In a TV lineup chockfull of sitcoms, viewers should remember to take a moment and tip their hats to the shows that started it all. Situation comedies (get it—“sitcom”?) were an appealing form of entertainment because they depicted the goings-on of normal people in lighthearted fashion. Like “The Jeffersons,” which covered one couple’s “move on up,” or “Sanford and Son,” the story about a rascally father and his wily antics. Which was your favorite?
“The Jeffersons” first premiered in 1975, quickly becoming a classic in the sitcom totem. The show centered around George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) and his wife, Louise (Isabel Sanford), who’ve improved upon their finances so much so that they were able to move from Queens to a fancy Manhattan apartment (hence that iconic theme song).
The thing about “The Jeffersons” is that it tackled serious issues of race and income disparity through the lens of comedy. Watch depressing documentaries all you want—there’s a lot of serious points one can make with a laugh track thrown in.
“Sanford and Son” was also a very thoughtful TV show. Surface level, it was a show starring Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford, a smart-aleck junk dealer who’s the perpetual source of annoyance for his son, Lamont (Desmond Wilson). Its theme song was also as equally catchy as “The Jeffersons,” although it gets stuck in your head a lot more easily since it’s basically, like, four notes and no singing.
Back to the thoughtfulness of the show, “Sanford and Son” also tackled the issues of race as well as the struggle of the lower class. It also kind of made everyone want to live in a junkyard, because man, that place was sick.
