happy! Well folks thats just what they did and I'm happy!
Rating:
Summary: "...This is the Big One, Elizabeth!"
Review: Redd Foxx was already well-known in "stag party circles" for his countless "raunchy comedy records" of the 1950s & 1960s, when the irrepressible comic "landed" Sanford & Son, the story of a biggoted junk yard proprietor with a knack for faking heart attacks and kicking people out of his "Kingdom". DeMont Wilson plays Fred Sanford's loyal 30-something son, who is half of "Sanford & Son", yet seems to be doing almost all of the work. Aunt Esther (played by Foxx's childhood friend LaWanda Paige) is the long-suffering (Bible-beating) sister-in-law, who is routinely insulted by the outrageously rude Fred. A caravan of party-happy "pals" and many well-known actors making cameo appearances all ensure a great time! This series was definitely treading on fresh sit-com ground. Many prior "tabus" have been removed, and the envelope was pushed farther than it had ever been dared to. The "n" word flew freely, as did every other thinkable (and unthinkable) ethnic "put down". Sanford & Son delivered a new kind of sit-com, one that definitely has departed from Leave-It-To-Beaver-Land and arrived in urban Los Angeles of the early 1970s. The laughs are genuine, the characters real and endearing, the story lines current (by 1970s standards) and engaging. The DVD perks (MANY extras) make this "first season set" an easy pick. The reasonable price is the clincher! This is the big one, Elizabeth!
Rating:
Summary: Big Dummy doing somethin useful
Review: The fist season of Sanford & Son is a stright 5 out of 5 although the second & third seasons are funnier. My favorie joke from the first season is when Lamont brings home a suitcase full of money and he says "You see I think crook "A" rob a bank and left it in the alley for crook "B" but I got there before crook "B" so now "A" and "B" are looking for me."Then Fred Sanford says, "I don't care if C, D and E are looking for Y-O-U I'am not giving up this M-O-N-E-Y
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, thank you, thank you
Review: This is one of my very favorite shows. I can still remember being a kid watching this with my brother. Redd Foxx was so funny. This was a perfect cast and a perfect show. I hope more of these great classic sitcoms will be released on DVD. I am looking forward to THE ODD COUPLE (if it ever gets released) to come to DVD. I can only imagine that HAPPY DAYS, WHAT'S HAPPENIN', LAVERN AND SHIRLY..ETC will be released. I'm hoping SEINFELD will soon come to DVD.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Of All Time
Review: What else is left to say? Freddie G. is the greatest of all time. Buy it - you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: S-A-N-F-O-R-D Period.
Review: Fred always spells out his last name with a "period" and it doesn't get old. Thus, take this review with a grain of salt as I am a very biased Sanford and Son fan. I wasn't old enough to remember the show when it first came out, but I've been catching the re-runs all my life. This first season is interesting in many ways. While there isn't an Aunt Esther, or a "Grady," you can see their precursors with characters such as Aunt Hazel and Myron. The first few episodes are interesting as well, because you notice that Lamont hasn't really found his niche yet. He can at times be extremely hard on Fred, and push him around a bit more than you would think. That is, until the infamous "one of these across your lips" starts to take root. Take note, though, that there are no "extras" found on many other DVD's these days. It is literally the episodes alone, period. My five stars are based on the content of the shows alone, Not on DVD features, as there aren't any. Yet, the shows are so good, that if you are even remotely interested in Sanford and Son, you should buy this. Some of these had me laughing so hard I was crying, and even the ones that don't make me laugh out loud always bring a smile to my face. Fred takes you to a happier place and time, with simple pleasures, and great guffaws. Highly recommended.
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