All in the Family

All in the Family is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from 1971 to 1979. It is about a working class family who live in Queens, New York City. The main character is Archie Bunker. The show deals with many controversial issues (including abortion and racism). The sitcom was created by Norman Lear and it was developed by Lear and Bud Yorkin. It is based on the British sitcom Till Death Us Do Part which was made by Johnny Speight. Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers, Rob Reiner, and Danielle Brisebois are the main actors on the show.
All in the Family is seen in the United States of America as one of the greatest television programs in history. The show did not do good in the first season but a lot more people watched when CBS put in the summer reruns on television. Many people liked that the show talked about controversial issues. The show got number 1 on the Nielsen ratings from 1971 to 1976. It was the first television show to do this. The episode "Sammy Visit's" was number 13 on [[TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time|TV Guides 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time]] and [[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|TV Guides 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]] had All in the Family as the fourth greatest show of all time. Bravo put Archie Bunker as the "greatest character of all time." All in the Family had seven spin-off shows made. That is the most spin-off shows from any show ever.
The show ended on April 8, 1979 but the spin-off show called Archie Bunker's Place started on September 23, 1979 and carried on with Archie Bunker until 1984. 15 years later Norman Lear created 704 Hauser which was about a new family living in Archie Bunker's house after he sold it. The show was ended early after five episodes were put on television.
Plot
All in the Family is about a family who lives during the early 1970s in the suburbs of Queens, New York City. The sitcom's main character is a World War II veteran and blue-collar worker Archie Bunker. Archie Bunker is old, a bigot, and is not very smart. He gets mad at the changes he sees in the world and wants to go back to when life was more easier. Archie does not like the Democratic Party and is a Republican. He stereotypes every person he meets. His wife, Edith Bunker is a nice woman but she is not very smart. She has a very big family but her family does not like Archie Bunker. Archie and Edith have one child. They have a daughter named Gloria Stivic who is a feminist. Archie calls Gloria "little girl". Gloria is married to Michael Stivic who is unemployed and is of Polish descent. Archie calls Michael the "Meathead" because Michael has different ideas about politics then Archie. Michael and Gloria have a son together. Archie thinks that Michael is dead from his neck to his head. Archie does not like the Jeffersons who are the African American family that live next door to them. Archie argues with George Jefferson many times but George's wife is a friends with Edith. Her name is Louise Jefferson. George and Louise have a son named Lionel Jefferson who helps out Archie. The Jeffersons move away and into the city. Edith also has a cousin named Maude Findlay who takes care of the Bunkers when they get sick. Archie argues with Maude many times because they do not have the same opinions about politics. The characters who live around Archie and his family are meant to show the changing demographics in the world, which Archie does not like.
Early seasons of the show
During the show the family goes through different situations. Many of the most funny moments of the show are in the first season. Early in the show, Michael wrote an angry letter to President Richard Nixon and Archie wrote a letter to Richard Nixon about why he liked him. Archie and the Jeffersons argue over the color of God's skin because he does not think God is black. But Archie gets drunk and is locked in the basement and he thinks that God came to rescue him but it was just one of the Jeffersons. He is surprised that God is black and bows down to him. In many of the episodes Michael and Archie argue. One time Archie was nearly arrested for owning tear gas and another time he went missing. Archie and the people he works with go on strike and Archie does not have a job. But Edith gets a job instead because the family needs money. This makes Archie mad because he thinks that the husband should be working. There are also some flashback episodes. The first one is about the first time Archie and Michael meet. It is a very famous episode and Michael got the name "meathead" in it. In the third season the episode,"The Bunkers and the Swingers" won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. The episode was about Edith an Archie not knowing that they agreed to change husbands and wives for a night with other people who do it as a job.
