This really was “The Big One”. Season 5 was probably my favorite year of Sanford and Son. Episodes like the Dickens-inspired Ebenezer Sanford, The classic Sanford and Rising Son and The Oddfather leave me laughing just to think about them. I can’t look at George C. Scott as Patton and not be reminded of the intrepid Sergeant Gork. George Foreman took a break from his fight schedule to appear as himself. Even the clip-loaded Camping Trip is a constant riot. In Season 5 the Sanfords discover NBC is making a TV show abo…t their lives. This is the year Lamont gets engaged and Fred meets Della Reese. If you can’t find something to laugh about in this collection, you’re dead.
Audio
As can be expected from a 1970’s sitcom, Sanford and Son – The Complete Fifth Season reveals a mediocre Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track. It works for what it needs to do. As long as you can hear Fred, you don’t really need anything else.
Video
The video is the expected 1.33:1 full frame presentation. The episodes are quite inconsistent. Many are actually quite good for their age and original budget, but a few suffer from color lines and recording defects. Colors are there, that’s really all you can say for most of this set.
Special Features
Nothing to report here… this disc contains no extras at all.
Final Thoughts
The sad news is there would only be one more year of Sanford and Son following this collection. Redd Foxx was one of the funniest men of the 1970’s, and Sanford and Son was his crowning achievement. If you’re heading to the local video store to pick this one up, hold on a second because “I’m comin’ to join ya”.
