Sanford and Son

Maureen Arthur guest stars as drama coach Marilyn O'Neill, who comes to the Sanford home to tutor Lamont. Fred, accompanied by his friend Bubba, returns home unexpectedly and almost has a heart attack when he sees Lamont and Marilyn in the choking scene from Othello. Lamont is in for a bigger shock when Fred becomes involved in a real-life drama with Marilyn's parents.

Lamont runs afoul of the stars in a zany astrological mix-up that involves his father and Aunt Esther. Lamont, attempting to discover his true nature, consults an astrologer who tells him he's a double Libra and to be nice to his father. Fred, positive that he's dying, thinks his son's solicitous attitude is due to his son's not wanting to reveal the doctor's real diagnosis.

Fred is witness to a burglary at Julio's house, but he refuses to identify the burglars for the police. To teach Fred a lesson, Julio and Lamont steal the junk truck and Julio claims to be afraid to give the police evidence about the theft he supposedly witnessed.

Popular recording group The Three Degrees guest as themselves. Lamont and Rollo try to make big stars of the singing trio over the objections of Fred. After they win him over, Fred and his cronies Bubba, Leroy and Skillet go to the club where the group is competing in a talent contest to offer their "support."

Fred buys a "hot" television and gets into hot water. After Fred has made his purchase, his friend Grady visits the Sanford home and declares that the set is the one that was stolen from his house. Grady goes to the police and while he's gone Fred sells the set to Julio. (Introduces Whitman Mayo as Grady Wilson).

Lamont and Rollo mistakenly go to a gay bar. Fred's friend Bubba sees them go into the bar and tells Fred that his son is gay. Fred refuses to believe it. Later, Fred and Bubba decide to investigate the bar to see why Lamont went, and Rollo sees them go in. Rollo relates the news to Lamont and the plot thickens.

Lamont and Julio go into the used auto parts business and drive Fred to skid row. Fred thinks Lamont's new venture means his son is deserting their partnership, so he moves into a skid row mission to make Lamont feel bad.

It takes some doing to convince Fred to make his first airplane flight. An inheritance left to Fred by a late uncle, doesn't seem reason enough to fly -- even for the money hungry Fred. But the images conjured up by Lamont of the beautiful "Fly Me" girls seem to clear the runway.

Fred succumbs to Donna's pressures and agrees to get married, but his family has other ideas. Fred and Donna plan to wed in a private ceremony at the Sanford home and Lamont uses this as a ploy to have Aunt Esther get the other aunts together to try to get rid of Donna.

Following the advice of his son Lamont, Fred donates a collection of rare jazz albums to a music library in order to get a tax write-off, but he wants them back when he finds they are valued at $500.

Lamont buys Fred a pool table for a birthday gift and Fred's buddies turn the Sanford home into a pool hall. With the pool table in, the junk business is out and so is Donna, Fred's fiancée. So with Donna's assistance, Lamont devises a scheme to get rid of the table.

Always trying to make a buck, Fred talks Lamont into letting Grady become a "paying" boarder in their home. But it looks like Fred is the one paying the price. Three adult bachelors sharing two bedrooms, one bathroom and one refrigerator can only add up to havoc.

Disgusted at Aunt Esther's endless rehashing of a friend's funeral, Fred and his cronies, Grady, Leroy and Skillet and Bubba, plan a cheer?up party. The party, with the help of "left-out" Lamont, gets underway early and ends with a big surprise.

A question arises as to whether Fred is really Lamont's father. Big Money Grip tells Grady that he is Lamont's father. Grady breaks the news to Fred and Fred consults his deceased wife's sister Esther.

Lamont gets a traffic ticket that he feels he does not deserve and Fred maneuvers himself into a position to be his son's lawyer, leaving Lamont in jeopardy.

Fred gets into a dispute with his neighbor Julio over the boundary dividing their properties. Lamont nags Fred to forget the whole matter but Fred doesn't let up until he hires a surveyor to settle the issue and determine the legal property line.

Lamont checks Fred into the hospital for tests to see why he has four or five heart attacks every day. To gain compassion from Lamont, Fred switches charts with his ailing roommate, who, unbeknownst to Fred, is scheduled for surgery.

Lamont and Rollo plan a romantic evening with two girls -- without Fred. Fred wants to help entertain the girls with lots of his onion stew and Ripple, but Lamont and Rollo insist the girls will prefer a French wine, chips and dips. The resulting clash is more than gastronomical.

The affections of a young lady become very painful for Lamont -- he gets punched in the nose by a "big" rival. To help get his revenge, Lamont gives his all to karate lessons.

A woman Fred wooed over one too many boilermakers comes looking to take him up on his marriage proposal. Betty is bent on getting satisfaction and skeptical of Grady's insisting he's not Fred.

Grady, subbing for Fred, tries to keep the Sanford home free of Bible meetings and "orgies." Grady follows Fred's instructions to the letter and refuses to let Aunt Esther hold her Bible meetings in the house. But he decides that Bible meetings aren't too bad when Lamont tricks him into leaving the house and invites Rollo and two girls over for a romantic evening.

Esther kicks Woodrow out of their house and, much to Grady's distress, Lamont gives his uncle permission to move in with them. To get Woodrow out of the Sanford house, Grady convinces him that he should "wear the pants in the family." But Grady could be trading bad for worse when Woodrow heeds his advice and decides to turn the tables on Esther.

Determined to get Lamont to the altar, his latest girl Judy schemes to gain the support of his godfather Grady by making advances toward him. What she's unprepared for, however, is that Grady takes the advances seriously.

Grady's cousin Emma gets an invitation to lodge at the Sanford home, triggering a plot to get her out. Though Lamont disapproves, Grady invites Emma to stay because she offers to cook and do other domestic chores. But she never gets around to doing anything and the pair's thoughts turn to getting rid of her.