All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show,
Archie Bunker's PlaceArchie Bunker's Place is an American sitcom originally broadcast on the CBS network, conceived in 1979 as a spin-off and continuation of All in the Family. While not as popular as its predecessor, the show maintained a large enough audience to last for four seasons, until its cancellation in 1983...
, picked up where
All in the Family had ended. This sitcom lasted another four years, ending its run in 1983.
Produced by
Norman LearNorman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
, it was based on the British television comedy series
Till Death Us Do Part. Despite being considerably softer in its approach than its BBC predecessor, the show broke ground in its depiction of issues previously considered unsuitable for U.S. network television comedy, such as racism, homosexuality, women's liberation, rape, miscarriage, abortion,
breast cancerBreast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
,
menopauseMenopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
, and impotence.
The show ranked #1 in the yearly
Nielsen ratingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
from 1971 to 1976. It became the first television series to reach the milestone of having topped the Nielsen ratings for five consecutive years, a mark later matched by
The Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
and surpassed by
American IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, which notched its sixth consecutive year at #1 in 2010 and whose streak is still ongoing. The episode "Sammy's Visit" was ranked #13 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.
TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All TimeTV Guides 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time is TV Guides list of the 50 most entertaining and influential television series in American pop culture...
ranked
All in the Family as #4.
Bravo also named the show's protagonist,
Archie BunkerArchibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional New Yorker in the 1970s top-rated American television sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place, played to acclaim by Carroll O'Connor. Bunker is a veteran of World War II, reactionary, bigoted, conservative, blue-collar worker, and...
, TV's greatest character of all time.
Premise
The comedy revolves around Archie Bunker (
Carroll O'ConnorJohn Carroll O'Connor best known as Carroll O'Connor, was an American actor, producer and director whose television career spanned four decades...
), a working-class World War II veteran. He is a very outspoken bigot, seemingly prejudiced against everyone who is not a U.S.-born, politically conservative, heterosexual
White Anglo-Saxon ProtestantWhite Anglo-Saxon Protestant or WASP is an informal term, often derogatory or disparaging, for a closed group of high-status Americans mostly of British Protestant ancestry. The group supposedly wields disproportionate financial and social power. When it appears in writing, it is usually used to...
, and dismissive of anyone not in agreement with his view of the world. His ignorance and stubbornness tend to cause his
malapropismA malapropism is an act of misusing or the habitual misuse of similar sounding words, especially with humorous results. An example is Yogi Berra's statement: "Texas has a lot of electrical votes," rather than "electoral votes".-Etymology:...
-filled arguments to self-destruct. He often responds to uncomfortable truths by
blowing a raspberryBlowing a raspberry or strawberry or making a Bronx cheer is to make a noise signifying derision, real or feigned. It is made by placing the tongue between the lips and blowing, making a sound redolent of flatulence. In the terminology of phonetics, this sound can be described as an unvoiced...
. 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.
By contrast, his wife Edith (
Jean Stapleton) is a sweet and understanding, if somewhat naïve, woman. She usually defers to her husband. On the rare occasions when Edith takes a stand she proves to be one of the wisest characters, as evidenced in the episodes "The Battle of the Month" and "The Games Bunkers Play". Archie often tells her to "stifle" herself and calls her a "dingbat". Despite their different personalities they love each other deeply.
They have one child,
GloriaGloria Stivic , is the name of the supporting character played by Sally Struthers on the American situation comedy All in the Family, which aired on the CBS television network from 1971 until 1979...
(
Sally StruthersSally Ann Struthers is an American actress and spokeswoman, best-known for her roles as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, for which she won two Emmy awards, and as Babette on Gilmore Girls.-Personal life:...
), who is married to college student
Michael StivicMichael Casimir Stivic is a fictional character on the long running American television sitcom of the 1970s, All in the Family. He was the live-in son-in-law of the series's lead character, the bigoted and undereducated Archie Bunker, who frequently called him "Meathead". Michael was the husband...
(
Rob ReinerRobert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
). "Michael" is referred to as "Meathead" by Archie and "Mike" by nearly everyone else. Mike is a bit of a hippie, and his morality is informed by the
counterculture of the 1960sThe counterculture of the 1960s refers to a cultural movement that mainly developed in the United States and spread throughout much of the western world between 1960 and 1973. The movement gained momentum during the U.S. government's extensive military intervention in Vietnam...
. He and Archie represent the real-life clash between two generations. They constantly clash over religious, political, social, and personal issues. For much of the series, the Stivics live in the Bunkers' home to save money, providing even more opportunity for the two men to irritate each other. When Mike finally finishes graduate school and the Stivics move out, it turns out to be to the house next door. The house was offered to them by
George JeffersonGeorge Jefferson is a fictional character played by Sherman Hemsley in American television sitcoms All in the Family and its spin-off The Jeffersons...
, the Bunkers' former neighbor, who knows it will irritate Archie. In addition to calling him "
MeatheadMichael Casimir Stivic is a fictional character on the long running American television sitcom of the 1970s, All in the Family. He was the live-in son-in-law of the series's lead character, the bigoted and undereducated Archie Bunker, who frequently called him "Meathead". Michael was the husband...
", Archie also frequently cites Mike's Polish ancestry, referring to him as a "dumb Polack".
The show is set in the
AstoriaAstoria is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside , and Woodside...
section of
QueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, one of New York City's five boroughs, with the vast majority of scenes taking place in the Bunkers' home (and later, frequently, the Stivics' home). Occasional scenes take place in other locations, most often (especially during later seasons) Kelcy's Bar, a neighborhood tavern where Archie spends a good deal of time and which he eventually buys.
Main characters
- Carroll O'Connor
John Carroll O'Connor best known as Carroll O'Connor, was an American actor, producer and director whose television career spanned four decades...
as Archie BunkerArchibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional New Yorker in the 1970s top-rated American television sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place, played to acclaim by Carroll O'Connor. Bunker is a veteran of World War II, reactionary, bigoted, conservative, blue-collar worker, and...
. Frequently called a "lovable bigot", Archie was an assertively prejudiced blue-collar worker. Former child actor Mickey RooneyMickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
was Lear's first choice to play Archie but Rooney declined the offer due to the strong potential for controversy and, in Rooney's opinion, a poor chance for success.
- Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker
Edith Bunker is a fictional 1970s sitcom character on All in the Family , played by Jean Stapleton. She was the wife of Archie Bunker , mother of Gloria Stivic, mother-in-law of Michael "Meathead" Stivic, and, after 1975, grandmother of Joey Stivic...
, née Baines. Stapleton remained with the show all through the original series run but decided to leave before the first season of Archie Bunker's Place had wrapped up. At that point Edith was written out as having suffered a stroke and died off-camera, leaving Archie to deal with the death of his beloved "dingbat". Stapleton appeared in all but four episodes of All in the Family and had a recurring role during the first season of Archie Bunker's Place.
- Sally Struthers
Sally Ann Struthers is an American actress and spokeswoman, best-known for her roles as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, for which she won two Emmy awards, and as Babette on Gilmore Girls.-Personal life:...
as Gloria StivicGloria Stivic , is the name of the supporting character played by Sally Struthers on the American situation comedy All in the Family, which aired on the CBS television network from 1971 until 1979...
, née Bunker. The Bunkers' college-age daughter was married to Michael Stivic. Gloria frequently attempted to mediate Archie and Michael's arguments. The roles of the Bunkers' daughter and son-in-law (then named "Dickie") initially went to Candice AzzaraCandice "Candy" Azzara is an American character actress frequently cast in Italian or Jewish roles.Azzara was born in Brooklyn, the daughter of Josephine and Samuel Azzara. She was inspired to pursue acting by the film La Strada and theatre legend Eleanora Duse...
and Chip Oliver. However, after seeing the show's pilotA "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
, ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, the original production company, requested a second pilot expressing dissatisfaction with both actors. Lear later recast the roles of "Gloria" and "Dickie" with Struthers and Reiner. Penny MarshallPenny Marshall is an American actress, producer and director.After playing several small roles for television, she was cast as Laverne DeFazio in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley...
(Reiner's wife, whom he married shortly after the program began in April 1971) was also considered for the role of Gloria. During the earlier seasons of the show, Struthers was known to be discontented with how static her part was, frequently coming off as irritating and having only a few token lines. As the series continued Gloria's character became more developed, satisfying Struthers. Struthers appeared in 157 of the 202 episodes during the first eight seasons—from January 12, 1971 to March 19, 1978.
- Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
as Michael StivicMichael Casimir Stivic is a fictional character on the long running American television sitcom of the 1970s, All in the Family. He was the live-in son-in-law of the series's lead character, the bigoted and undereducated Archie Bunker, who frequently called him "Meathead". Michael was the husband...
. Gloria's Polish-American hippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
husband was part of the counterculture of the 1960s. He constantly sparred with Archie (in the original pilot, the character "Michael" was Irish-American). Michael's character was, in many ways, as stubborn as Archie, even though his moral views were generally presented as being more ethical and his logic somewhat more sound. For his bullheadedness, Stivic was sometimes criticized for being an elitist. He also struggled with assumptions of male superiority. He spoke of believing in female equality, but often tried to control Gloria's decisions and desires in terms of traditional gender roles. While Archie demonstrated the lion's share of the hypocrisy, Michael had, on occasion, shown his own. As discussed in All in the Family retrospectives, Richard Dreyfuss sought the part but Norman Lear was convinced to cast Reiner. Reiner appeared in 174 of the 202 episodes of the series during the first eight seasons—from January 12, 1971 to March 19, 1978. Reiner is also credited with writing three of the series' episodes.
Supporting characters
- Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Alexander Hemsley is an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen. He also played Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, a Triceratops named B.P...
as George JeffersonGeorge Jefferson is a fictional character played by Sherman Hemsley in American television sitcoms All in the Family and its spin-off The Jeffersons...
, Isabel SanfordIsabel Sanford was an American actress best known for her role as Louise "Weezy" Jefferson on the CBS television sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons .-Career:...
as his wife LouiseLouise Jefferson was a supporting character, portrayed by Emmy Award-winning actress Isabel Sanford, who appeared first on the television series All in the Family. She later became one of the main characters in its spinoff series, The Jeffersons...
, and Mike EvansMichael Jonas Evans , was an American actor and, with Eric Monte, was co-creator of the show Good Times. Ralph Carter's character Michael Evans was named after him....
as their son LionelLionel Jefferson is a supporting character from the hit sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons. He is the son of George and Louise Jefferson. He was originally portrayed by D'Urville Martin for two unaired episodes of All in the Family before the role was recast with Mike Evans taking over...
, respectively, Archie's African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
neighbors. George is Archie's combative black counterpart, while Louise is a smarter, more assertive version of Edith. Lionel first appeared in the series' premiere episode "Meet the Bunkers", with Louise appearing later in the first season. Although previously mentioned many times, George was not seen until 1973. Hemsley, who was Norman Lear's first choice to play George, was performing in the Broadway musical Purlie and did not want to break his commitment to that show. However, Lear kept the role waiting for him until he had finished with the musical. Plots frequently find Archie and George at odds with one another, while Edith and Louise attempt to join forces to bring about a resolution. They later moved to an apartment in Manhattan which resulted in their own show The JeffersonsThe Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
.
- Mel Stewart
Milton "Mel" Stewart was an American character actor, television director, and musician who appeared in numerous films and television shows from the 1960s to the 1990s. He is best known for playing Henry Jefferson on the popular television series All in the Family...
, as George's brother Henry JeffersonHenry Jefferson is a fictional character, the brother of George Jefferson from the TV series All in the Family. He lived with George, his sister-in-law Louise, their son Lionel, and Lionel's aunt , who was referenced in one episode but never seen. He was thus a neighbor to Archie Bunker...
. The two appeared together only once, in the 1973 episode in which the Bunkers host Henry's going-away party, marking Stewart's final episode and Hemsley's first. Even when the Jeffersons were spun off into their own show in 1975, Stewart's character was rarely referred to again and was never seen. In the closing credits of "The First and Last Supper" episode, Mel StewartMilton "Mel" Stewart was an American character actor, television director, and musician who appeared in numerous films and television shows from the 1960s to the 1990s. He is best known for playing Henry Jefferson on the popular television series All in the Family...
is incorrectly credited as playing George Jefferson. StewartMilton "Mel" Stewart was an American character actor, television director, and musician who appeared in numerous films and television shows from the 1960s to the 1990s. He is best known for playing Henry Jefferson on the popular television series All in the Family...
was actually playing George's brother, Henry Jefferson, who was pretending to be George for most of the episode.
- Beatrice Arthur
Beatrice "Bea" Arthur was an American actress, comedienne and singer whose career spanned seven decades. Arthur achieved fame as the character Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family and Maude, and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, winning Emmy Awards for both...
as Edith's cousin Maude. Maude was white-collared and ultra-liberal, the perfect foil to Archie and one of his main antagonists. She appeared in only two episodes, Cousin Maude's Visit, where she took care of the Bunker household when all four were sick and Maude, during the show's second season. She then went on to her own spin-off series, MaudeMaude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
, in fall 1972.
- Betty Garrett
Betty Garrett was an American actress, comedienne, singer and dancer who originally performed on Broadway before being signed to a film contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
and Vincent GardeniaVincent Gardenia was an Italian American stage, film, and television actor.-Early life:...
as the liberal and Roman Catholic next-door neighbors Irene and Frank Lorenzo. Both first appeared as a married couple as Irene was trying to use the Bunker's phone. However, during an argument earlier in the episode, Archie and Mike had broken the phone wire. Irene being a 'handyman' of sorts with her own tools, she carried in her purse, fixed it. Irene fixed many things at the Bunker house during her time on the show. She also had a sister that was a nun who appeared in one episode. Archie got her a job as a forklift operator at the plant where Archie worked. Irene was a strongwilled woman of Irish heritage, and Frank was a jovial Italian "house-husband" who loved cooking and singing. He also was a salesman, but it never was said what he sold. Gardenia, who also appeared as Jim Bowman in Episode 8 of Season 1 (as the man who sold his house to the Jeffersons) and as Curtis Remply in Episode 7 of Season 3 (as a swinger opposite Rue McClanahanRue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
), became a semi-regular along with Garrett in 1973. Gardenia only stayed for one season as Frank Lorenzo, but Garrett remained until her character was phased out in late 1975.
- Danielle Brisebois
Danielle Anne Brisebois is an American actress, producer, songwriter and singer. In the 1990s she recorded two solo albums, Arrive All Over You and Portable Life, and was a member of the New Radicals...
as Edith's 9-year-old grandniece, Stephanie MillsStephanie Mills was a character on the 1970s American television situation comedy All in the Family and the follow-up series, Archie Bunker's Place....
. The Bunkers take her in after the child's father, Floyd Mills, abandons her on their doorstep in 1978 after Mike and Gloria moved to California at the end of the previous season. (He later extorts money from them to let them keep her.) She would remain with the show through its transition to Archie Bunker's Place.
- Allan Melvin
Allan Melvin was an American character actor who appeared in several television shows, including the roles of Corporal Henshaw on The Phil Silvers Show; Alice's boyfriend Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch; and Archie Bunker's friend Barney Hefner on All in the Family and Archie Bunker's...
as Archie's neighbor and best friend Barney Hefner. The character first appeared in 1972 as a fairly minor character. Barney's role expanded toward the end of the series, after the departures of Reiner and Struthers.
Recurring characters
- James Cromwell
James Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor. Some of his more notable roles are in Babe , for which he earned Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Star Trek: First Contact , L.A...
as Jerome "Stretch" Cunningham (1973–1976), Archie's friend and co-worker from the loading dock. What Archie did not know was that Stretch was Jewish, evident only after Stretch died and Archie went to the funeral. Archie's eulogy for his friend is often referred to as a rare occasion where he was capable of showing the humanity he tried so earnestly to hide. In the episode titled, Archie in the Cellar, Billy SandsBilly Sands was an American character actor who appeared as a regular on The Phil Silvers Show as Pvt Dino Papparelli and was a regular on McHale's Navy as Tinker...
is referred to as Stretch Cunningham, the voice on the tape recorder telling jokes. Sands also appeared as other characters on the show during its run, usually in Kelsey's Bar as a patron.
- Liz Torres
Elizabeth "Liz" Torres is an actress, singer, and comedienne of Puerto Rican descent.-Early years:Torres was born in the Bronx borough of New York City where her parents had settled after moving from Puerto Rico. There she received her primary and secondary education...
as Theresa Betancourt (1976–1977), a LatinaThe demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
nursing student, who initially meets Archie when he is admitted to the hospital for surgery; she later rents Mike and Gloria's former room at the Bunker house. She called Archie "Papi."
