Sanford and Son (1972)

Name: Sanford and Son
Genre: Comedy
Rating: 7.9
Cast: Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson

Comedy

The misadventures of a cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son.

IMDb rating: 7.9 (12,263 votes)
Episode average: 7.6 -0.3 vs IMDb
Seasons: 6
Streaming (US): Peacock
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

Browse shows by rating shape → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 6 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1972)

7.83 avg 15 episodes 7.9 → 7.7 30 min avg

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Crossed Swords	7.9	335
2	Happy Birthday, Pop	8.1	280
3	Here Comes the Bride, There Goes the Bride	8.0	281
4	The Copper Caper	7.8	249
5	A Matter of Life and Breath	7.9	233
6	We Were Robbed	7.9	225
7	A Pad for Lamont	7.6	218
8	The Great Sanford Siege	7.7	221
9	Coffins for Sale	8.0	242
10	The Barracuda	7.4	203
11	TV or Not TV	7.8	207
12	The Suitcase Case	8.0	204
13	The Return of the Barracuda	7.4	195
14	The Piano Movers	8.3	278
15	A Christmas story	7.7	23

Season 2 (1972)

7.80 avg 24 episodes 7.6 → 8.6 30 min avg

Big finale

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	By the Numbers	7.6	181
2	Whiplash	7.7	213
3	The Dowry	7.7	220
4	Jealousy	7.8	198
5	Tooth or Consequences	7.6	178
6	The Card Sharps	8.4	229
7	Have Gun, Will Sell	7.7	172
8	The Puerto Ricans Are Coming!	8.1	183
9	The Shootout	7.8	189
10	Blood Is Thicker Than Junk	7.7	179
11	Sanford and Son and Sister Makes Three	8.2	205
12	A Guest in the Yard	7.9	186
13	Fred & Carol and Fred & Donna	8.0	187
14	The Light Housekeeper	7.5	190
15	The Big Party	7.9	186
16	A Visit from Lena Horne	8.3	198
17	Lamont Goes African	8.1	211
18	Watts Side Story	7.5	168
19	The Infernal Triangle	7.2	148
20	Pops 'n' Pals	7.6	165
21	Home Sweet Home for the Aged	7.6	161
22	Pot Luck	7.6	162
23	The Kid	7.2	165
24	Rated X	8.6	217

Season 3 (1973)

7.88 avg 24 episodes 7.8 → 7.5 30 min avg

Mid-peak

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Lamont as Othello	7.8	182
2	Libra Rising All Over Lamont	7.8	173
3	Fred, the Reluctant Fingerman	7.8	159
4	Presenting the Three Degrees	7.9	189
5	This Little TV Went to Market	7.9	156
6	Lamont, Is That You?	8.3	195
7	Fuentes, Fuentes, Sanford & Chico	7.6	159
8	Superflyer	8.3	197
9	The Engagement	8.2	174
10	The Blind Mellow Jelly Collection	8.5	205
11	A House Is Not a Pool Room	8.0	161
12	Grady, the Star Boarder	7.6	153
13	Wine, Women and Aunt Esther	8.3	168
14	Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe	8.9	253
15	Fred Sanford, Legal Eagle	8.8	258
16	This Land Is Whose Land?	7.5	154
17	Fred's Cheating Heart	7.8	153
18	The Party Crasher	7.9	166
19	Lamont Goes Karate	7.8	171
20	Will the Real Fred Sanford Please Do Something?	6.8	150
21	Tyranny, Thy Name Is Grady	7.4	154
22	Aunt Esther and Uncle Woodrow Pfftt...	7.3	148
23	The Way to Lamont's Heart	7.3	138
24	Hello Cousin Emma... Goodbye Cousin Emma	7.5	171

Season 4 (1974)

7.39 avg 25 episodes 8.0 → 5.9 30 min avg

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Surprise Party	8.0	156
2	Matchmaker, Matchmaker	7.5	142
3	Ol' Brown Eyes	7.6	139
4	Grady and His Lady	7.6	161
5	There'll Be Some Changes Made	7.7	166
6	Going Out of Business	7.3	140
7	Home Sweet Home	7.6	155
8	My Kingdom for a Horse	7.0	146
9	Sanford and Niece	7.2	147
10	Julio and Sister and Nephew	7.3	150
11	Fred's Treasure Garden	8.1	166
12	Tower Power	6.8	148
13	A Little Extra Security	7.5	156
14	The Merger	7.4	142
15	Once a Thief	7.5	143
16	The Stand-In	8.0	170
17	Strange Bedfellows	6.9	133
18	The Masquerade Party	7.8	153
19	Golden Boy	7.0	141
20	My Brother-In-Law's Keeper	7.6	138
21	The Headache	7.2	133
22	The Stung	7.5	144
23	The Older Woman	7.3	145
24	The Over-the-Hill Gag	7.5	144
25	The Family Man	5.9	181

Season 5 (1975)

7.31 avg 24 episodes 7.4 → 6.9 30 min avg

Season 5 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Earthquake II	7.4	152
2	Divorce, Sanford Style	7.3	140
3	Bank on This	7.6	150
4	The Sanford Arms	7.5	149
5	Steinberg and Son	7.9	171
6	Brother, Can You Spare an Act?	7.3	139
7	Della, Della, Della	7.0	124
8	Donna Pops the Question	7.3	134
9	My Fair Esther	7.5	134
10	Sanford and Rising Son	7.8	139
11	The Olympics	7.4	130
12	Ebenezer Sanford	7.8	184
13	The Oddfather	7.3	141
14	Can You Chop This?	7.1	132
15	Greatest Show in Watts	7.2	126
16	Fred Sanford Has a Baby	7.6	134
17	The TV Addict	7.4	137
18	Lamont in Love	6.7	115
19	The Escorts	7.0	117
20	The Engagement Man Always Rings Twice	7.3	121
21	The Director	7.3	122
22	A Pain in the Neck	7.0	104
23	Sergeant Gork	6.9	118
24	The Camping Trip	6.9	121

Season 6 (1976)

7.26 avg 25 episodes 7.0 → 7.0 30 min avg

Season 6 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Hawaiian Connection: Part 1	7.0	161
2	The Hawaiian Connection: Part 2	6.7	144
3	California Crude	7.0	129
4	The Stakeout	7.0	121
5	I Dream of Choo Choo Rabinowitz	6.9	111
6	The Winning Ticket	7.0	118
7	Committee Man	7.2	122
8	Fred's Extra Job	7.1	110
9	Carol	7.4	119
10	Aunt Esther Has a Baby	7.7	125
11	Aunt Esther Meets Her Son	7.5	125
12	Sanford and Gong	7.7	134
13	Here Today, Gone Today	7.0	111
14	Fred Meets Redd	7.3	126
15	The Defiant One	7.4	123
16	A Matter of Silence	7.5	109
17	When John Comes Marching Home	7.0	114
18	The Reverend Sanford	7.6	120
19	The Will	7.3	113
20	Fred the Activist	7.2	111
21	The Lucky Streak	7.2	112
22	Funny, You Don't Look It	7.3	114
23	Fred Sings the Blues	8.2	136
24	School Daze	7.4	129
25	Family reunion	7.0	15