MovieChat Forums > Sanford and Son (1972) Discussion > Unwatchable Jump the Shark episodes

Unwatchable Jump the Shark episodes

posted 13 years ago by drtturner
45 replies | jump to latest

Sad when the characters start collecting the check only with no regard for creativity. I saw one where Fred dresses as a WWII General in a flashback as he tells his Godson type a long story. Lamont strolls in with a terrible march, which turns out to be the highlight since all other jokes go flat. Regulars like Esther, Grady and Julio had enough sense to stay far away. They had a couple fill ins in the roles that they normally would play. Have you seen this one ? Did you like ? Which other ones are unwatchable (I turned the channel, which is pretty bad).

[–] Tina-37 13 years ago

I missed the one you mentioned, but the AntennaTV channel is currently showing the episodes with Grady filling in for Fred -- and you just keep hoping Fred will make an appearance and bring it all to a crashing halt. Not sure if the episode you mentioned is the only Jump the Shark moment, but the second Grady was left in charge (and I vaguely remember that time when the series originally aired) I lost interest. It was terrible when I saw the episode in which Grady was guarding the house with the rifle, kept putting the live round in his back pocket...and I was hoping the gun would go off and put us all out of our misery. These are the times when you just wish a show would end and leave us with the good memories.

[–] blakgard 13 years ago

The Grady episodes were some of the best!

[–] drtturner 13 years ago

Many people say when lamont started getting all dolled up, gerrie curl, lavender suits, extra weight and he became stoic, not arguing with pop, not getting irritated, just sleep walking through his lines in a monotone fashion, it took away from the show. Some say lamont leaving, Haystack Calhoun redneck Cal stepping in was a sacrilage. Fred even became kinder on those shows which was actually changed to just Sanford.

[–] ItsEddieHaskellBeyotch 13 years ago

I'm also gonna have to go with that stretch of Grady episodes as shark jumpers. The only one that was funny was the one where everybody starts eating the weed grown in the garden.

The only other shark jump indicators on this show are anytime in the later seasons where Lamont and Fred look to 'glam' or well off on the show to be as broke as they were. Moreso Lamont with his sunglasses and permed hair.

"A commitment to cinema means to lead a technically deviant lifestyle."

[–] Adirondack 13 years ago

I have to think that any shows with episodes that don't have the main star are going to have people who point to those episodes as "shark jump" episodes. It's so easy to do that. In fact, it can be a cop-out if you are pressed to answer those questions. I think people say the same thing about the "Archie is missing" episodes in All in the Family.

The "Grady in charge" episodes were great. Grady is a great and likable character and even though Redd Foxx was missed in those episodes, Whitman Mayo's character was great as a temporary fill-in. I couldn't imagine Bubba in charge.

I just watched the whole series from beginning to end on DVD and to me, it's the only series where the writing was consistently good all the way through. Maybe once they got the Sanford Arms, it started being a little less good, but it was still good. The "Esther and Woody adopting" episodes and "Esther and Woody as parents" episodes aren't the best to me because I preferred Esther before the adoption business.

I think they needed another minority character to replace Julio. Maybe someone from the Middle East or India. They even stopped having Ah Choo after a while. I'm sure glad they kept using Rollo.

[–] EXPLICITSOUL5 8 years ago

I disagree! One of the FUNNIEST episodes,was Tyranny Thy Name Is Grady! I'm not talking with or without Grady. I'm talking PERIOD! Aunt Esther: "This house even corrupted my favorite nephew!....AND broke his arm, Jesus"! Bwaaaa!! And the one when Betty Hairston dropped by because she thought Fred was going to marry her! Freddies...ready...for Betty! Lol! I couldn't picture Bubba filling in for Fred. And LeRoy and Skillet would have REALLY corrupted Lamont!But yeah around the time of the Sgt. Gork episode. The Christmas ep. When Fred's schemes got more outlandish: He's a minister, he's Jewish, he has a circus, he's gone undercover to catch "Ms.Wallace",etc. But I would pick the WORST S & S episode over the BEST "modern" sitcom episode every day all day! Now what does that say about modern TV?

He is risen!

[–] toking65000 13 years ago

I saw this one for the first time the other night, I dunno how I missed it since I've watched the show all my life.

I usually don't like any episode that takes place off location.

I didn't like the Hawaiin episodes either.

Question your prejudices.

[–] finewoman 13 years ago

Any episode with Grady leading....and most of them afterwards. Basically, anything after 1974

[–] toking65000 13 years ago

I think the Grady episodes are among the highest rated.

Question your prejudices.

[–] Dupree22 (2) 4 years ago

The season of most of the Grady episodes was indeed the highest rated season. That’s why Redd Foxx left in the middle of it - once the show hit #1, he wanted to be paid as much as Carroll O’Connor.