- Bob Hastings
Robert "Bob" Hastings is an American film, radio, and television character actor. He has also provided voices for animated cartoons....
as Kelcy or Tommy Kelsey, who owns the bar Archie frequents and later buys. Kelcy was also played by Frank Maxwell in episode "Archie Gets The Business".
- Jason Wingreen
Jason Wingreen is an American actor.-Biography:Born in 1920 in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up in Howard Beach, Queens, attended John Adams High School, and graduated from Brooklyn College in 1941. Wingreen lent his voice to Boba Fett in the original and 1997 theatrical versions of The Empire...
as Harry Snowden, a bartender at Kelcy's Bar who continues to work there after Archie purchases it and eventually becomes his business partner. Harry tried to buy the bar from Kelcy first, but it was first come up with the money and Archie does first by taking a mortgage out on his house, which the Bunkers own outright.
- Gloria LeRoy
Gloria LeRoy is an American character actress best remembered for having played voluptuous Mildred "Boom-Boom" Turner in classic 1970s sitcom All in the Family, as well as Bobbi Jo Loomis, wife of army-airforce buddy "Duke" Loomis in the earlier All in the Family episode "The Threat"...
as Mildred "Boom-Boom" Turner, a buxom, middle-aged secretary at the plant where Archie works. Her first appearance was when Archie is lost on his way to a convention and Mike and Gloria suspect he and she could be having be having an affair. Archie gave her that moniker as she was walking by the loading dock. He said when she walked, "Boom-Boom". She is not initially fond of Archie due to his and Stretch's leering and sexist behavior, but later becomes friendly with him, occasionally working as a barmaid at Archie's Place. She first appeared in the third season as the wife of Archie's old war buddy "Duke". Her name was Bobbi Joe
- Barnard Hughes
Bernard Aloysius Kiernan “Barnard” Hughes was an American actor of theater and film. Hughes became famous for a variety of roles; his most notable roles came after middle age, and he was often cast as a dithering authority figure or grandfatherly elder.-Personal life:Hughes was born in Bedford...
as Father Majeskie, a local Catholic priest who was suspected by Archie one time of trying to convert Edith. He appeared in multiple episodes. The first time was when Edith accidentally hit Majeskie's car in the shopping parking lot with a can of cling peaches in heavy syrup.
- Lori Shannon
Lori Shannon was an openly gay female impersonator who was long associated with the drag revues at the famous Finocchio's nightclub in San Francisco. He also wrote an entertainment column for the Bay Area Reporter...
as Beverly La Salle, a transvestite entertainer, who appeared in three episodes: "Archie the Hero", "Beverly Rides Again", and "Edith's Crisis of Faith".
- Estelle Parsons
Estelle Margaret Parsons is an American theatre, film and television actress and occasional theatrical director.After studying law, Parsons became a singer before deciding to pursue a career in acting. She worked for the television program Today and made her stage debut in 1961...
as Blanche Hefner (1977–1979), Barney's wife. Blanche and Archie are not fond of one another, though Edith likes her very much. The character is mentioned throughout much of the series (though in early seasons, she is named "Mabel"), though she only appeared in a handful of episodes during the last couple of seasons.
- Bill Quinn
Bill Quinn was an American actor.Quinn appeared in more than 150 acting roles starting in the 20's in silent films and ending in the digital age in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. He is best remembered as Archie's blind friend, Mr...
as Edgar Van Ranseleer (a.k.a. "Mr. Van R"), a blind patron and regular at the bar. He was almost never referred to by his first name.
- Nedra Volz
Nedra Volz was an American film and television actress.-Early life and career:Born Nedra Gordonier in Montrose, Iowa, she began her career in the family tent show, and appeared in vaudeville as a toddler...
as Aunt Iola. She was Edith's aunt who was mentioned several times in the 8th season and stayed with the Bunkers for two weeks. She wanted to move in, but Archie would not allow it.
- Francine Beers and Jane Connell as Sybil Gooley, who worked at Ferguson's Market. She predicted that Gloria and Mike were having a baby boy by performing a test on Gloria. She also appeared in the episode "Edith's 50th Birthday" and spilled the beans on her surprise party because she wasn't invited. She and Archie did not get along and he referred to her as a "Big Mouth".
- Rae Allen
Rae Allen is an American stage, film and television actress.-Biography:Allen was born as Raffaella Julia Theresa Abruzzo in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Julia and Joseph Abruzzo...
, Elizabeth WilsonElizabeth Welter Wilson is an American actress. She was elected to the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2007.-Life and career:Wilson was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the daughter of Marie Ethel and Henry Dunning Wilson, who was an insurance agent...
, as Cousin Amelia. Archie detested both her and her husband who were both wealthy. Once she sent Edith a mink and Archie wanted to send it back until he found out how much it was worth. In another episode, both Amelia and her husband gave the Bunkers Hawaiian shirts. Amelia was played by various actresses throughout the first few seasons of the show.
- Clyde Kusatsu
Clyde Kusatsu is a U.S. actor.Kusatsu was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he attended ʻIolani School. Kusatsu began acting in Honolulu summer stock, and after studying theatre at Northwestern University, started to make his mark on the small screen in the mid-1970s...
as Rev. Chong. Rev Chong appeared in several episodes. He refused to baptize little Joey in Season 6 and then re-married both Archie and Edith and Mike and Gloria in Season 8 and gave counsel to Stephanie in Season 9 as it was learned she was Jewish.
- Ruth McDevitt
Ruth McDevitt was an American stage, film, radio and television actress.-Career:She was born Ruth Thane Shoecraft in Coldwater, Michigan. After attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she married Patrick McDevitt and decided to devote her time to her marriage. After her husband's death in...
as Josephine 'Jo' Nelson. She played Justin Quigley's girlfriend, the older man Edith found walking around the supermarket. She appeared in three episodes from the 4th-6th seasons. Gloria and Mike adopted them as their god-grandparents. Out of most of the characters, Archie took a liking to Justin and Jo. She died following the end of the 6th season.
- William Benedict
William Benedict was an American actor. Born in Haskell, Oklahoma, he took part in school theatricals, and on leaving school he made his way to Hollywood. His first film was $10 Raise starring Edward Everett Horton, which launched Benedict on a busy career...
as Jimmy McNabb. He was Archie and Edith's neighbor who was starting a petition to keep minorities out of their neighborhood. He appeared in two episodes during the first and second season and was referred to many times during the first few seasons.
Actors in multiple roles
A number of actors played multiple roles during the show's run:
- Jean Stapleton played both Edith Bunker
Edith Bunker is a fictional 1970s sitcom character on All in the Family , played by Jean Stapleton. She was the wife of Archie Bunker , mother of Gloria Stivic, mother-in-law of Michael "Meathead" Stivic, and, after 1975, grandmother of Joey Stivic...
and Judith Klammerstadt in the episode "A Girl Like Edith". The end credits list actress "Giovanna Pucci" for the latter character. In fact, this is a play on words with Stapleton's married name: Jean Putch.
- Vincent Gardenia
Vincent Gardenia was an Italian American stage, film, and television actor.-Early life:...
portrayed neighbor Jim Bowman, who sells the Jeffersons their house in "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood"; Curtis Rempley, half of a swingingSwinging or partner swapping is a non-monogamous behavior, in which both partners in a committed relationship agree, as a couple, for both partners to engage in sexual activities with other couples as a recreational or social activity...
couple Edith befriends in "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (from the show's first and third seasons respectively); and later had a recurring role as neighbor Frank Lorenzo during the 1973–74 season.
- Gloria LeRoy
Gloria LeRoy is an American character actress best remembered for having played voluptuous Mildred "Boom-Boom" Turner in classic 1970s sitcom All in the Family, as well as Bobbi Jo Loomis, wife of army-airforce buddy "Duke" Loomis in the earlier All in the Family episode "The Threat"...
played the wife of one of Archie's old Army buddies (Duke Loomis) in third-season episode "The Threat" and later portrayed Mildred "Boom-Boom" Turner in a few episodes between 1974 and 1978.