Later seasons of the show
Later on, Archie is in a broken elevator with a woman who Archie thought was crazy, an African American businessman and a Puerto Rican man and women who is about to give birth. In season eight of the show Gloria and Michael move out of the house and move into their own house to raise their son but the house is very close to Archie and Edith's house. Michael and Gloria start to argue many times and they think they might get divorced. Michael looks to Archie for help but it does not work very much. They do stayed married for the rest of the show. Archie's ideas about transgender people are put to test when he saved a transgender person's life not knowing that they were transgender. Many important and controversial things happen in season eight of the show. During the episode "Edith's 50th Birthday" a man who is dressed up as a police officer tried to rape Edith. Edith fights him off but has a very hard time telling Archie about it. Another time Archie and Michael are locked in Kelsey's Bar together and they argue but become very close and Archie finally tells Michael that he loves him. Later in the show Archie and Edith raise a young girl named Stephanie Mills who was abandoned by her father and her mother (Edith's cousin). Archie buys a bar with a friend and they own it. The story of All in the Family continued in Archie Bunker's Place and the house is the main place with a new family named the "Cumberbatches" in the spin-off show 704 Hauser but the show was cancelled less than a month after it started.
Creating the show
The first pilot episode
All in the Family is based on the 1960s British sitcom television show Till Death Us Do Part. Norman Lear said he read about the show in a Variety magazine. He thought the show was like the relationship that he had with his father. Norman Lear bought the rights to use Til Death Us Do Part and used the ideas of the show in All in the Family. Norman Lear is the creator of All in the Family. He would also add some of the things his father did into the show. CBS wanted to have the show but the show was going to be on ABC. There was two pilot episodes made. One was made on September 3, 1968 and called And Justice For All. The pilot episodes had different actors and actresss for Michael (Tim McIntire) and Gloria Stivic (Kelly Jean Peters) and the house they lived in looked different. Archie and Edith were named "Archie Justice" and "Edith Justice" instead of Archie Bunker and Edith Bunker. Micheal was named "Dickie" for the first pilot. Lionel Jefferson was played by D'Urville Martin instead of Mike Evans. For the start of the episode, Archie and Edith were singing, "Those were the Days" but the song was longer and shots of where they lived were shown but not them. Also Edith played the piano faster in this pilot episode then the rest of the show. The camera showed the door mat which said "Justice" before the episode started. The pilot was taped with three cameras so the people watching could see the characters feelings about things. This would be used for the entire show. Most other sitcoms used one camera but All in the Family was the first and more sitcoms used three cameras after. The pilot talked about many important issues instead of just one. The characters talked about race, welfare, antisemitism, and even different types of sausage. The ending credits of the pilot episode is the kitchen room with the party decorations up. Edith and Archie are singing the same song from the beginning as the credits roll.
The second pilot episode
ABC did not like the first pilot because they did not think Archie and Edith were good together but ABC gave Lear the money to make a second pilot. The episode was made on February 10, 1969 in Los Angeles and it was called Those were Days. The second pilot episode was almost the same as the first pilot episode but in this pilot Gloria was played by Candice Azzara and Chip Oliver played Richard. Richard was the name of Michael Stivic's character and was named "Dickie" in the first pilot episode. D'Urville Martin played Lionel Jefferson again. Another difference from the pilot episodes and the rest of the show is that Edith can be rude to Archie at times and calls Archie,"Mr. Religion." For the start of this pilot episode, Edith and Archie are singing "Those were the Days" the same way it would be for the rest of the show. After Edith and Archie start to sing, shots of the neighborhood that they live in are shown but not Manhattan. The ending credits are Archie and Edith singing the same song but they are not shown. Instead the same shots from the opening song is shown but backwards. This was used for the rest of the show.
The pilots both had the same story. Gloria and Richard are making a surprise anniversary party for Edith and Archie. Gloria does not want Richard to argue with Archie. Their friend, Lionel Jefferson was fixing the toilet for them. When Richard and Gloria leave Archie and Edith come home, Edith is surprised to see the party. But when Richard and Gloria come back, Richard and Archie start to argue about controversial ideas. Gloria tells Archie that she is going to leave because they keep arguing but she does not. Lionel comes back to the house and Archie tries to show Richard that he likes African-Americans but insults Jewish people instead. Lionel and Richard play a joke on Archie and try to make him think that he is Jewish. Edith opens a present from Archie but he did not make it. She is very happy but Archie is confused. The episodes end with Archie insulting Richard.
Making the rest of the show
This was the last pilot and it would be two years until the first episode of the All in the Family was made. Both of the pilot episodes were never put on television. ABC did not like the show because they thought it was too controversial and because another show, Turn-On was ended after one episode. They also thought that the people who watch ABC would not like Archie Bunker. Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin took back the screenplay and thought about making a movie with All in the Family and not a show because Norman and Bud has made good movies. Norman Lear had a meeting with United Artists about making movies and Bud had a meeting with CBS. CBS thought about getting All in the Family back. Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin agreed to make 13 episodes for the first season and CBS bought the show back.
