TV LAND CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF LEGENDARY TELEVISION, FILM AND STAGE ACTRESS ISABEL SANFORD

Santa Monica, CA, July 12, 2004 - TV Land will honor the life and work of acclaimed television, theater and film actress Isabel Sanford with a six-episode presentation of The Jeffersons on Wednesday, July 14 beginning at 8 p.m ET/PT. Sanford, who passed away in Los Angeles on Friday, co-starred in The Jeffersons - one of the most popular and ground-breaking sitcoms of all time -- as Louise Jefferson, the acerbic but loving wife of George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley).

"We are all deeply saddened by the passing of Isabel Sanford," explains Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land and Nick at Nite. "Isabel's portrayal of Louise Jefferson is just one of the many contributions that she made to the entertainment world, and we cherish the legacy she left behind."

TV Land has selected six of the most memorable episodes from The Jeffersons to showcase on Wednesday evening, ranging from the series' first episode, "A Friend in Need," to Sanford's favorite, in which Sammy Davis Jr. guest stars -- "What Makes Sammy Run?"
Additionally, TV Land will begin airing a 30-second tribute spot to Sanford immediately.

Sanford, who was born in New York, secretly worked as a nightclub performer in her teens against her mother's wishes. When she won 3rd prize in an Apollo Theatre amateur contest, she finally revealed the truth to her mother. She later took a full-time job at The New York City Department of Welfare and spent her evenings acting at The Harlem Y and The American Negro Theatre, and eventually made it to the Broadway stage in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner.

It was in the early 1960s that she packed up her family and decided to head to Hollywood. Her breakthrough role as Tillie, the faithful cook in Stanley Kramer's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner in 1967 led her to land several guest roles on shows like Bewitched, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Mod Squad. She also was hired for several guest spots on The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1969.

Sanford is best known for her portrayal of Louise
(Weezy) Jefferson, George Jefferson's level-headed wife, a role which she originated on All in the Family as the next-door-neighbors to The Bunkers. Their characters were eventually spun off into their own show in 1975 with The Jeffersons, as George's business took off and the family moved into a luxury high-rise apartment in Manhattan. The series remained on CBS for ten years.

Nominated for seven Emmys, Sanford won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on The Jeffersons in 1981, and was the first African American to win in that category in the history of the awards.
She was also nominated for a Golden Globe five times.
She received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in January 2004.

Sanford is survived by three children, seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren.


The episodes in TV Land's Jeffersons marathon are as follows (all times ET/PT):

8 p.m. #1, "A Friend In Need"
The Jeffersons, inspired by characters created on All in the Family, have left Bunkerville for midtown New York and their own series. The Jeffersons new affluence is creating marital mayhem between Louise and George, especially when George insists Louise hire a maid to take care of their new Manhattan high-rise apartment. Not only does Louise reject the idea of having a maid, she's also upset by George's snobbish reasons for wanting one.

8:30 p.m. #55, "Louise vs. Jenny"
The trouble with being a mother-in-law is that you start acting like one is the lesson Louise learns the hard way when she and Jenny start fighting over Lionel.

9 p.m. #56, The Marriage Counselors
After learning that Tom and Helen are taking a course on how to improve their marriage, and seeing their results, Louise tries to get George to take the course with her. However, George refuses to consider the possibility that their marriage could use improvement.

9:30 p.m. #101, "Louise's Reunion"
When Louise finds out about a new clause in George's will, she almost gives him cause to use it.

10 p.m. #148, "And the Doorknobs Shined Like Diamonds"
Louise learns her old home in Harlem is being torn down and takes odd for a late-night visit to the house and a poignant rendezvous with the memories it contains. Louise sees herself as she was as a child, as a teenager (when she first knew George Jefferson) and as a bride-to-be.

10:30 p.m. #218, "What Makes Sammy Run"
A star-struck Louise inadvertently becomes Sammy Davis, Jr.'s last line of defense in his battle to find some peace and relaxation away from fans and a hounding sleazy tabloid reporter. Sammy Davis Jr.
Makes a special guest star appearance as himself. GS
- Sammy Davis Jr.
**(This was Isabel Sanford's favorite episode)**