- Allan Melvin
Allan Melvin was an American character actor who appeared in several television shows, including the roles of Corporal Henshaw on The Phil Silvers Show; Alice's boyfriend Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch; and Archie Bunker's friend Barney Hefner on All in the Family and Archie Bunker's...
played New York Police Department Sergeant Paul Pulaski in the second-season episode "Archie in the Lock-up" and later played the recurring role of Archie's best friend Barney Hefner from 1972 on.
- Marcia Rodd
Marcia Rodd is an American actress.Rodd was born in Lyons, Kansas, the daughter of Rosetta and Charles C. Rodd. She studied drama at Northwestern University....
appeared in two episodes during the 1971–1972 season, playing two different characters, first as a single mother who accuses Mike of being the father of her eight-year old son in "Mike's Mysterious Son", and Maude's daughter Carol in the episode "Maude". (Adrienne BarbeauAdrienne Jo Barbeau is an American actress and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical Grease, and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter of Maude Findlay in the sitcom Maude...
would take over the role of Carol on spin-off series MaudeMaude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
.)
- Bill Macy
Bill Macy is an American television and stage actor.Macy was born in Revere, Massachusetts, to Mollie and Michael Garber, a manufacturer...
first appeared as a uniformed Police Officer in the "Archie Sees a Mugging" episode before returning as Maude's husband in "MaudeMaude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
" (1972).
- Roscoe Lee Browne
Roscoe Lee Browne was an American actor and director, known for his rich voice and dignified bearing.-Biography:Browne was the fourth son of a Baptist minister, Sylvanus S. Browne, and his wife Lovie...
appears as Hugh Victor Thompson III in "The Elevator Story" (1972) and then returns as Jean Duval in "Archie in the Hospital" (1973).
- Burt Mustin
Burton Hill "Burt" Mustin was an American character actor.-Early life:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to W. I. and Sadie Mustin, Mustin was a 1903 graduate of the Pennsylvania Military College , earning his degree in civil engineering...
played the role of night watchman Harry Feeney in the episode titled Archie is Worried About His Job. He came back later in a few episodes, as Justin Quigley, starting with Edith Finds an Old Man. Mr. Mustin died during the production of the 7th season.
- Sorrell Booke
Sorrell Booke was an American actor who performed on stage, screen, and television. He is best known for his role as the heavyset, corrupt politician "Boss" Hogg in the television show The Dukes of Hazzard....
(who played Boss HoggJefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg, better known as "Boss" Hogg, is a fictional character featured in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard. He was the greedy, unethical commissioner of Hazzard County. A stereotypical villainous glutton, Boss Hogg always wore an all-white suit with a white...
in the Dukes of HazzardThe Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
) played Mr. Bennett, the owner of a television station in "Archie and the Editorial (1972)" and then returned four more times as Mr. Sanders, Archie's boss down at the loading dock.
- Val Bisoglio
Val Bisoglio is an Italian-American character actor primarily known for his work on television. Bisoglio performed in numerous TV series in the 1970s including M*A*S*H, Roll Out, Kojak and The Rockford Files...
played Mr. Silvestri, whom pays a visit representing "Organized Crime" in "Archie Sees A Mugging" also appears as an armed robber who robs Archie, Edith, Mike & Gloria at gunpoint at Kelcy's Bar while celebrating Gloria's new job & Archie's television appearance in "Archie and the Editorial".
- Priscilla Morrill
Priscilla Morrill was an American actress best known for her television performance as Lou Grant's wife on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.-Career:...
Played the nurse tending to Archie in "Archie Goes To The Hospital"; she also played a classmate of Edith Bunker who repeats the line "God He Was Beautiful" three times in regards to Buck Evans in the episode "Class Reunion"; Jean Stapleton also credits her as her stand-in for the episode "A Girl Like Edith" where Jean Stapleton had a duel role.
- Ken Lynch
Ken Lynch was an American film and TV actor best known for his starring role as 'the Lieutenant' on the 1949-1954 Dumont detective series The Plainclothesman, on which his face was never seen, and for his co-starring role as Sergeant Grover on McCloud.-Career:Lynch appeared in numerous TV series...
played the policeman who guards the cell when Archie is behind bars in "Archie in the Lock-Up", in season one, and returns in season 3 as one of the two refrigeratorA refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
repairmen in "Everybody Tells The Truth".
- Richard Stahl appears as a Lawyer representing a "Station Wagon Filled With Nuns" in season one episode "Archies Aching Back" and also appears during season four as the Doctor Archie sees in "Archie Eats And Runs".
"Kelcy" or "Kelsey"
The name of the establishment is Kelcy's Bar (as seen in the bar window in various episodes). However, due to a
continuity errorIn fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
, the end credits of episodes involving the bar owner spell the name "Kelcy" for the first two seasons and "Kelsey" thereafter, although the end credits show "Kelcy" in the "Archie Gets the Business" episode.
Controversial nature
In a warning to viewers, CBS ran a disclaimer before airing the first episode (which disappeared from the screen with an exaggerated sound of a
toiletA toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
flushing):
The program you are about to see is All in the Family. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter we hope to show, in a mature fashion, just how absurd they are.
All in the Family was notorious for featuring language and authentic epithets previously absent from American television, such as "fag" and "fairy" for homosexual, "yid" and "hebe" and "that tribe" for Jews, "spic" for Hispanics, "mick" for Irish, "dago" and "wop" for Italians, "polak" for Polish, "chink" for Chinese, "Jap" for Japanese, "gook" for southeast Asian, and "spade", "spook", "jig", and "jungle bunnies" for
blacksThe term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
. In a few instances, "goddammit" was uttered. In the episode "The Draft Dodger", Carroll O'Connor delivers an angry line during the taping as: "I don't wanna talk about that Goddamned war no more!" However, the network ordered that O'Connor dub over the audio before broadcast, so that the line is changed to "I don't wanna talk about that rotten damn war no more!" while the original line is clearly visible on the actor's lips. Yet, CBS did not object three years earlier when, in the not-so-controversial "We're Having a Heat Wave" (#4.3), as Mike is screaming "Watergate! Watergate! Watergate!" at Archie during an argument, O'Connor delivered Archie's reply as: "Don't say that no more, God dammit!" The line not only aired that evening and was never deleted in syndication, but it provoked an exchange with Edith where she objects to his swearing, to which Archie explains that the term "God dammit" is biblical and, therefore, okay. It was also famous for being the first major television show to feature the sound of a flushing toilet; it became a
running gagA running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
on the show. As typical of people with a Brooklyn accent, Archie and Edith would pronounce "toilet" as "terlet".
Production
Lear bought the rights to
Till Death Us Do Part and incorporated his own family experiences with his father into the show. Lear's father would tell Lear's mother to "stifle herself" and she would tell Lear's father "you are the laziest white man I ever saw" (two "Archieisms" that found their way onto the show). Three different pilots were shot for the series.
Justice For AllJustice For All was a television pilot shot in 1968 for the ABC network. This was Norman Lear's first attempt at what would eventually become All in the Family. The script, written by Lear, was based on the British show, Till Death Us Do Part...
(1968) was shot in New York, and named in reference to Archie's family name (later changed to Bunker), while
Those Were The DaysThose Were The Days was the second of three pilots shot by creator Norman Lear in what would eventually become All in the Family. The first pilot, Justice For All was rejected by ABC in 1968, so Norman Lear changed the script slightly from the original pilot as well as some of the actors...
(1969) was made in Hollywood. Different actors played the roles of Mike, Gloria, and Lionel in the first two.
After stations and viewers' complaints caused ABC to cancel
Turn-OnTurn-On is an American sketch comedy series that aired on ABC in February 1969. Only one episode was shown and the show is considered one of the most infamous flops in TV history....
after only one episode in February 1969, the network became uneasy about airing a show with a "foul-mouthed, bigoted lead" character, and rejected the series at about the time
Richard DreyfussRichard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About...
sought the role of Michael. Rival network CBS was eager to update its image, and was looking to
replace much of its then popular "rural" programmingThe "rural purge" of American television networks was a series of cancellations between 1969 and 1972, the majority of which occurred at the end of the 1970-71 television season, of still popular rural-themed shows and shows with demographically-skewed audiences...
(
Mayberry R.F.D.Mayberry R.F.D. is a spin-off and direct continuation of The Andy Griffith Show under a new title, for the same sponsor, General Foods...
,
The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
,
Petticoat JunctionPetticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
and
Green AcresGreen Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
) with more "urban", contemporary series, and was interested in Lear's project. They bought the rights from ABC and re-titled the show
All in the Family.
