Season summary[]
Sanford and Son episodes[]
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | DVD release date | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season premiere | Season finale | ||||
Season 1 | 14 | January 14, 1972 | April 14, 1972 | August 6, 2002 | |
Season 2 | 24 | September 15, 1972 | March 16, 1973 | February 4, 2003 | |
Season 3 | 24 | September 14, 1973 | March 29, 1974 | October 7, 2003 | |
Season 4 | 25 | September 13, 1974 | April 25, 1975 | March 30, 2004 | |
Season 5 | 24 | September 12, 1975 | March 19, 1976 | September 14, 2004 | |
Season 6 | 24 | September 24, 1976 | March 25, 1977 | June 7, 2005 |
Season 3: 1973–74 episode summary[]
Note: Twenty-five episodes were written for Season Three, but Episode 19 was never taped due to contract disputes with Redd Foxx and producers of the show. The negotiations led to Foxx being absent from the last six episodes, but he returned to the series at the beginning of Season Four.
Season 3 | |||||||
No. in series | Episode # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original Airdate | Prod. Code | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
39 | 1 | "Lamont as Othello" | Peter Baldwin | Ilunga Adell | September 14, 1973 | 302 | |
Fred is uneasy with Lamont's rehearsing Othello with a white actress in their home, so Marilyn invites Fred and Lamont to come to her home in Beverly Hills. | |||||||
40 | 2 | "Libra Rising All Over Lamont" | Jack Shea | Ilunga Adell | September 21, 1973 | 305 | |
As an astrologer tells Lamont that as a Libra he must avoid strife and arguing, hypochondriac Fred is home suffering from gas after eating eight-day-old collard greens. | |||||||
41 | 3 | "Fred, the Reluctant Fingerman" | Jack Shea | Gene Farmer | September 28, 1973 | 306 | |
Fred, fearing retaliation after witnessing a robbery at Julio's, is unwilling to get involved by describing the burglars to the police. | |||||||
42 | 4 | "Presenting The Three Degrees" | Peter Baldwin | Ilunga Adell | October 5, 1973 | 304 | |
The Three Degrees, the Philadelphia-based singing trio, are the Sanfords' house-guests. The ladies perform "I Didn't Know" for Fred. | |||||||
43 | 5 | "This Little TV Went to Market" | Peter Baldwin | Gene Farmer | October 12, 1973 | 303 | |
Grady claims the television Fred got for a steal from Guy's Groovy Grabbag was indeed stolen--from him. | |||||||
44 | 6 | "Lamont, Is That You?" | Peter Baldwin | James R. Stein & Robert Illes | October 19, 1973 | 301 | |
Fred fears Lamont and Rollo are homosexuals after Bubba reports seeing them go into the Gay Blade Bar. | |||||||
45 | 7 | "Fuentes, Fuentes, Sanford & Chico" | Jack Shea | Gene Farmer | October 26, 1973 | 307 | |
Feeling betrayed when Lamont starts a sideline business with Julio, Fred moves out and into a downtown flophouse. | |||||||
46 | 8 | "Superflyer" | Peter Baldwin | Teleplay by
Charles T. Williams and Ilunga Adell Story by Charles T. Williams |
November 2, 1973 | 310 | |
Fred's Uncle Leotis dies and leaves him $1,500, but the catch to collecting it is Fred and Lamont must fly to St. Louis and oversee the funeral arrangements. But steady Freddy isn't sure he's ready to take his first flight in an airplane. | |||||||
47 | 9 | "The Members of the Wedding"
"The Engagement" |
Jack Shea | James R. Stein & Robert Illes | November 9, 1973 | 311 | |
Fred and Donna are to be married on Sunday, but Lamont plots to put them asunder before the Lord joins them together by inviting to the wedding his Aunt Esther and the rest of Fred's irascible in-laws. | |||||||
48 | 10 | "The Blind Mellow Jelly Collection" | Mark Warren | Phil Mishkin | November 16, 1973 | 309 | |
Lamont becomes annoyed that Fred is constantly playing old blues records featuring a band named Blind Mellow Jelly. Then, he finds out the records are rare and could be worth several hundred dollars. | |||||||
49 | 11 | "A House is Not a Pool Room" | Jack Shea | Winston Moss | November 23, 1973 | 308 | |
