A case can be made that All in the Family is the greatest network television show ever. From 1971-1976, it was the number one most watched TV show in the country. It earned scores of awards during its run and spawned several other successful series in The Jeffersons, Maude and Good Times. And "Archie Bunker's Place" continued for several years as an extension of AITF after it went off the air. Groundbreaking and irreverent, it shattered all the taboo topics of the time in discussing menopause, abortion, political discourse and most significantly, race- all in a comedic format. The show marked the beginning of a major departure from the sterile, suburban programming of the day which included shows like Petticoat Junction, Green Acres and Gilligan's Island.
The show follows the everyday lives of The Bunker family of Queens New York, made up of working-class, bigoted Archie Bunker, his dutiful wife Edith, his independent daughter Gloria and his liberal college-student son-in-law Mike, all living under the same roof. Most episodes focused on stereotypes or a politically charged theme of the times-often involving race- and the spirited exchanges between the prejudiced Archie and the more progressive Mike. Often times Gloria would be part of these exchanges, especially concerning issues relevant to female equality and independence. Though naive on worldly issues, Edith would nonetheless often be the voice of calm and reason and would many times accidentally foil many of Archie's schemes or bring him up short on his worldviews. Though prejudiced, Archie was not hateful. Like many, his bigoted views were born out of ignorance and an upbringing which bred such sentiments. One of the joys of this show was watching the growth of its characters, especially Archie, who though still very much a Conservative, softened during the show's later years.
To feel this show couldn't survive today is to focus too much on our current political climate and to not understand the objectives of All in the Family. Those who focus simply on the jokes themselves fail to grasp their primary purpose: to point out the foolishness of bigotry. Star Carroll O'Connor, was a devout Liberal Democrat in real life, had a black godson and was involved with many progressive initiatives, making his characterization of Archie that much more impressive. And the show's creator Norman Lear, is of Jewish descent and is himself very liberal. Perhaps we need a show like All in the Family today to remind us how ridiculous our society is becoming with our divisions, oversensitivity and inability to laugh at ourselves.
A criticism of All in the Family is that many of its episodes revolved around themes of the day that no longer resonate, i.e. Watergate, Women's Lib, The Vietnam War, etc. But substitute recent themes- The Trump/Biden election, Women's Rights, Afghanistan, etc. And it shows us All in the Family is as relevant as ever and not nearly as dated as some would have us believe. Race relations, economic depression, inflation and the wage gap are issues that sadly are as prominent now as they ever were.
The acting in the series was first rate. Carroll O'Connor's depiction of arch-conservative Archie Bunker is one of the greatest portrayals in television history. Jean Stapleton shined as the "dingbat" Edith. Rob Reiner was outstanding as Son-in-Law Mike and Sally Struthers provided solid support as daughter Gloria. Fine too were supporting cast members Sherman Hensley and Isabel Sanford as The Jeffersons, a black family living next door, and later Vincent Gardenia and Betty Garrett as another neighboring family, The Lorenzos. Terrific acting, writing and important societal themes make this a tremendous show. Must watch TV.
The show follows the everyday lives of The Bunker family of Queens New York, made up of working-class, bigoted Archie Bunker, his dutiful wife Edith, his independent daughter Gloria and his liberal college-student son-in-law Mike, all living under the same roof. Most episodes focused on stereotypes or a politically charged theme of the times-often involving race- and the spirited exchanges between the prejudiced Archie and the more progressive Mike. Often times Gloria would be part of these exchanges, especially concerning issues relevant to female equality and independence. Though naive on worldly issues, Edith would nonetheless often be the voice of calm and reason and would many times accidentally foil many of Archie's schemes or bring him up short on his worldviews. Though prejudiced, Archie was not hateful. Like many, his bigoted views were born out of ignorance and an upbringing which bred such sentiments. One of the joys of this show was watching the growth of its characters, especially Archie, who though still very much a Conservative, softened during the show's later years.
To feel this show couldn't survive today is to focus too much on our current political climate and to not understand the objectives of All in the Family. Those who focus simply on the jokes themselves fail to grasp their primary purpose: to point out the foolishness of bigotry. Star Carroll O'Connor, was a devout Liberal Democrat in real life, had a black godson and was involved with many progressive initiatives, making his characterization of Archie that much more impressive. And the show's creator Norman Lear, is of Jewish descent and is himself very liberal. Perhaps we need a show like All in the Family today to remind us how ridiculous our society is becoming with our divisions, oversensitivity and inability to laugh at ourselves.
A criticism of All in the Family is that many of its episodes revolved around themes of the day that no longer resonate, i.e. Watergate, Women's Lib, The Vietnam War, etc. But substitute recent themes- The Trump/Biden election, Women's Rights, Afghanistan, etc. And it shows us All in the Family is as relevant as ever and not nearly as dated as some would have us believe. Race relations, economic depression, inflation and the wage gap are issues that sadly are as prominent now as they ever were.
The acting in the series was first rate. Carroll O'Connor's depiction of arch-conservative Archie Bunker is one of the greatest portrayals in television history. Jean Stapleton shined as the "dingbat" Edith. Rob Reiner was outstanding as Son-in-Law Mike and Sally Struthers provided solid support as daughter Gloria. Fine too were supporting cast members Sherman Hensley and Isabel Sanford as The Jeffersons, a black family living next door, and later Vincent Gardenia and Betty Garrett as another neighboring family, The Lorenzos. Terrific acting, writing and important societal themes make this a tremendous show. Must watch TV.