Lear initially wanted to shoot in black and white. While CBS insisted on color, Lear had the set furnished in rather neutral tones, keeping everything relatively devoid of color.
All in the Family was the first major American series to be
videotapeA videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
d in front of a live studio audience. In the 1960s, most sitcoms had been filmed in the
single-cameraThe single-camera setup, or single-camera mode of production, is a method of filmmaking and video production. A single camera—either motion picture camera or professional video camera—is employed on the set and each shot to make up a scene is taken individually...
format without audiences, with a
laugh trackA laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...
simulating audience response. Lear employed the Multi-camera format of shooting in front of an audience, but used tape, whereas previous multi-camera shows like
Mary Tyler MooreThe Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
had used film. Thanks to the success of
All in the Family, videotaping sitcoms in front of an audience became common format for the genre during the 1970s. The use of videotape also gave
All in the Family the look and feel of early live television, including the original live broadcasts of
The HoneymoonersThe Honeymooners is an American situation comedy television show, based on a recurring 1951–'55 sketch of the same name. It originally aired on the DuMont network's Cavalcade of Stars and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show hosted by Jackie Gleason, and filmed before a live...
, to which
All in the Family is sometimes compared.
For the show's final season, the practice of being taped before a live audience changed to playing the already taped and edited show to an audience and recording their laughter to add to the original sound track. Thus, the voice-over during the end credits was changed from Rob Reiner's "
All in the Family was recorded on tape before a live audience" to Carroll O'Connor's "
All in the Family was played to a studio audience for live responses". (Typically, the audience would be gathered for a taping of
One Day at a TimeOne Day at a Time is an American situation comedy on the CBS network that aired from December 16, 1975 until May 28, 1984. It portrays Ann Romano, a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper and Schneider, their building superintendent .The show...
, and get to see
All In the Family as a bonus.) Throughout its run, Norman Lear took pride in the fact that canned laughter was never used (mentioning this on many occasions); the laughter heard in the episodes was genuine.
Awards
All in the Family is the first of three sitcoms in which all the lead actors (O'Connor, Stapleton, Struthers, and Reiner) won Emmy Awards. The other two are
The Golden GirlsThe Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
and
Will & GraceWill & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
.
It won numerous Emmys:
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Carroll O'Connor, 1972, 1977–1979
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – Jean Stapleton, 1971, 1972, 1978
- Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy Series – Sally Struthers, 1972 (tied with Valerie Harper
Valerie Harper is an American actress, known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the 1970s television show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and for her starring roles on the sitcoms Rhoda and Valerie.-Early life and career:Harper was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Rockland County,...
for The Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
), 1979
- Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy Series – Rob Reiner, 1974, 1978
- Outstanding New Series – Norman Lear, 1971
- Outstanding Comedy Series – Norman Lear, 1971, 1972, 1973 (with John Rich
John Rich is a film and television director. He directed such television shows as Where's Raymond?, Mister Ed, The Dick Van Dyke Show, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, Good Times, Barney Miller, Newhart, Benson, The Brady Bunch, and Gilligan's Island...
); Mort Lachman and Milt JosefsbergMilt Josefsberg was a radio writer for Jack Benny and later for many television sitcoms, such as Archie Bunker's Place, All in the Family, Here's Lucy, The Lucy Show and The Jack Benny Show. He wrote books on the Jack Benny Show and comedy writing.-External links:*...
, 1978
- Outstanding Direction in a Comedy Series – John Rich, 1972; Paul Bogart, 1978
- Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series – Burt Styler, 1972; Michael Ross
Michael "Mickey" Ross was an American Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and television producer. Ross, together with writing partners Don Nicholl and Bernard West, were writers/producers for All in the Family, for which Ross won an Emmy in 1973, The Jeffersons and Three's Company...
, Bernard West and Lee Kalcheim, 1973; Bob Weiskopf, Bob Schiller, Barry Harman and Harvey Bronsten, 1978
- Outstanding Live or Tape Sound Mixing – Norman Dewes, 1972
It was nominated an additional 34 times.
Its Golden Globe Awards are:
- Best TV Actor, Musical/Comedy – Carroll O'Connor, 1972
- Best TV Actress, Musical/Comedy – Jean Stapleton, 1973, 1974
- Best Supporting Actress, Television – Betty Garrett, 1974
- Best TV Show, Musical/Comedy – 1972–74, 1978
There were also 21 nominations.
Broadcast History
| Season | Time Slot | In-Between |
| 1 (1971) |
Tuesday at 9:30 pm |
9:00 pm: Various Programming
10:00 pm: 60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
|
| 2 (1971-1972) |
Saturday at 8:00 pm |
7:30 pm: Various Programming
8:30 pm: Funny Face (September 18 - December 11, 1971); The Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
(December 18, 1971 - March 4, 1972) |
| 3 (1972-1973) |
7:30 pm: Various Programming
8:30 pm: Bridget Loves BernieBridget Loves Bernie is an American television comedy program created by Bernard Slade, the creator of the 1970–74 ABC sitcom, The Partridge Family, based loosely on the premise of the 1920s’ Broadway play and 1940s’ radio show Abie's Irish Rose...
(September 16, 1972 - March 3, 1973) |
| 4 (1973-1974) |
7:30 pm: Various Programming
8:30 pm: M*A*S*H |
| 5 (1974-1975) |
7:30 pm: Various Programming
8:30 pm: Friends and LoversFriends & Lovers is a 1999 American romantic-drama film directed and co-written by George Haas about a group of twentysomethings on a ski trip. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Claudia Schiffer and Robert Downey, Jr..-Plot:...
(September 14 - December 7, 1974); The JeffersonsThe Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
(January 18 - March 8, 1975) |
| 6 (1975-1976) |
Monday at 9:00 pm |
8:30 pm: PhyllisPhyllis is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 11, 1975 to March 13, 1977.Created by Ed Weinberger and Stan Daniels. it was the second spin-off series from The Mary Tyler Moore Show . The show starred Cloris Leachman as Phyllis Lindstrom, who was previously Mary Richards'...
9:30 pm: MaudeMaude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
|
| 7 (1976-1977) |
Wednesday at 9:00pm (September 22 - October 27, 1976)
Saturday at 9:00 pm (November 6, 1976 - March 12, 1977) |
8:30 pm: Ball Four Ball Four is a 1976 American situation comedy that aired on CBS in 1976. The series is inspired by the 1970 book of the same name by Jim Bouton. Bouton co-created the show with humorist and television critic Marvin Kitman and sportswriter Vic Ziegel...
; The Bob Newhart ShowThe Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, , to April 1, . Comedian Bob Newhart portrayed a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers...
9:30 pm: AliceAlice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to July 2, 1985 on CBS. The series was based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start her life over again, and finds a job...
(September 29, 1976 - March 12, 1977) |
| 8 (1977-1978) |
Sunday at 9:00 pm |
8:30 pm: On Our Own On Our Own is a television series broadcast on CBS as part of their 1977-78 schedule. It featured Maria Bonino and Julia Peters, two employees in the Bedford Advertising Agency in New York who also share an apartment. Toni McBain was their boss, while April Baxter and Phil Goldstein were their...
9:30 pm: Alice |
| 9 (1978-1979) |
Sunday at 9:00 pm (September 24 - October 1, 1978)
Sunday at 8:00pm (October 22) |
8:30 pm: Mary; 7:00 pm: 60 Minutes
9:30 pm: Alice; 8:30 pm: Alice (October 22, 1979 - February 25, 1979); Just Friends (March 11, 1979); One Day at a TimeOne Day at a Time is an American situation comedy on the CBS network that aired from December 16, 1975 until May 28, 1984. It portrays Ann Romano, a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper and Schneider, their building superintendent .The show...
(March 25 - April 8, 1979) |
Episodes
A particularly notable episode, that produced the longest sustained audience laughter in the history of the show, is the famous episode-ending scene in which the guest star
Sammy Davis, Jr.Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
played himself. Archie is moonlighting as a cabdriver. Davis leaves a briefcase behind in his taxi and goes to the Bunker home to pick it up. After hearing Archie's racist remarks, Davis asks for a photograph with him. At the moment the picture is taken, Davis suddenly kisses a stunned Archie on the cheek. The ensuing laughter went on for so long that it had to be severely edited for network broadcast, as Carroll O'Connor still had one line ("Well, what the hell — he said it was in his contract!") to deliver after the kiss. (The line is usually cut in syndication.)