The show was filmed at CBS Television City in Hollywood from 1971 to 1975 and then was filmed at Metromedia Square also in Hollywood, from 1975 to 1979. Tandem Productions was the company that produced the show. Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin created the company. Norman Lear wanted the show to be made in black and white but CBS would not let him. The furniture in the show did not have many colors in them this was because Norman Lear wanted the people watching the show to make it feel like they were looking at family photos. All in the Family was the first American sitcom to be recorded in front of a live audience. Each episode is 25 or 26 minutes long. CBS had a warning before each episode to warn the people watching that controversial topics would be talked about on the show, but they did it too make people laugh. CBS did this so people would know before the show started if they were going to be offended by what was on the show. Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers played Michael and Gloria instead and the first episode was put on television on January 12, 1971.
All in the Family was not famous in the first season. But the show started to become famous when CBS had reruns of the first season on television.
Setting and location
All in the Family takes place Astoria which is a neighbourhood in the Queens, New York. Many episodes of the show take place at Archie and Edith's house. The address for the house Archie and his family is 704 Hauser but the address is not real. The house is real and is in Greendale also in New York. The Bunker's live near New York State Route 25A which is where Kelsey's Bar is and where Archie Bunker's Place is set. Many of the places mentioned in the show are real. Like the high school that Archie Bunker goes too is a real high school in Flushing, New York.
Cultural impact
Most sitcoms before All in the Family did not talk about controversial issues. All in the Family became very famous because it talked about controversial topics like race and sexuality but in a funny way. Many people liked the show because they thought the show was relatable for them because the show was about average people in the 1970s. Norman Lear used this when he made other shows like Sanford and Son. All in the Family won many awards for it's success. The chairs that Archie Bunker and Edith sit in and the table that is in between the chairs are on display at the National Museum of American History. On the table is Archie's favorite beer and a bowl to stop his cigar when he is done smoking. The hat that Archie wears on the show is also at this museum.
During the 1972 United States presidential election, shirts, and buttons were sold that said "Archie Bunker for President." In 1998, the United States Postal Service created a stamp that cost 33 cents and was about All in the Family.
In the sound recordings of the Watergate scandal the then-U.S President Richard Nixon was heard talking about how All in the Family "glorifies homosexuality." He talks about Archie Bunker and calls Michael his "hippie son-in-law" but not does not say the show's name. Richard Nixon liked the show, having been mentioned many times in the sitcom and even been the plot of the second episode of the show. Nixon did not go on the show.
The rapper, Redman says Archie Bunker name in some of his songs when rapping about cigars because Archie is very well known for smoking large cigars.
Characters
Main characters
A main character is a character who is in almost all the episodes or is important to the story.
Archie Bunker: Archie Bunker is played by Carroll O'Connor. Archie wishes for the years when he was younger and more people agreed with his ideas. Archie was a soldier in World War II and fought in Italy. Archie can be a bigot and does not think very much but is also very loving and is having trouble adapting to the way the world is changing. He argues with people who do not agree with him.
Edith Bunker: Edith Bunker is played by Jean Stapleton. Edith is Archie's nice wife. Edith loves were husband Archie very much but Archie insults her sometimes. Edith ignores Archie but there are times when she will insult him back. She is best well known for shouting, "Oh Archieeeeee!" when Archie comes back to the house. Edith is not very smart and does not understand some of the things Archie says. Edith is not in four of the episodes of All in the Family but is in the rest.
Gloria Stivic: Gloria Stivic is played by Sally Struthers. Gloria is the daughter of Archie and Edith and is married to Michael Stivic. She is a feminist and does not agree with her father when they talk. When Michael and Archie argue, Gloria supports Michael. Gloria and Micheal have a son named Joey.
Michael Stivic: Michael Stivic is played by Rob Reiner. Michael is of Polish American descent and is a hippie. Michael is married to Gloria. Michael argues with Archie in almost every episode and they are both stubborn. In the show Michael's ideas are seen as more correct then Archie's. Michael is the smartest person in the house and tells everyone about it. Harrison Ford was asked to play Michael but said no.
