Sanford and Son

Series Similar to Sanford and Son

If you enjoyed Sanford and Son, these series share similar themes, tone, and quality. Each recommendation is scored on genre overlap, tonal match, and critical acclaim.

1. Barney Miller

   1975 · Drama, Comedy · ended

   Recommended for similar Comedy profile, highly rated (8).

   Barney Miller is the kind of cop we'd all like to run into. He is always sensible. He maintains order over a squad room of detectives who gamble for a hobby, get hit on by anything in skirts, go to renaissance philosophy conventions for fun, and would really prefer to be writing.

2. The Jeffersons

   1975 · Comedy · ended

   Recommended for similar Comedy profile.

   Set in a high-rise apartment building in the heart of New York City, the show spun around George, a classic character portrait of vanity, arrogance, and petty prejudice. Balanced by the more level-headed but just as strong-willed Weezy, George's self-serving abrasiveness struck comic gold, particularly in the second season, when the show's style had been set but was still fresh. Episodes tackled subjects trivial (George and Tom wear the same tacky dinner jacket to a party) and trenchant (a country club invites George to join, but only so that a newspaper reporter will think the club is open to minorities). The black and white mix of the cast allowed for a sharply satirical take on race relations, which managed to have a genuine sense of hope while never glossing over the complexity of racial tension--and was consistently funny. In fact, it's striking how well the show's humor holds up; The Jeffersons turned a series of half-hour farces into a sly examination of marriage, race, class, and the battle of the sexes; it's sad that so few contemporary sitcoms have this kind of intelligence, courage, and sheer talent.

3. Becker

   1998 · Comedy · ended

   Recommended for similar Comedy profile.

   Becker centers on the life of Dr. John Becker, a cantankerous, yet dedicated and talented physician, who, in spite of his constant rants, has a decent heart underneath the sarcasm.

4. Diff'rent Strokes

   1978 · Comedy · ended

   Recommended for similar Comedy profile.

   Diff'rent Strokes is a sitcom that centered around millionaire widower Phillip Drummond, his two black adopted sons Arnold and Willis, and daughter Kimberly. Later seasons saw Drummond remarry and bring a new child, Sam, into the family. The show lasted eight seasons on two networks.

5. Going Straight

   1978 · Comedy, Crime · ended

   Recommended for similar Comedy profile, highly rated (8).

   Sitcom sequel to Porridge. Fletch is finally released from Slade Prison, will he be able to stop himself from going back?

6. Only Fools and Horses

   1981 · Comedy · ended

   Recommended for similar Comedy profile, highly rated (8.5).

   Classic John Sullivan sitcom set in south London, centred on hapless market trader Del Boy, his brother Rodney, the rest of the Trotter clan and a host of Peckham characters.

7. Fawlty Towers

   1975 · Comedy · ended

   Recommended for similar Comedy profile, highly rated (8.5).

   Fawlty Towers is set in a fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay. The plots centre on tense, rude and put-upon owner Basil Fawlty, his bossy wife Sybil, comparatively normal chambermaid Polly, who is often the peacemaker and voice of reason, and hapless Spanish waiter Manuel, showing their attempts to run the hotel amidst farcical situations and an array of demanding and eccentric guests.

8. Everybody Hates Chris

   2005 · Comedy · ended

   Recommended for similar Comedy profile.

   Inspired by his childhood experiences, comedian Chris Rock narrates the hilarious, touching story of a teenager growing up as the eldest of children in Brooklyn, New York during the early 1980s.

9. Outsourced

   2010 · Comedy · ended

   Recommended for similar Comedy profile, hidden gem, also on NBC.

   When manager Todd Dempsy returns to work after management training, he learns that the Mid America Novelties call center has been outsourced to Mumbai, India. In order to keep his job, Todd is left no choice but to relocate to India. There he meets his eclectic group of employees, and soon realizes that teaching them to understand America will be the first of many hurdles that he needs to overcome. Todd also discovers other foreign transplants working in his office building, including American expatriate Charlie Davies who runs the All American Hunter call center, and Tonya a beautiful Australian who runs the call center for Koala Air.

10. Best Friends Forever

    2012 · Comedy · ended

    Recommended for similar Comedy profile, hidden gem, also on NBC.

    Jessica St. Clair ("Bridesmaids") and Lennon Parham ("Accidentally on Purpose") star as Jessica and Lennon, best friends who live on opposite sides of the country with the men in their lives. When Jessica is overnighted divorce papers, Lennon convinces her to return home to Brooklyn and back into the apartment they used to share. It doesn't take long for the girls to fall into old habits: movie marathons and late night girl talk sessions - none of which is good news for Lennon's live-in boyfriend, Joe (Luka Jones, Upright Citizens Brigade). Joe tries to be understanding but begins to feel like a stranger in his own home. Meanwhile, Jessica is trying to get used to her new single life. Will she have to start buying matching sets of underwear again? Also, reconnecting with old friends like Rav (Stephen Schneider, "Happy Endings"), who may or may not have feelings for her, is more complicated than she thought. All of Jessica's new efforts are met with the critique of the friends' precocious nine-year-old neighbor, Queenetta (Daija Owens), who is not shy about doling out advice on their life choices.