Ratings
All In the Family is one of three television shows --
The Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
and
American IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
being the others -- that have been number 1 in the
Nielsen ratingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
for five consecutive TV seasons. The show remained in the top-ten for eight of its nine seasons.
The ratings at the end of each season were:
| Season |
Rank (Rating) |
| 1970–1971 |
Not in Top 30 |
| 1971–1972 |
#1 (34) |
| 1972–1973 |
#1 (33.3) |
| 1973–1974 |
#1 (31.2) |
| 1974–1975 |
#1 (30.2) |
| 1975–1976 |
#1 (30.1) |
| 1976–1977 |
#12 (22.9) |
| 1977–1978 |
#4 (24.4), tied with 60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
and Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
|
| 1978–1979 |
#9 (24.9), tied with TaxiTaxi was an American sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. The series, which won 18 Emmy Awards, including three for "Outstanding Comedy Series", focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher...
|
The series finale was seen by 40.2 million viewers.
Spin-offs and TV specials
All in the Family was the launching pad of several television series, beginning with
MaudeMaude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
on September 12, 1972. Maude Findlay, played by
Beatrice ArthurBeatrice "Bea" Arthur was an American actress, comedienne and singer whose career spanned seven decades. Arthur achieved fame as the character Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family and Maude, and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, winning Emmy Awards for both...
, was Edith's cousin; she had first appeared on
All in the Family in the episode "Cousin Maude's Visit", which aired on December 11, 1971, in order to help take care of the Bunkers when they all were sick with a nasty flu virus. Maude disliked Archie intensely, mainly because she thought Edith could have married better, but also because Archie was a conservative while Maude was very liberal in her politics, especially when Archie denounced Maude's support of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Maude was featured in another
All in the Family episode in which Archie and Edith visited Maude's home in
Westchester CountyWestchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
to attend the wedding of Maude's daughter Carol—it aired as the finale of the second season on March 12, 1972, titled "Maude". The episode was essentially designed to set up the premise for the spin-off series that would air later in the year. In the episode,
Bill MacyBill Macy is an American television and stage actor.Macy was born in Revere, Massachusetts, to Mollie and Michael Garber, a manufacturer...
played Maude's husband, Walter; it was a role he would reprise for the weekly series that fall.
Marcia RoddMarcia Rodd is an American actress.Rodd was born in Lyons, Kansas, the daughter of Rosetta and Charles C. Rodd. She studied drama at Northwestern University....
, the actress who played Carol in the episode, would be replaced by
Adrienne BarbeauAdrienne Jo Barbeau is an American actress and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical Grease, and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter of Maude Findlay in the sitcom Maude...
in
Maude. The show lasted for six seasons and 141 episodes, airing its final episode on April 22, 1978.
The second and longest-lasting spin-off of
All in the Family was
The JeffersonsThe Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
. Debuting on CBS on January 18, 1975
The Jeffersons lasted 11 seasons and 253 episodes compared to
All in the Family's 9 seasons and 208 episodes. The main characters of
The Jeffersons were the Bunkers' former next-door neighbors
George JeffersonGeorge Jefferson is a fictional character played by Sherman Hemsley in American television sitcoms All in the Family and its spin-off The Jeffersons...
(Sherman Hemsley) and his wife, Louise "Weezie" Jefferson (Isabel Sanford). George Jefferson was the owner of a chain of seven successful
dry-cleaningDry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water. The solvent used is typically tetrachloroethylene , abbreviated "perc" in the industry and "dry-cleaning fluid" by the public...
stores; as
The Jeffersons begins, they have just moved from the Bunkers' neighborhood to a luxury high-rise apartment building in
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's
Upper East SideThe Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
. George was considered to be the "black Archie Bunker," and just as racist as Archie.
Other spin-offs of
All in the Family include:
- Archie Bunker's Place
Archie Bunker's Place is an American sitcom originally broadcast on the CBS network, conceived in 1979 as a spin-off and continuation of All in the Family. While not as popular as its predecessor, the show maintained a large enough audience to last for four seasons, until its cancellation in 1983...
was technically a spin-off, but was more of a continuation of the series.
- 704 Hauser
704 Hauser is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from April to May 1994. A spin-off of All in the Family , the series is built around the concept of an African American family, the Cumberbatches, moving into the former Queens home of Archie Bunker years after Bunker had sold the house...
features the Bunkers' house with a new family.
There were also three spin-offs from spin-offs of
All in the Family:
- Good Times
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Michael Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer...
, which featured Maude's former maid Florida Evans and her family in a Chicago housing project.
- Gloria
Gloria is an American situation comedy that lasted one season on CBS, from September 1982 to September 1983. It stars Sally Struthers, reprising her role as Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie Bunker on the hugely successful 1970s sitcom All in the Family...
, a spin-off of Archie Bunker's Place where Gloria divorces Mike, moves back to New York, and starts a new life.
- Checking In
Checking In was a short-lived 1981 television sitcom and spin-off of The Jeffersons, which itself had spun off from All in the Family....
, a spin-off of The Jeffersons in which the Jeffersons' maid Florence gets a job as head of housekeeping at a hotel.
At the height of the show's popularity,
Henry FondaHenry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
hosted a special one-hour retrospective of
All in the Family and its impact on American television. Included were clips from the show's most memorable episodes up to that time. It was titled
The Best of "All in the Family", and aired on December 21, 1974.
A 90-minute retrospective,
All in the Family 20th Anniversary Special, was produced to commemorate the show's 20th anniversary and aired on CBS February 16, 1991. It was hosted by the creator,
Norman LearNorman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
, and featured a compilation of clips from the show's best moments including interviews with cast members
Carroll O'ConnorJohn Carroll O'Connor best known as Carroll O'Connor, was an American actor, producer and director whose television career spanned four decades...
,
Jean Stapleton,
Rob ReinerRobert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
and
Sally StruthersSally Ann Struthers is an American actress and spokeswoman, best-known for her roles as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, for which she won two Emmy awards, and as Babette on Gilmore Girls.-Personal life:...
. Reiner and Lear promoted the special the previous week on
The Arsenio Hall ShowThe Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
.
The special was so well-received by the viewing audience that CBS decided to air reruns of
All in the Family during their summer schedule that year. The network placed
All in the Family back in its old time slot of 8 pm on Saturday nights. During its summer run, the 20-year-old program consistently placed in the weekly top 20 Nielsen shows.
Theme song
The series' opening theme song "Those Were the Days", written by
Lee AdamsLee Richard Adams is an American lyricist best known for his musical theatre collaboration with Charles Strouse.Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Adams received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University and a Master's from Columbia University.Adams won Tony Awards in 1961 for Bye Bye Birdie...
(
lyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
) and
Charles StrouseCharles Strouse is an American composer and lyricist.-Life and career:Strouse was born and raised in New York City, the son of Ira and Ethel Strouse...
(music), was presented in a unique way for a 1970s series: Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton seated at a console or
spinetA spinet is a smaller type of harpsichord or other keyboard instrument, such as a piano or organ.-Spinets as harpsichords:While the term spinet is used to designate a harpsichord, typically what is meant is the bentside spinet, described in this section...
piano (played by Stapleton) and singing the tune on-camera at the start of every episode, concluding with live-audience applause. Several different performances were recorded over the run of the series, including one version that includes additional lyrics. The song is a simple, pentatonic melody (that can be played exclusively with black keys on a piano) in which Archie and Edith wax nostalgic for the simpler days of yesteryear. A longer version of the song was released as a
singleIn music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on
Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, reaching #30 on the
Billboard Adult Contemporary chart early in 1972; the additional lyrics in this longer version lend the song a greater sense of sadness, and make poignant reference to social changes taking place in the 1960s and early '70s. A few perceptible drifts can be observed when listening to each version chronologically: In the original version Jean Stapleton was wearing glasses and after the first time the lyric "Those Were The Days" was sung over the tonic (root chord of the song's key) the piano strikes a Dominant 7th chord in transition to the next part which is absent from subsequent versions. Jean Stapleton's screeching high note on the line "And you knew who you WEEERRE then" became louder, longer, and more comical, although it was only in the original version that audience laughter was heard in response to her rendition of the note; Carroll O'Connor's pronunciation of "
welfare stateA welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
" gained more of Archie's trademark enunciation and the closing lyrics (especially "Gee, our old LaSalle ran great.") were sung with increasingly deliberate articulation, as viewers had initially complained that they could not understand the words. Also in the original version the camera angle was shot slightly from the right side of the talent as opposed to the straight on angle of the next version.