Stephanie Mills: Stephanie Mills is played by Danielle Brisebois. Stephanie Mills is nine years old and is the daughter of Edith's cousin who left her. Stephanie is in season nine of the show. In the show, Stephanie is cute and smart, she also gives Archie a few important words at times.
Supporting characters
Supporting characters are characters who are in many episodes and help the main characters at times.
The Jeffersons: The Jeffersons are the African American family who live next to the Bunkers. George Jefferson is played by Sherman Hemsley, Louise Jefferson is played by Isabel Sanford and their son Lionel Jefferson is played by Mike Evans. George and Archie argue many times but Louise and Edith are good friends. Lionel is friends with Gloria and Michael. He also helps Archie when he needs a repair.
Maude Findlay: Maude Findlay is played by Bea Arthur. Maude is Edith's cousin and is very liberal. She is one of Archie Bunker's main antagonist and they hate each other. She helps out the Bunkers when they are sick. She is in one other episode which is used to set up her own show Maude.Irene and Frank Lorenzo: Irene Lorenzo is played by Betty Garrett and Frank Lorenzo is played by Vincent Gardenia. Irene and Frank lived next door to the Bunkers. Archie did not like them because Irene was Irish and Frank was Italian but Archie worked at the same place as Irene. Irene helps out the Bunkers when there is a problem with their house but Frank and Irene leave the show and it is not said why they leftBarney Hefner: Barney Hefner is played by Allan Melvin. He was a good friend of Archie Bunker and worked at a bar with him. Barney was not in many episodes at first but started to be in many more as the show went on. Barney is also in many episodes of Archie Bunker's Place.
Recurring characters
A recurring character is a character who is in only a few episodes but does not have a big part.
Jerome "Stretch" Cunningham: Stretch Cunningham is played by James Cromwell. Archie's friend and co-worker from the loading dock. What Archie did not know was that Stretch was Jewish, which he finds out after Stretch died and Archie went to the funeral. Archie's eulogy for his friend is one of the few times in the show where he shows emotions for someone.
Theresa Betancourt: Theresa Betancourt is played by Liz Torres. A Puerto Rican nurse who meets Archie when he goes to the hospital for surgery. She later rents Mike and Gloria's former room at the Bunker house. She called Archie "Papi". Torres joined All in the Family in the fall of 1976, but her character was not liked by the people watching the show, and the role was phased out before the end of the season.
Mr. Munson: Mr. Munson is played by Billy Halop. He is the cab driver who lets Archie use his cab to make extra money.
Kelcy or Tommy Kelsey: Tommy Kelsey is played by Bob Hastings. He owns the bar Archie goes to a lot and later buys: Kelcy was also played by Frank Maxwell in the episode "Archie Gets The Business". The name of the bar is Kelcy's Bar.
Harry Snowden: Harry Snowden is played by Jason Wingreen. He is a bartender at Kelcy's Bar who continues to work there after Archie buys it as his business partner: Harry had tried to buy the bar from Kelcy, but Archie was able to come up with the money first.
Mildred Turner: Mildred Turner is played by Gloria LeRoy. He is a secretary at the plant where Archie works. Mike and Gloria think he and she could be having an affair. She does not like Archie because he and Stretch because of their sexist behavior, but later becomes friendly with him.
Father Majeskie: Father Majeskie is played by Barnard Hughes. He is a local Catholic priest Archie thinks is trying to convert Edith: He appeared in multiple episodes. The first time was when Edith accidentally hit Majeskie's car near the local supermarket with a can of cling peaches in heavy syrup.
Pinky Peterson: Pinky Peterson is played by Eugene Roche. He makes jokes and is one of Archie Bunker's buddies, in three episodes, first in the episode "Beverly Rides Again", then the memorable Christmas Day episode called "The Draft Dodger" (episode 146, 1976), and finally the episode "Archie's Other Wife".
Lyle Sanders: Lyle Sanders is played by Sorrell Booke. He is a manager at Archie Bunker's workplace, Prendergast Tool and Die Company: He had appeared on the series as Lyle Bennett, the manager of a local television station, in the episode "Archie and the Editorial" in season three.
