Search - Sanford and Son - The Fifth Season on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 11/30/2022...

A great series full of laughs! A must watch!

"Wolf woman don't come out until there's a full moon."

B-MAN | Earth, occasionally. Until I get bored. | 10/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Add another 25 episodes of the classic Sanford & Son to your collection with the Complete Season 5! If you own the 5 seasons of Sanford & Son available right now, then you have 111 of the 136 episodes of this essential show(leaving the 25 episodes that will wrap up the series in Season 6). There are some opinions that say Season 5 was when the show started to run out of steam. The reality is this season offers tons of laughs because of the talent of it's stars, especially Redd Foxx, who despite being unhappy with the show, continued to turn out hilarious performances as always as Fred G. Sanford (that's S-A-N-F-O-R-D period). The same can be said for Demond Wilson and the supporting cast. Season 5 saw the appearances of new characters like Lamont's fiancee Janet, Officer Hoppy's Mom, and Hutch, one of the residents of the new "Sanford Arms" boarding house. This season is also notable for several guest appearances such as Robert Guillaume (Benson), John Larroquette (Night Court), Della Reese, Merv Griffin, and George Foreman. Discs 1 & 2 each have 9 episodes and Disc 3 has 7. Here are the episode titles for Season 5 (Sept 75-Mar 76):

01. Earthquake II
02. Divorce, Sanford Style
03. Bank on this
04. The Sanford Arms
05. Steinberg & Son
06. Brother, can you spare an act?
07. Della, Della, Della
08. Donna pops the question
09. My fair Esther
10. Sanford and Rising Son
11. The Olympics
12. Ebenezer Sanford
13. The Oddfather
14. Can you Chop this?
15. Greatest Show in Watts
16. Fred Sanford has a baby
17. The TV Addict
18. Lamont in Love
19. The Escorts
20. Engagement man always rings twice
21. The Director
22. A Pain in the Neck
23. Sergeant Gork
24. The Over the Hill Gag
25. Camping Trip


Trivia:

*The episode where Lamont thinks Fred has 6 months to live, "The Over the Hill Gag", was actually produced and aired during the 4th season (Mar 75). For some reason it was not included on the 4th season set.

*The episode "The Sanford Arms" spawned a very short lived spin off series with the same name. The show mostly featured Aunt Esther and Bubba, but with no Fred and Lamont, it didn't make it. There were only 8 episodes, 4 of which actually aired. It ranks last in success among the 3 Sanford & Son spinoffs ("Grady" being second with 12 episodes)

*The most successful spin off from Sanford & Son, not surprisingly, featured Redd Foxx reclaiming his classic role. The sitcom, appropriately titled "Sanford" featured Fred alongside new sidekick Cal. There were also appearances by S&S regulars Esther, Grady, & Rollo. It lasted for two seasons (Mar 1980 to July 1981). Hopefully it will see a DVD release for all of us wanting more Redd Foxx after Sanford & Son is complete.


Excerpt from "My Fair Esther":

Lamont: She's gonna be competing with her own peers.
Fred: Her peers?
Lamont: Yes.
Fred: You mean Godzilla is in the contest?

I'm so glad this is on DVD!


"

When the show started to go downhill

John Alapick | Wilkes-Barre, PA United States | 01/16/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Sanford and Son's 5th season shows one of the best sitcoms ever created running out of steam. While Redd Foxx was funny as ever, especially when he was insulting Aunt Esther, the writing really went downhill. Fred Sanford seemed to becoming the Ralph Kramden of the '70s, entering one big money making scheme after another (selling Whopper Choppers, having a circus in his junkyard, opening a Japanese restaurant in his house, etc). Grady, played by Whitman Mayo, made far less appearances due to his ill-fated spinoff of the same name. There were still several funny episodes in Season 5 with the best being "The Over The Hill Gag" and "Bank On This" from Disc 1 and "Sanford And Son Rising", "The Olympics", "The Oddfather", and "Can You Chop This" from Disc 2. As stated earlier, the writing was getting stale. In "Brother, Can You Spare An Act?", Fred and Lamont show their singing and tap dancing skills respectively. Which makes you ask the question, "Why are they working in a junkyard?" The "Steinberg And Son" episode, where Fred and Lamont attempt to sue over a show that copies their lives, was very unrealistic. Lamont's character was getting softer as he engaged to be married to his fiance Janet. Special guests such as Della Reese and George Foreman were making appearances and there were a few flashback episodes, clear signs that the writers were running out of ideas. If you're a big fan of the show, you'll still enjoy most of the episodes here as even the weaker ones have their moments. It just isn't consistently humorous like nearly every episode from Seasons 1-3 and most of Season 4."

One foot in the grave, the other on a Banana peel

DEAN M. Dent | SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA USA | 07/09/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"By the time the fifth season of Sanford and Son came around,it was obvious that the show was on it's last leg.
Despites some funny episodes (Earthquake II,Steinberg and Son,My Fair Esther, Sanford and Rising Son, The TV Addict and The Director featuring George Foreman) we get a ton of stinkers (Sergeant Gork, The Oddfather, Can You Chop This?, Greatest Show in Watts and A Pain in the Neck).
Aside from the supporting cast becoming more prominant, the season also introduces Janet,Lamont's new fiancee,, Hutch and May Hopkins (Hoppy's Mother) , two resident of the new Sanford Arms.
Even with the new recurring charaters,it's obvious Sanford and Son was getting tired, and the fact that the two leads quitting the show after the next and final season makes this obvious."