In addition to O'Connor and Stapleton singing, footage is also shown beginning with aerial shots of Manhattan, and continuing to Queens, progressively zooming in more closely, culminating with a still shot of a lower middle class semi-detached home, presumably representing the Bunkers' house in Astoria. The house shown in the opening credits, however, is actually located at 89–70 Cooper Avenue in the
GlendaleGlendale is a neighborhood in the west-central portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bounded by Cooper Avenue to the north, Woodhaven Boulevard to the east, Myrtle Avenue to the south and Fresh Pond Road to the West...
neighborhood of Queens, New York. There is a notable difference, however, between the Cooper Avenue house and the
All in the Family set: there is no porch on the Cooper Avenue house, while the Bunkers' home featured a front porch. The footage for the opening had been shot back in 1968 for the series first pilot, thus the establishing shot of the Manhattan skyline were completely devoid of the World Trade Center towers which had not yet been built. When the series aired two years later, the Trade Center towers, although under construction, had still not yet risen high enough to become a prominent feature on the Manhattan skyline (this would not happen until the end of 1971). Despite this change in the Manhattan skyline the original 1968 footage would continue to be used for the series opening until the series transitioned into
Archie Bunkers Place in 1979. At that point a new opening with current shots of the Manhattan skyline were used with the Trade Center towers being seen in the closing credits. This opening format -- showing actual footage of the cities and neighborhoods in which the show was set -- would become the standard for most of Norman Lear's sitcoms including
Maude,
Good Times, and
The Jeffersons.
At the end of the opening the camera then returns to a few final seconds of O'Connor and Stapleton, as they finish the song. In one version of the opening, at the conclusion Archie hugs Edith at the end, while another version sees Edith smiling blissfully at Archie, while Archie puts a cigar in his mouth and returns a rather cynical look to Edith. Additionally in the first three versions of the opening Archie is seen wearing his classic trademark white shirt. In the last version of the opening done for the series ninth season Archie is seen wearing a grey sweater jacket over his white shirt.
In interviews, Norman Lear stated that the idea for the piano song introduction was a cost-cutting measure. After completion of the pilot episode, the budget would not allow an elaborate scene to serve as the sequence played during the show's opening credits. Lear decided to have a simple scene of Archie and Edith singing at the piano.
The closing theme (an
instrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
) was "Remembering You" played by
Roger KellawayRoger Kellaway is an American composer, arranger, and pianist.Born in Waban, Massachusetts, he is an alumnus of the New England Conservatory...
with lyrics co-written by Carroll O'Connor. It was played over footage of the same row of houses in Queens as in the opening (but moving in the opposite direction down the street), and eventually moving back to aerial shots of Manhattan, suggesting the visit to the Bunkers' home has concluded.
Except for some brief instances in the first season, there was no background or transitional music.
Setting and location
Lear and his writers set the series in the Queens neighborhood of
AstoriaAstoria is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside , and Woodside...
. The exact location of the Bunkers' house at
704 Hauser704 Hauser is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from April to May 1994. A spin-off of All in the Family , the series is built around the concept of an African American family, the Cumberbatches, moving into the former Queens home of Archie Bunker years after Bunker had sold the house...
Street is completely fictitious (no Hauser Street exists in Queens), however, and factually incorrect with the way addresses are given in Queens (all address numbers are hyphenated, containing the location of the nearest number street to keep in line with the Queens street numbering system). Nevertheless, many episodes reveal that the Bunkers live near the major thoroughfare Northern Blvd, which was the location of
Kelcy’s Bar and later
Archie Bunker's Place.
The facade of the house shown at the show opening is an actual home located at 89-70 Cooper Avenue, Glendale, New York (40.712492°N 73.860784°W.
Many real life Queens institutions are mentioned throughout the series. Carroll O’Connor, a real life Queens native from
Forest Hills- Cities or census-designated places :United States* Forest Hills, Kentucky* Forest Hills, Michigan* Forest Hills, North Carolina* Forest Hills, Pennsylvania* Forest Hills, TennesseeSouth Africa* Forest Hills, Kloof, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal...
, said in an interview with the
Archive of American TelevisionThe Archive of American Television is a division of the non-profit Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation that films interviews with notable people from all aspects of the television industry....
that he suggested to the writers many of the locations to give the series authenticity. For example it is revealed that Archie attended
Flushing High SchoolFlushing High School is a four-year public high school in Flushing, in the New York City borough of Queens. The school is operated by the New York City Department of Education....
, a real high school located in Flushing Queens, while Edith mentions several times throughout the series that she shops at Gertz Department store, a then existing department store located in
Jamaica, QueensJamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
. Additionally the 1976 episode, "The Baby Contest", deals with Archie entering baby Joey in a cutest baby contest sponsored by the
Long Island Daily Press, a then-operating local newspaper in Queens and Long Island.
Additionally the writers of
All In The Family continued throughout the series to have the Bunkers, as well as other characters, use
telephone exchange namesDuring the early years of telephone service, communities that required more than 10,000 telephone numbers, whether dial service was available or not, utilized exchange names to distinguish identical numerics for different customers....
when giving a telephone number (most other series at the time, such as
The Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
, were using the standard 555 telephone number) at a time when
AT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
was earnestly trying to discontinue them. At different times throughout the series the telephone exchanges Ravenswood and Bayside were used for the Bunkers' telephone number. Both exchanges were and still are applicable names for phone numbers in the neighborhoods of Astoria and
BaysideBayside may refer to a number of places:In the United States:*Bayside, California*Bayside High School , several schools in the U.S...
. This may have had to do with the fact that at the time many major cities in the United States, such as New York, were resisting the dropping of telephone exchange names in favor of all-number dialing, and were still printing their telephone books with exchange names. This fact is referred to in the 1979 episode "The Appendectomy", when Edith, while dialing a telephone number, uses the Parkview exchange name only to correct herself by saying that she keeps forgetting that it's all number dialing now. However, she comes to the conclusion that the number is exactly the same either way.
Cultural impact
- Then-US President Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
can be heard discussing the show (specifically the 1971 episodes "Writing the President" and "Judging Books by Covers") on one of the infamous Watergate tapesThe Watergate tapes, a subset of the Nixon tapes, are a collection of recordings of conversations between Richard Nixon and his fellow conspirators plotting a break in to the Watergate Hotel. U.S. President Richard Nixon and various White House staff started communicating on February 1971 and...
.
- Popular T-shirts, buttons, and bumper sticker
A bumper sticker is an adhesive label or sticker with a message, intended to be attached to the bumper of an automobile and to be read by the occupants of other vehicles - although they are often stuck onto other objects...
s showing O'Connor's image and farcically promoting "Archie Bunker for President" appeared around the time of the 1972 presidential electionThe United States presidential election of 1972 was the 47th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 7, 1972. The Democratic Party's nomination was eventually won by Senator George McGovern, who ran an anti-war campaign against incumbent Republican President Richard...
. A number of voters were said to have voted for the fictional TV character as a write-in candidateA write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
.
- Archie and Edith's chairs are now in the Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. Originally purchased by the show's set designer for a few dollars at a local GoodwillGoodwill Industries International is a not-for-profit organization that provides job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who have a disability, lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges...
thrift store, the originals were given to the Smithsonian (for an exhibit on American television history) in 1978. It cost producers thousands of dollars to create replicas to replace the originals.
- In 1998 All in the Family was honored on a 33-cent stamp by the USPS
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
.
- The novelty pop project Kingsauce
Kingsauce is a "novelty-pop" project headed by Richie Chodes. They are considered to be an extension of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Combining elements of mid-1960s pop, 1970s AM radio, and a touch of vaudeville, Kingsauce creates tunes with silly, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Their last full...
recorded the song "Working Class Zero" which pays homage to Archie Bunker
- On the TV series Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, the opening sequence shows Peter and Lois Griffin playing the piano and singing a lament on the loss of traditional values, which is an homage to the opening sequence for All in the Family. Also, the Family Guy episode "PTV" depicts a fictional All in the Family scene where Archie and Edith get the Jeffersons to move by burning a cross on their lawn while dressed like members of the Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. The closing credits are also parodied in the episode "Stewie Loves Lois"Stewie Loves Lois" is the first episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox on September 10, 2006. The episode features Stewie after his teddy bear, which has been destroyed by an unfamiliar dog at the park, is repaired by his mother, Lois,...