Beverly La Salle: Beverly La Salle is played by Lori Shannon. He is a transvestite entertainer, who appeared in three episodes: "Archie the Hero", "Beverly Rides Again", and "Edith's Crisis of Faith". In that third episode, Mike and Beverly are attacked, and Beverly dies in a hospital from injuries suffered during the fight.
Blanche Hefner: Blanche Hefner is played by Estelle Parsons. She is Barney's second wife, and Archie does not like her, though Edith likes her very much. The character is mentioned throughout much of the series after Barney's first wife, Mabel, had died, though she only appeared in a handful of episodes during the last few seasons. Estelle Parsons also appeared in the season-seven episode "Archie's Secret Passion" as Dolores Fencel.
Mr. Edgar van Ranseleer: Edgar van Ranseleer is played by Bill Quinn. He is a blind person and is at the bar a lot. He's first name is never said. In a running joke, Archie usually waves his hand in front of Mr. van R's face when he speaks to him. His role was later expanded on Archie Bunker's Place, where he appeared in all four seasons.
Justin Quigley: Justin Quigley is played by Burt Mustin. Mr. Quigley first appeared in the episode: "Edith Finds an Old Man" where he runs away from an old age home. He moves in with the Bunkers but quickly leaves to share an apartment with his friend Josephine "Jo" Nelson, played by Ruth McDevitt. He appeared in several other episodes, including "Archie's Weighty Problem". Mr. Mustin previously appeared in a first-season episode as Harry Feeney, the night watchman at Archie's workplace.
Aunt Iola: Aunt Iola is played by Nedra Volz. She is Edith's aunt, and she stayed with the Bunkers for two weeks. Edith wanted her to move in, but Archie would not allow it, though when he thought Iola did not have any place to go, he told her privately that she could always stay with them.
Sybil Gooley: Sybil Gooley is played by Francine Beers and Jane Connell. She worked at Ferguson's Market, Sybil was right that Gloria and Mike were having a baby boy by doing a ring on a string "swing test" over Gloria's stomach. Sybil also appeared in the episode "Edith's 50th Birthday" and spilled the beans on her surprise party because she had not been invited. Archie and she did not get along, and he referred to her as a "Big Mouth".
Amelia DeKuyper: Amelia DeKuyper is played by Rae Allen and Elizabeth Wilson. She is Edith's cousin. Archie does not like Amelia and her husband, Russell, who are wealthy. In one episode, Amelia and her husband visit the Bunkers to bring them gifts from a recent trip to Hawaii, but in a private moment, Amelia shares with Edith that, despite appearances, she and Russell are thinking about a divorce. The character was played by two different actresses in three episodes of the show.
Russell DeKuyper: Russell DeKuyper is played by Richard Dysart and George S. Irving. Amelia's husband. He is a plumber who owns the business started by Amelia's father and uncles. He talks about all the money he has in front of Archie and is grossed out at the way Archie lives. He appeared in two of the episodes that also had Amelia.
Reverend Chong: Reverend Chong is played by Clyde Kusatsu appeared in three episodes. He would not baptize baby Joey in season six, and then remarried Archie and Edith, and Mike and Gloria in season eight, and helped Stephanie Mills in season nine when she learned that she was Jewish.
Josephine "Jo" Nelson: Josephine Nelson is played by Ruth McDevitt. She played the girlfriend of Justin Quigley. She appeared in three episodes from seasons four through six. Gloria and Mike ahad them as their god grandparents. Archie liked Justin and Jo unlike most people. She died following the end of the sixth season.
Jimmy McNabb: Jimmy McNabb is played by William Benedict. The Bunkers' neighbor, he appeared in two episodes during the first and second seasons, and was talked about to many times during the first few seasons.
Mr. Whitehead''': Mr. Whitehead is played by Jack Grimes. He was the local funeral director. He is short and has white hair. The death of Archie's cousin Oscar in a season-two episode of All in the Family Mr. Whitehead shows Archie some caskets.