Since I was a kid in the 70s, and one of the show’s biggest fans, I remember that season well. We all hoped from week to week that Redd would return. Then we saw Grady, and felt that sense of familiar dread. Whitman Mayo was enormously talented in his supporting role, but just couldn’t carry the show.

Sanford and Son always aired on Friday night at 8:00. “Grady” aired on Thursday night at 8:00, and I watched it, but wasn’t surprised when it didn’t make it. It foreshadowed The Sanford Arms, which also crashed and burned. Without Redd, the show was dead...

[–] ColdestWinter 13 years ago

I think some of the best episodes are when Grady is leading. How can any like the episode when they think he was planting weed, Lamont learns Karate or the one Grady won't let Lamont have female company over. This so jumped the shark in the last 2 seasons.

[–] SteelKeez 13 years ago

some of yall are tripping for real..the cousin emma ep,lamont goes karate.tyrant thy name is grady,and the ep where woodrow kicks esther out of the house..grady was hilarious filling in for fred
From a nickel and dime a@@ figga,to a top black ballin big rigga...B-Legit

[–] jac91604 13 years ago

The Grady episodes were great!!!! "Cousin Emma"....I'm gonna make you a big breakfast....hysterical.

[–] CooperCamden 10 years ago

Clarice Taylor was priceless as Cousin Emma! Among my favorite episodes.

[–] Vendboygreg 13 years ago

Sanford and Son is my favorite television show EVER, but I have to say, my favorite episodes are the Grady episodes...IMO they were some of the best, I can't fathom how some people think they weren't good..

--Insert clever signature here --

[–] madetwolast 13 years ago

I hated the one when Aunt Esther and Woodrow adopted the teenager. Yuck.

[–] studio_raat 13 years ago

The Grady episodes were great. One of my favorite episodes was Lamont learning karate, that was a Grady episode. The show jumped the shark about the 4th season on. After Julio was off the show and they rented out his house.........shark was jumped

[–] the-spy 13 years ago

i agree that the grady episodes were very good. to me, it's hard to say exactly when the show jumped the shark, but it seemed there were a lot of weak episodes in the last two seasons (the george foreman one was really bad for instance).

it also seemed like demond wilson was losing interest in the show for about the last two seasons, and his character just seemed watered down - there is a huge difference between lamont in the first season and the last season; the series definitely did not end on a high note.

[–] vestdennis 12 years ago

Most of the Grady episodes were funny. I didn't like those when Lamont became more normal or Fred either (dating Janet, taking in the boarder who was pregnant, etc.).

The last season was just not worth buying, in fact, the first 2 or 3 are all that I cared for...

[–] gppressingon 13 years ago

NEVER JUMPED! A classic from first episode to last. One poster's signature is "Question your prejudices." Were the philosopher-novelist Ayn Rand among us and posting here, she would say "Check your premises." I reject the false premise that every show jumps the shark at some point, SANFORD & SON providing compelling evidence.

Okay, okay, a few episodes were three-star as opposed to four-star episodes. The "sappy" ones like the already mentioned Esther and Woody adopt, or the niece who reminds Fred of Elizabeth, and the one where Fred graduates from night school are among my least favorites, but nonetheless still thoroughly watchable. I can't think of a single episode I wouldn't watch again.

Me, I personally enjoyed the spoof episodes like "Sgt Gork" (the WWII-flashback episode mentioned in the original post) and "The Hawaiian Connection" (with it's double-whammy parody of HAWAII FIVE-O and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE). I kept reading that the last two seasons were awful, but they were great, especially with recurring appearances by the hilarious Fritzi Burr ("Listen, buddy!") and Frank Nelson ("Yeeees?!).

As a few people have mentioned, the Grady episodes were fantastic (his spin-off pilot episode aside--a two-star episode, but that one isn't canonical S&S!).

PS: I never saw the short-lived SANFORD ARMS (heard it was terrible) or GRADY (outside the pilot), but Redd Foxx's 1980's series SANFORD without Lamont and featuring Dennis Burkley as Cal was surprisingly good. I watched 'em all and would rank most with lower-tier SANFORD & SON and a couple even higher. Check out the show if you can (they once were on YouTube).

[–] ForTheNonce 10 years ago

Agreed. Some episodes are obviously better than others, but I don't the the show ever sharkjumped.

[–] lbstb-2 13 years ago

I didnt really like the ones with Grady staring in it. The only funny ones with him in it are the social security check, Jo Jo Jackson excuse me Jaw Breakin Jo Jo Jackson the sledge hammer of central ave lol and the one with gun where Esther tells Lamont and Rollo they should be somewhere learning a trade lol lol