What Happened on the Last Episode of 'Sanford and Son'?

In the last episode of Sanford and Son, Fred and Bubba raise concerns among family and friends when they begin sneaking out at night. Lamont and Donna both fear that Fred is having an affair with another woman, but the truth is something much tamer, if unexpected. In reality, the buds have been attending night school, with Fred hoping to finally earn the high school diploma he had given up on years before.

In the end, Fred reaches his goal, and everyone celebrates his accomplishment.

Last Episode of Sanford and Son — Details

The last episode of Sanford and Son was titled “School Daze” and first aired on March 25, 1977. It was the 135th episode of the sitcom, which ran on NBC from January 14, 1972 through 1977.

Cast

The cast of the final episode of Sanford and Son included many of the show’s regulars:

Redd Foxx as Fred G. Sanford
Demond Wilson as Lamont Sanford
Don Bexley as Bubba Bexley
Lynn Hamilton as Donna Harris
LaWanda Page as Aunt Esther Anderson
Nathaniel Taylor as Rollo Larson

Aftermath

Even after the Sanford and Son theme song played for the last time in the spring of 1977, NBC tried to keep the Sanford mystique going awhile longer.

Though Redd Foxx had already signed on to star in a variety show on ABC, producers tried to keep Demond Wilson (Lamont) in the fold but were unable to come to an agreement. So they turned to the peripheral cast who carried on with a short-lived spinoff named Sanford Arms.

Sanford Arms was actually the second Sanford spinoff, following the 1975-76 Whitman Mayo named Grady after Mayo’s beloved Sanford and Son character.

In 1980, Foxx returned to the fold to try and revive the old magic with Sanford, but Demond Wilson would not sign on to participate in the revamped sitcom. After just two fairly short seasons, NBC dropped the sequel.