Lamont suffers buyer's remorse after the pool table he gave Fred for his birthday brings the boys over for billiards every day while Fred's work and girlfriend Donna go neglected. | |||||||
50 | 12 | "Grady, The Star Boarder" | Jack Shea | Gene Farmer | November 30, 1973 | 312 | |
Fred seizes a financial opportunity when Grady gripes about his neighbors' fighting: invite Grady to come live in serenity for $60 a month with him and Lamont. | |||||||
51 | 13 | "Wine, Women & Aunt Esther"
"Leaving the Nest" |
Peter Baldwin | Teleplay by
Ilunga Adell Story by James R. Stein & Robert Illes |
December 14, 1973 | 314 | |
Depressed about death and growing old, Fred and his drinking buddies determine to think young and go for the gusto by throwing a wild party, inviting topless waitress Fast Fanny and four of her fast friends to spice it up. | |||||||
52 | 14 | "Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe" | Jack Shea | Ilunga Adell | January 4, 1974 | 313 | |
Fred's feathers get ruffled when an old friend from St. Louis comes to town claiming to be Lamont's actual father. | |||||||
53 | 15 | "Fred Sanford, Legal Eagle" | Bob LaHendro | Teleplay by
Gene Farmer Story by Paul Mooney and Gene Farmer |
January 11, 1974 | 315 | |
When Lamont gets a traffic ticket, Fred convinces him to fight it in court, where the poor man's Perry Mason steps up to defend his son against the system. | |||||||
54 | 16 | "This Land is Whose Land?" | Peter Baldwin | Ilunga Adell | January 18, 1974 | 316 | |
Fred, petty and prejudiced against his Puerto Rican neighbor, hires a surveyor to mark the legal property line to ensure Julio keeps his stuff off the Sanford side. | |||||||
55 | 17 | "Fred's Cheating Heart" | Stan Lathan | Ilunga Adell | February 1, 1974 | 317 | |
After learning about the dangers and high risk of heart disease, Lamont plots to get his heart attack-prone father to the hospital for a cardio check-up. | |||||||
56 | 18 | "The Party Crasher" | Stan Lathan | Gene Farmer | February 8, 1974 | 318 | |
Lamont and Rollo don't want to invite fuddy-duddy Fred to their party with a pair of live-wire women from Detroit. | |||||||
57 | 19 | "Lamont Goes Karate" | Bud Yorkin | Ilunga Adell | February 15, 1974 | 320 | |
Lamont learns karate to defend himself against bully Jo Jo Jackson. | |||||||
58 | 20 | "Will the Real Fred Sanford Please Do Something?" | Stan Lathan | Aaron Ruben | February 22, 1974 | 321 | |
A woman Fred wooed over one too many boilermakers comes looking to take him up on his marriage proposal. Betty is bent on getting satisfaction and skeptical of Grady's insisting he's not Fred. | |||||||
59 | 21 | "Tyranny, Thy Name Is Grady" | Stan Lathan | Gene Farmer | March 1, 1974 | 322 | |
With Fred away in St. Louis, Grady is put in charge of the house. He quickly makes his presence known by keeping Aunt Esther out and preventing Lamont from bringing girls home. | |||||||
60 | 22 | "Aunt Esther & Uncle Woodrow Pfft..." | Bud Yorkin | Ilunga Adell | March 8, 1974 | 323 | |
I'm not a cream puff! declares Uncle Woody after Grady gives him an empowering man-to-man talk and sends him home to reclaim his castle. But Aunt Esther doesn't appreciate Grady's making a man of her mouse and shows that hell hath no fury like the wife of a worm turned. | |||||||
61 | 23 | "The Way to Lamont's Heart" | Hal Cooper | Story by
Paul Wayne & George Burditt Teleplay by Paul Wayne & George Burditt and Aaron Ruben |
March 15, 1974 | 324 | |
Lamont's looking for a little lovin', but new girlfriend Judy is looking to settle down. When Lamont tells Judy he can't get married because his godfather Grady would disapprove, Judy sets to winning Grady's approval with a smile and a smoked pork butt, which sets Grady jumping to conclusions. | |||||||
62 | 24 | "Hello Cousin Emma, Goodbye Cousin Emma" | Hal Cooper | Bill Manhoff | March 29, 1974 | 325 | |
Grady's cousin Emma blows in from the Windy City and promises to make the living easy for the two men, but Lamont has his doubts, especially after being bumped from his bedroom and having to share a bed with Grady. |