‘Sanford and Son’ at 50, ‘double-edged’ Black sitcom pioneer

By LYNN ELBER
AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It was 50 years ago this month that the sitcom “Sanford and Son” debuted on NBC. The show featured an unlikely network star, Redd Foxx, known for his rowdy stand-up routines. But Foxx adjusted his act for TV and “Sanford and Son” was an instant hit, opening the door for other Black family shows to move into mostly white TV. “Sanford and Son” revolved around widower Fred Sanford. He was a junk dealer in the Watts area of LA who foisted work and insults on his long-suffering son. Norman Lear, who developed “Sanford and Son,” says Foxx’s comic brilliance made “everything possible.”