The Sanford Arms

The Sanford Arms is an American sitcom that aired from September to October 1977 on NBC. The series is an attempted continuation of the sitcom Sanford and Son.

After six seasons, Redd Foxx left Sanford and Son to star in a variety show for ABC. The producers planned to continue the series with Demond Wilson as Lamont, but Wilson left the project in a dispute over his expected salary as the star of the series. The producers decided to continue the project with a new character. Norman Lear stepped down from his position as executive producer but stayed on as a consultant.

Premise

The new lead character was Phil Wheeler (Theodore Wilson), a widower and old Army buddy of Fred Sanford's. It was explained that Fred and Lamont had moved to Arizona and they sold their property to Phil. Phil now lived in the Sanfords' old house with his two teenage children, Angie and Nat. The primary setting of the series, however, was the rooming house next door which Fred named "The Sanford Arms". Fred and Lamont bought the house in the penultimate season of the original series. The new series focused on Phil's attempts to turn the rooming house into a successful hotel.

Most of the recurring characters from the original series also starred in this series. Grady (Whitman Mayo) was now married to his girlfriend Dolly (who appeared in an episode of the original series). Bubba (Don Bexley) now worked at the Sanford Arms as a bellboy and a maintenance man. Aunt Esther (LaWanda Page) was...
Read More