Known for its racial humor, running gags, and catchphrases, the series was adapted by Norman Lear and considered NBC's response to CBS' All in the Family.

The show also includes characters Aunt Esther, Grady Wilson, Bubba Bexley, Rollo Lawson, Donna Harris, and Julio Fuentes.

After the show premiered in 1972, newspapers touted Foxx as NBC's answer to Archie Bunker, the bigoted white protagonist of All in the Family.

The two shows were both based on popular British sitcoms and both were pioneers of edgy, racial humor that reflected the changing politics of the time.

However, Sanford and Son differed from All in the Family and other Norman Lear shows of the era in that it lacked the element of drama.

Because of Lear's commitments to his other concurrent series, and the distance between NBC Studios in Burbank where Sanford and Son were taped and the Hollywood locations of other Tandem shows, such as All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, and One Day at a Time, which were recorded at CBS Television City or Metromedia Square, he did not have as much day-to-day involvement with Sanford and Son as with the other Tandem series, leaving the show-running to Yorkin.

While taping episodes for the 1973–74 season, Redd Foxx walked off the show in a salary dispute, though he cited health issues.

His character was written out of the series for the remaining six episodes of the season, and it was explained that Fred Sanford was away in St. Louis attending his cousin's funeral, with friend Grady (Whitman Mayo) in charge of the home.

The dispute was resolved in June 1974, with Foxx receiving $25,000, equivalent to $171,589 in 2023, per episode, to equal Carroll O'Connor's All in the Family pay, plus 25% of the producers' net profits.

The storefront, seen only in the opening credits, stood at 10659 West Magnolia Boulevard in North Hollywood, nearly 16 miles from the Sanfords' fictitious 9114 South Central Avenue address in Watts.

After the series was canceled in 1977, a short-lived continuation featuring the supporting characters titled Sanford Arms aired.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released all six seasons of Sanford and Son on Region 1 DVD between August 2002 and June 2005, with a Complete Series box set following in 2008.