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50 free Sanford and Son trivia questions with answers — entertainment quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
45 free Sanford and Son trivia questions with answers. Sanford and Son ran for six seasons on NBC and was the number-two show in America twice, all from a Watts junkyard and a cranky widower faking heart attacks. This quiz covers the show itself, from Fred's catchphrases and Aunt Esther's Bible to Grady, Julio, Ah Chew and the 1951 Ford pickup, and the story around it: Norman Lear's adaptation of Britain's Steptoe and Son, Quincy Jones's harmonica theme, Redd Foxx's 1974 walkout and his final quarrel over a dressing-room window. There are questions on the spin-offs too, Grady, Sanford Arms and the 1980 revival that Demond Wilson refused to join, plus a few on Foxx himself, from his real name to the Harlem dishwashing job he shared with Malcolm X. It suits classic-TV trivia nights and anyone who grew up with Friday nights on NBC. Every answer was checked against the Wikipedia articles on the show, its cast, its spin-offs and Steptoe and Son, and each question shows the sentence that supports it once you answer. Free, no signup.
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Q 01On which network did Sanford and Son air from 1972 to 1977?
NBC
It was seen as the network's answer to CBS's All in the Family.
Q 02Sanford and Son was adapted from which British sitcom?
Steptoe and Son
Norman Lear adapted both it and All in the Family from BBC shows.
Q 03Who played Fred G. Sanford?
Redd Foxx
Fred Sanford was actually the name of the comedian's own father and brother.
Q 04Who played Lamont Sanford?
Demond Wilson
A Vietnam veteran wounded with the 4th Infantry Division, he later played Oscar Madison in The New Odd Couple.
Q 05What business do Fred and Lamont run?
A junkyard
Their address was 9114 South Central Avenue in Watts.
Q 06In which Los Angeles neighbourhood is the Sanford business located?
Watts
Fred had moved there from his hometown of St. Louis in his youth.
Q 07Which city did Fred Sanford move to Los Angeles from?
St. Louis
It was also Redd Foxx's real hometown; a St. Louis Walk of Fame star was awarded in 1992.
Q 08What was the name of Fred's late wife, whom he addresses during his fake heart attacks?
Elizabeth
He would clutch his chest and announce 'this is the big one'.
Q 09What insult did Fred routinely fling at Lamont?
You big dummy
He also faked 'arthur-itis' in his hand to get out of work.
Q 10Who played Fred's Bible-toting nemesis Aunt Esther?
LaWanda Page
She had known Redd Foxx since elementary school in St. Louis and once worked as a fire dancer.
Q 11What act did Aunt Esther's actress perform before comedy, swallowing flames and lighting cigarettes with her fingers?
Fire dancing
She began performing at 15 in St. Louis.
Q 12Who played Fred's friend Grady Wilson?
Whitman Mayo
He effectively starred in six episodes when Redd Foxx walked off the show in 1974.
Q 13Grady's surname on the show was borrowed from what?
Lamont's actor's own first name
Lamont's actor was born Grady Demond Wilson.
What was the name of the Sanfords' Puerto Rican neighbour, played by Gregory Sierra?
Q 21How was Fred's absence explained on screen during Foxx's 1974 walkout?
A cousin's funeral in St. Louis
Grady was left in charge of the house.
Q 22Foxx's 1974 settlement raised his pay to $25,000 an episode to match which actor?
Carroll O'Connor
He also got 25% of the producers' net profits.
Q 23What did the media report was at the heart of Foxx's final dispute with NBC in 1977?
A dressing-room window
ABC lured him away to host The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour, ending the series.
Julio Fuentes
Sierra went straight from the role to Barney Miller as Detective Chano.
Q 15Which future Karate Kid star had a recurring role as Ah Chew?
Pat Morita
He also played Arnold on Happy Days.
Q 16Who composed the show's theme, 'The Streetbeater'?
Quincy Jones
It appeared on his 1973 album You've Got It Bad Girl and later on his greatest hits.
Q 17The theme's main melody is played on which instrument?
Harmonica
Tommy Morgan performed the composite part on several of them.
Q 18Which rapper sampled 'The Streetbeater' on her 2005 debut album Arular?
M.I.A.
The track was U.R.A.Q.T.
Q 19What make and year is the Sanfords' pickup truck?
1951 Ford F1
It was later restored by an Ohio classic-car dealership and displayed in Cleveland.
Q 20The star walked off the show during the 1973-74 season over what?
A salary dispute
He was earning $19,000 an episode and wanted a 25% ownership stake; Tandem sued for $10 million.
Q 24Where does Sanford and Son rank as its best Nielsen finish?
Number 2
It peaked there in 1972-73 and 1974-75, behind only All in the Family.
Q 25Which ABC family sitcom did Sanford and Son help drive off the air in 1974?
The Brady Bunch
It aired in the so-called Friday night death slot and still finished in the top ten five times.
Q 26Which sitcom followed Sanford and Son at 8:30 on NBC's Friday lineup and ranked No. 3 in 1974-75?
Chico and the Man
The two police dramas later that night ranked 12th and 15th.
Q 27Which production company made Sanford and Son?
Tandem Productions
Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin's company also made All in the Family; Yorkin handled the day-to-day running.
Q 28Where was the show taped?
NBC Studios in Burbank
The distance from Lear's other Tandem shows meant he was less involved day to day.
Q 29How many seasons did Sanford and Son run?
Six
Time magazine put it on its list of the 100 Best TV Shows of All Time in 2007.
Q 30What was the short-lived 1977 spin-off featuring the supporting cast after Foxx left?
Sanford Arms
It ran for just a month, from September 16 to October 14, 1977.