", complete with the All In The Family end credits font and closing theme song.
- On retro sitcom That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
, "Kelso's Serenade", Donna wonders if Eric is taking her for granted and imagines her life as like this series. Eric is Archie, Donna is Edith, Kelso is Michael (which is incidentally the character's first name) and Jackie is Gloria. Afterwards, when Eric asks Donna to do something for him, she exclaims, "Don't get all Archie Bunker on me or I will kick your ass to the moon!"
- An episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, "Lisa's Sax"Lisa's Sax" is the third episode of The Simpsons ninth season and originally aired on the Fox network on October 19, 1997 to overwhelmingly positive reviews. In the series' sixth flashback episode, it is explained how Lisa got her saxophone...
", features a parody of the opening sequence of All in the Family, with Marge playing piano and Marge and Homer singing an updated version of "Those Were the Days." The episode then proceeds to state that it was filmed in front of a live studio audience. Homer Simpson also has some notable comparisons to Archie as well, including his first line following the intro to Bart: "Hey there 'meathead' what are you watching?"
- Another episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, "Make Room for Lisa"Make Room for Lisa" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 28, 1999. In the episode, while visiting the Smithsonian expedition, Homer Simpson meets a businesswoman who convinces him to build a cell phone...
", features a Planet HollywoodPlanet Hollywood, a restaurant inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood, was launched in New York on October 22, 1991, with the backing of Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.-History:...
-esque restaurant in which Homer sets off several alarms by sitting in Archie Bunker's chair while reading the United States Bill of RightsThe Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and...
.
- The show inspired the Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
cartoon series Wait Till Your Father Gets HomeWait Till Your Father Gets Home was an animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera that aired in first-run syndication in the United States from 1972 to 1974...
and the DePatie-Freleng cartoon series The BarkleysThe Barkleys is an animated television series that ran from 1972 to 1973 on NBC and was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises.-Story:The cartoon was inspired by CBS's hit sitcom All in the Family; it lasted only one season. The series featured a dog family consisting of Arnie, a bus driver and...
.
- Bob Rivers
Bob Rivers is a well-known American rock and roll radio on air personality in the Pacific Northwest as well as a prolific producer of parody songs, most famous for his Christmas song parodies....
' Christmas novelty songA novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
"The Twelve Pains of Christmas", a spoof of "The Twelve Days of Christmas"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol that enumerates a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas. Although first published in England in 1780, textual evidence may indicate the song is French in origin...
", features an impersonation of Archie Bunker speaking some of his lines from All in the Family, spoken or shouted as lyrics in the song. Some of these include classic Archie lines like "Shut up, you!" and "Edith, get me a beer!"
- There is an Amazing Race
The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race.The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m...
episode called "I've Become the Archie Bunker of the Home".
- The television series History Bites
History Bites was a television series on the History Television network that ran from 1998-2003. Created by Rick Green, History Bites explored what would be on television if the medium had been around for the last 5,000 years of human history. Typically, a significant historical event was chosen...
was also known to parody the show, as witnessed in the Talkin' Turkey episode.
- All in the Family is the first of three sitcoms in which all the main characters won Emmy Awards (O'Connor, Stapleton, Struthers, and Reiner). The other two are The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
and Will & GraceWill & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
.
- Part of the Bunker kitchen set was used more than 25 years after the show's debut for another CBS sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
.
- An episode of MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
featured the show taking place in 2001 and Archie (played by Will SassoWilliam "Will" Sasso is a Canadian comedian and actor. He is most notable for his membership in the recurring cast of comedians on the American sketch comedy series MADtv, spending five seasons on the show.-Early life:...
) isn't allowed to say anything offensive.
- In Living Color
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...
did a parody of the show called "All Up in the Family" which featured all the characters as African Americans.
- The character Archie Bunker was the inspiration for the character Eric Cartman
Eric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
on South ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, as acknowledged by Trey ParkerTrey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
and Matt StoneMatthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
, the creators of South Park.
- Archie Bunker's chair was featured in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is an American adventure comedy film directed by Shawn Levy, and starring Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, and Steve Coogan. The film is a sequel to Night at the Museum...
.
- In The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
episode "Kelly Kids", a female next door neighbor was compared to Archie Bunker.
- Their story was featured on The E! True Hollywood Story.
- Def Jam rapper Rick Ross
Rick, Ricky or Richard Ross may also refer to:* Rick Ross , American rapper* Richard J. Ross, a Massachusetts State Senator* Richard Ross , an American photographer...
featuring Styles PDavid Styles better known by his stage name, Styles P, is an American rapper, author, and entrepreneur. He is prominently known as a member of Hip Hop group The LOX and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop group, and in addition has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a solo...
, raps the line "I Got that Archie Bunker" on the song, "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)"B.M.F. " is the second single from Rick Ross' fourth studio album Teflon Don. It features Styles P. It was produced by Lex Luger. The song was originally released as an unmastered version on Ross' promotional mixtape, the Albert Anastasia EP...
" from Teflon DonTeflon Don is the fourth studio album by American rapper Rick Ross, released July 20, 2010 on Maybach Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album took place during 2009 to 2010 and was handled by several record producers, including Clark Kent, No I.D., The Olympicks, J.U.S.T.I.C.E...
in 2010.
Syndication
During the show's sixth season in December 1975, CBS began showing reruns on weekday afternoons. This lasted until September 1979, at which point the reruns entered off-network syndication. Since the late 1980s,
All in the Family has been rerun on various networks including
TBSTBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
,
TV LandTV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
and
Nick at NiteNick at Nite is the nighttime Cable network that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon on Sundays from 8.p.m.-7.am., Monday through Fridays from 9 p.m.-7 a.m. and Saturdays from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. . Though it shares channel space with Nickelodeon, A.C. Nielsen Co...
. Since January 3, 2011, the show has been airing on
Antenna TVAntenna TV is an American digital broadcast television network, primarily featuring classic television series from the 1950s to the 1990s, along with some feature films. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, a division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
.
DVD releases
Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentSony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
(formerly Columbia Tri-Star Home Entertainment) released the first six seasons of
All in the Family on DVD in Region 1 between 2002-2007. No further seasons were released, because the sales figures did not match Sony's expectations.
On June 23, 2010,
Shout! FactoryShout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
announced that they had acquired the rights to the series, and have since released the remaining three seasons.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
| The Complete First Season |
13 |
March 26, 2002 |
| The Complete Second Season |
24 |
February 4, 2003 |
| The Complete Third Season |
24 |
July 20, 2004 |
| The Complete Fourth Season |
24 |
April 12, 2005 |
| The Complete Fifth Season |
25 |
January 3, 2006 |
| The Complete Sixth Season |
24 |
February 13, 2007 |
| The Complete Seventh Season |
25 |
October 5, 2010 |
| The Complete Eighth Season |
24 |
January 11, 2011 |
| The Complete Ninth Season |
24 |
May 17, 2011 |
See also
- Till Death Us Do Part
- Archie Bunker's Place
Archie Bunker's Place is an American sitcom originally broadcast on the CBS network, conceived in 1979 as a spin-off and continuation of All in the Family. While not as popular as its predecessor, the show maintained a large enough audience to last for four seasons, until its cancellation in 1983...
- All in a Family
"All In A Family" was an immensely popular Hong Kong drama that first screened in 1994. It was based on the British television series Till Death Us Do Part.-All In A Family - cast and roles:* Chan Chun Wah - Father/Mr Tang...
- List of American television shows based on foreign shows
Further reading
- All in the Family: A Critical Appraisal, edited by Richard P. Adler, (Praeger; 1979) ISBN 0-275-90326-5
- Archie & Edith, Mike & Gloria : the Tumultuous History of All in the Family, Donna McCrohan, (Workman Publishing; 1988) ISBN 0-89480-527-4
- Stay Tuned: Television's Unforgettable Moments, Joe Garner
Joe Garner is an author and former radio executive who resides in Los Angeles.Garner spent twenty years working in the radio industry, with over ten of those years employed as an executive with the Westwood One radio network. He contributed to the creation and production of numerous audiobooks for...
, (Andrews McMeel Publishing; 2002) ISBN 0-7407-2693-5
External links