Theme song
Those Were the Days
The opening theme song for All in the Family is played at the start of each episode. The song is composed by Charles Strouse and the lyrics were written by Lee Adams. Those Were the Days is sung by Archie Bunker and Edith. Edith is playing during the piano during the song. In the introduction many clips of Manhattan from the sky are used. The clips start to show the neighborhoods as it gets closer to the Bunker's house. The final clip returns to the Bunker's house and Edith and Archie finish singing. There are many shorter versions of the lyrics here is the longest one which was made for Atlantic Records:
Boy, the way Glenn Miller played
songs that made the hit parade
Guys like me we had it made
Those were the days
Didn't need no welfare state
ev'rybody pulled his weight
gee our old LaSalle ran great
Those were the days
And you knew who you were then
girls were girls and men were men
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again
People seemed to be content
fifty dollars paid the rent
freaks were in a circus tent
Those were the days
Take a little Sunday spin
go to watch the Dodgers win
Have yourself a dandy day
that cost you under a fin
Hair was short and skirts were long
Kate Smith really sold a song
I don't know just what went wrong
those were the days!
In 1975 Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers, Jean Stapleton, and Carroll O'Connor sung "Those were the Days" but changed the name to "These are the days." The song was for the live audience but was not but on television. The lyrics were different and it was about what was currently going on and realizing the changes. This was the only time that Reiner and Struthers were also singing with Stapleton and O'Connor.
Remembering YouRemembering You was the closing theme song for All in the Family. The song would play after each episode had ended and the credits were being shown. The song was composed by Roger Kellaway. The lyrics were never added to the show but Carroll O'Connor did sing them when he was an television. During the song the clips from Those were the Days would play but instead it would be backwards. It used to just be a piano playing but lyrics sung by Archie Bunker actor, Carroll O'Connor were added. In the episode "Stewie Loves Lois" of Family Guy this song was played for the end credits:
Got a feelin' it's all over now - All over now, we're through.
And tomorrow I'll be lonesome, Remembering You.
Got a feelin' the sun will be gone - The day will be long and blue.
And tomorrow I'll be cryin', Remembering You.
There'a far away look in your eye when you try to pretend to me,
That everything is the same as it used to be.
I see it's all over now - All over now, we're through.
And tomorrow I'll be startin' Remembering You.
Family tree
This is the family tree for the Bunker family. Archie and Edith have one daughter, Gloria who is married to Michael. They have one son named Joey. Archie also has a brother named Fred. The information about Archie's siblings do not work a lot. Early in the show Archie says that he has three siblings. But later on he says he was an only child. But there are episode after this that have Archie's brother Fred in them.
Episodes and ratings
Episodes
After the two pilot episodes from 1968 and 1969, the first episode of the first season of All in the Family was called "Meet the Bunkers" and was on television January, 12 1971. Most of the seasons had 24 episodes but the first season only had 13 episodes. There were nine seasons of All in the Family. In the episode, "Sammy's Visit" the longest laugh from the crowd happened when Sammy Davis Jr. kissed Archie during a photo. The episode was number 13 on [[TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time|TV Guides 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time]]. A special 90 minute episode was made in season nine for the 200th episode. The episode was called The 200th Episode Celebration of All in the Family. The last episode is called "Too Good Edith" and is used to start the story of the spin-off Archie Bunker's Place.
Five episodes of All in the Family won awards for the episodes:
Episode 15 of season 2 won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Writing (Comedy)".
Also in season 2 episode 21 won an Emmy for "Outstanding Direction".
In season 3 episode 7 won an Emmy for "Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series".
The episode "Cousin Liz" won an Emmy for "Outstanding Writing (Comedy)".
In season eight the two part episode, "Edith's 50th Birthday" won an Emmy for "Outstanding Direction (Comedy)".
Syndication
Syndication is when a television program is being shown on a different television network then the first one it was one. CBS started to do reruns of All in the Family during the sixth season of the show on September 1, 1975. Viacom stopped this in September 1979 and let other television networks air the show. In the late 1980s networks like TBS had the show on. From January 3, 2011, to December 31, 2017, the show aired on Antenna TV. As of January 1, 2018, the show began to air on GetTV.
RatingsAll in the Family is one of three shows ever to be number 1 in the Neilsen ratings five years in a row. The show was in the top 10 for seven of the nine seasons. 40.2 million people watch the show's last episode.All in the Family first season aired at 9:30 pm because more famous shows were aired at 8:00 pm. When a show is "aired" it means it is on television at that time. When the show started to be famous, CBS moved the show to 8:00 pm because more people would watch at that time. CBS moved the show to 9:00 pm but put the show back to 8:00 in the last season.
