One of my favorite television shows growing up was All in the Family.

All in the Family is an acclaimed American comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS  television network from January 12, 1971 to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, the show was revamped, and given a new title, Archie Bunker’s Place. This version of the sitcom lasted another four years, ending its run in 1983.

Produced by Norman Lear and based on the British television series Til Death Us Do Part, the show broke ground in its depiction of issues previously deemed unsuitable for U.S. network television comedy, such as racism, homosexuality, women’s liberation, rape, miscarriage, breast cancer and impotence.

This series starred veteran character Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker, a working-class, very outspoken bigot, prejudiced against everyone and everything not in agreement with his view of the world. His ignorance and stubbornness tend to cause his arguments to self-destruct. He often responds to uncomfortable truths by blowing a rasoberry. He longs for simpler times, when people sharing his viewpoint were in charge, as evidenced by the nostalgic theme song, “Those Were the Days,” the show’s original title. In the first pilot filmed, the family name was Justice rather than Bunker.

By contrast, his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) is a sweet, understanding, if somewhat intellectually limited woman. She usually defers to her always-opinionated husband, but on the rare occasions when she takes a stand, she proves to be one of the wisest characters in the series. Archie often tells her to “stifle herself” and calls her a “dingbat”, but despite their very different personalities, they love each other deeply.

They have one child, Gloria (Sally Struthers), who is married to perennial college student Michael Stivic (Rob Reiner). Michael is an archetypal 1960s-style liberal. He and Archie constantly clash over political, social, and personal issues. For much of the series, the Stivics live in the Bunker home to save money, providing even more opportunity for the two men to irritate each other. When they finally move out, it is to the house next door, offered to them by George Jefferson, the owner, who knew it would get to Archie. Archie frequently calls his son-in-law” meathead” and “polock” to insult Michael’s intelligence and Polish ancestry respectively.

The show is set in the Astoria section of Queens, one of New York City’s five boroughs.

delete reply philsgal7759 wrote on Mar 27, ’08 Love this show and Archie

edit delete reply lauritasita wrote on Mar 27, ’08 It was amazing how Archie and Edith stayed together.

delete reply instrumentalpavilion wrote on Apr 3, ’08 Until “Jericho” came on and left the airwaves, this was the last show I watched on CBS!! Just goes to show you how times have changed….this show would not get made today. : )

edit delete reply lauritasita wrote on Apr 3, ’08 That’s true, but you know what ? We could sure use a show like this because people need to laugh at themselves more when they take life too seriously. Thanks for your comment.

delete reply instrumentalpavilion wrote on Apr 3, ’08 Concur. Thank God for Nick at Nite, huh? Jackie Gleason was offered the role of Archie Bunker when CBS took his variety show off the air. I wonder how that would have gone? Edith….to the moon!