Sanford and Son has long been hailed as the precursor to many African American sitcoms, such as The Cosby Show. Although sometimes gregarious in its humor, Sanford and Son was groundbreaking for African Americans on television.

James Whittle of The Washington Post called it “a show that broke new ground and paved the way for Cosby…”. And Gene Siskel, known best for his critical reviews of both television and movies, said this: “What All in the Family did for the Caucasian race in our nation with television, Sanford and Son did for African Americans. It is one of the two most noted and significant African American sitcoms since the invention of television.”

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