Home media
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first six seasons of All in the Family on DVD from 2002 to 2007. Then in 2010 Shout! Factory released the seventh season of the show on DVD. In 2011, they released the eight and ninth season on DVD. In 2012 the whole show was released on DVD.
Spin-offs
When a new show is created from a show that is already present, that is called a spin-off. All in the Family has the most spin-offs of any television show ever. There are even spin-offs of the spin-off shows. Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times, and Archie Bunker's Place were successful sitcoms and Norman Lear and CBS decided to make more. But Gloria, Checking In, and 704 Hauser were not successful and were cancelled.
Maude was the first spin-off of All in the Family. It started in 1972 and is about Edith Bunker's liberal cousin, Maude Findlay after she moved to Upstate New York. The show deals with many controversial issues like All in the Family.Good Times is a spin-off of Maude. The actress Esther Rolle played Florida Evans in both television shows. The show is about an African American family in the Chicago housing project. The show became very famous. Some people think that Good Times is not a spin-off because the show changes the name of Florida Evans's husband and Maude's name is not said in the show.
The Jeffersons is a spin-off of All in the Family and even had more seasons then All in Family. It is the longest lasting spin-off of All in the Family. The show is about Archie Bunker's old neighbours, The Jeffersons moving out to a new home in the East Side of New York City.Checking In is a spin-off of The Jeffersons. It is about the maid in The Jeffersons getting a new job at a hotel. Not many people liked the show. The show only had four episodes and in The Jeffersons it is said that the hotel where the maid worked at and where the show took place burned down so she came back.
Archie Bunker's Place is a spin-off of All in the Family and is about Archie Bunker after the end of All in the Family. Archie owns a bar in Queens. Stephanie Mills who was in the last season of All in the Family is in this show. The last time Michael is seen is on the show. During the show Archie's wife, Edith dies of a stroke because Jean Stapleton who plays Edith did not want to play Edith anymore. Gloria is a spin-off of All in the Family and is about Gloria Stivic raising her son after her husband, Michael left her. The show had one season. Archie was going to be in the show but it did not happen. An episode of Archie Bunker's Place was used to start this show.704 Hauser is a spin-off of All in the Family and is about a new family living in the house the Bunker's used to live in almost 20 years later. Unlike in All in the Family where the parents are conservative and the children are liberals, in 704 Hauser the son is conservative and his parents are liberals. John Amos the actor from Good Times is in the show. Joey Stivic (son of Michael and Gloria Stivic) is in the show. The show was cancelled less than a month after it started. This is the last spin-off and last time the fictional universe of All in the Family and it's spin-offs are seen.
2019 television special
On May 22, 2019 ABC aired a television program special. The special was called Live in Front of a Studio Audience and new actors did an episode of All in the Family and Good Times. Comedian and television host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jimmy Kimmel and the creator of All in the Family, Norman Lear wrote the episode. Woody Harrelson played Archie Bunker and Marisa Tomei played Edith Bunker. The special was filmed in front of a live audience.
Cast
These are the actors and the characters they play in All in the Family.
Awards and nominationsAll in the Family is the first sitcom to have every actor who played the main characters win Primetime Emmy Awards for the show. The show also got nominated for many awards. A nomination is when something is picked with other people to maybe with something.
Primetime Emmy awards and nominations
1971
Outstanding New Series (Won)
Outstanding Series - Comedy (Won)
Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series: Carroll O'Connor (Nominated)
Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series: Jean Stapleton (Won)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy: John Rich for "Gloria's Pregnant" (Nominated)
Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy:
Norman Lear for "Meet the Bunkers" (Nominated)
Stanley Ralph Ross for "Oh, My Aching Back" (Nominated)
1972
Outstanding Series - Comedy (Won)
Outstanding Single Program - Drama or Comedy for "Sammy's Visit" (Nominated)
Outstanding Achievement in Live or Tape Sound Mixing: Norman Dewes for "The Elevator Story" (Won)
Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series: Carroll O'Connor (Won)
Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series: Jean Stapleton (Won)
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy Series: Rob Reiner (Nominated)
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy Series: Sally Struthers (Won)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy: John Rich for "Sammy's Visit" (Won)
Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy:
Burt Styler for "Edith's Problem" (Won)
Alan J. Levitt and Philip Mishkin for "Mike's Problem" (Nominated)
Norman Lear and Burt Styler for "The Saga of Cousin Oscar" (Nominated)
1973
Outstanding Comedy Series (Won)
Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series: Carroll O'Connor (Nominated)
Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series: Jean Stapleton (Nominated)
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy Series: Rob Reiner (Nominated)
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy Series: Sally Struthers (Nominated)
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy: Bob LaHendro and John Rich for "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (Nominated)
Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy: Lee Kalcheim & Michael Ross & Bernie West for "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (Won)
1974
Outstanding Comedy Series (Nominated)
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Carroll O'Connor (Nominated)
Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Stapleton (Nominated)
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Rob Reiner (Won)
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Sally Struthers (Nominated)
1975
Outstanding Comedy Series (Nominated)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Carroll O'Connor (Nominated)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Stapleton (Nominated)
Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Rob Reiner (Nominated)
1976
Outstanding Comedy Series (Nominated)
1977
Outstanding Comedy Series (Nominated)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Carroll O'Connor (Won)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Stapleton (Nominated)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: Paul Bogart for "The Draft Dodger" (Nominated)
Outstanding Art Direction or Scenic Design for a Comedy Series: Don Roberts for "The Unemployment Story" (Nominated)
1978
Outstanding Comedy Series (Won)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Carroll O'Connor (Won)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Stapleton (Won)
Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Rob Reiner (Won)
Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Sally Struthers (Nominated)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: Paul Bogart for "Edith's 50th Birthday" (Won)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series:
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf for "Edith's 50th Birthday" (Nominated)
Larry Rhine & Erik Tarloff & Mel Tolkin for "Edith's Crisis of Faith" (Nominated)
Harve Brosten & Barry Harman & Bob Schiller & Bob Weiskopf for "Cousin Liz" (Won)
1979
Outstanding Comedy Series (Nominated)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Carroll O'Connor (Won)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Stapleton (Nominated)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy, Comedy-Variety, or Music Series: Sally Struthers (Won)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy, Comedy-Variety, or Music Series: Paul Bogart for "California, Here We Are" (Nominated)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy, Comedy-Variety, or Music Series: Milt Josefsberg & Bob Schiller & Phil Sharp & Bob Weiskopf for "California, Here We Are" (Nominated)
Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series: Harvey W. Berger and Hal Collins for "The 200th Episode Celebration of 'All in the Family'" (Nominated)
Golden Globe Awards and Nominations
1972
Best TV Show - Musical/Comedy (Won)
Best TV Actor - Musical/Comedy: Carroll O'Connor (Won)
Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Jean Stapleton (Nominated)
Best Supporting Actor - Television: Rob Reiner (Nominated)
Best Supporting Actress - Television: Sally Struthers (Nominated)
1973
Best TV Show - Musical/Comedy (Won)
Best TV Actor - Musical/Comedy: Carroll O'Connor (Nominated)
Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Jean Stapleton (Won)
Best Supporting Actor - Television: Rob Reiner (Nominated)
Best Supporting Actress - Television: Sally Struthers (Nominated)
1974
Best TV Show - Musical/Comedy (Won)
Best TV Actor - Musical/Comedy: Carroll O'Connor (Nominated)
Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Jean Stapleton (Won)
Best Supporting Actor - Television: Rob Reiner (Nominated)
Best Supporting Actress - Television: Sally Struthers (Nominated)
1975
Best TV Show - Musical/Comedy (Nominated)
Best TV Actor - Musical/Comedy: Carroll O'Connor (Nominated)
Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Jean Stapleton (Nominated)
Best Supporting Actress - Television: Betty Garrett (Won)
1976
Best TV Actor - Musical/Comedy: Carroll O'Connor (Nominated)
Best Supporting Actor - Television: Rob Reiner (Nominated)
1977
Best Supporting Actor - Television: Rob Reiner (Nominated)
Best Supporting Actress - Television: Sally Struthers (Nominated)
1978
Best TV Series - Musical/Comedy (Won)
Best TV Actor - Musical/Comedy: Carroll O'Connor (Nominated)
Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Jean Stapleton (Nominated)
1979
Best TV Series - Musical/Comedy (Nominated)
Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Jean Stapleton (Nominated)
1980
Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy: Jean Stapleton (Nominated)
TCA Heritage Award
In 2013, the Television Critics Association gave All in the Family'' with its Heritage Award for its cultural and social ways it changed society.