A Review of "All in the Family," the Classic CBS Sitcom

Being among television's funniest shows is not only an incredible feat, it is one which is truly accomplished by few series. One of these shows that has long been known for begin a member of this elite group of television shows is All in the Family, a Norman Lear production. The show won scores of awards, including Emmy's, and was a #1 hit for CBS during the heart of the 1970s. Running from 1971 to 1979, All in the Family first appeared on television at a time when the nation was embroiled in the Nixon White House and the Viet Nam war and signed off at a time when the United States was poising itself to elect Ronald Reagan and boldly march into the 1980s. Why is this social perspective important? Because All in the Family ingeniously intertwined all the pressing issues of the days into an ingenious, remarkably comical, and thought-provoking nine seasons of episodes that still resonate with their viewers today.

All in the Family tackled all the tough, hot issues of the day: feminism, racism, discrimination, Viet Nam, Watergate, inflation, the rise of computers, the fall of traditions. Furthermore, All in the Family still hits home with timeless matters: cancer, rape, miscarriage, crime, justice, death, birth, and life. Each and every episode included remarkable comic timing, an-often-no-holds-barred handling of some pretty difficult topics, and impeccable chemistry among the four main actors: Carroll O' Connor (Archie "Archibald" Bunker), Jean Stapleton (Edith "Dingbat" Bunker), Rob Reiner (Michael "Meathead" Stivic), and Sally Struthers (Gloria "Little Goil [girl]" Stivic).

Archie and Edith Bunker are longtime residents of Queens, New York, living at 704 Hauser Street. Archie works at a loading dock and Edith is the loving housewife. Their daughter, Gloria, married former Chicago-area resident Michael Stivic, whose Polish-American heritage does not jibe well with Archie's taste. During the first season, viewers are introduced to the Jeffesons, a black family who owns a local chain of laundromats. Archie is not very pleased to be having a black family living on the block, and the interactions between he and patriarch George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) are strained to say the least. Another person with whom Archie does not get along well is Edith's cousin Maude (Beatrice Arthur), who stops by in 1972 to help take care of the Bunkers and the Stivics when they fall prey to the flu. By the way, if the names "Maude" and "Jefferson" sound familiar to you, do not be surprised---both are the names of shows which spun off from All in the Family. Maude began airing in 1972 and was quite popular until its run ended in 1978, and The Jeffersons was an enormous hit during its ten-year run between 1975 and 1985.

All in the Family is a heavyweight in television history. There are few who have not heard, seen, or otherwise had some awareness of this show and its iconic images and famous catch phrases. Who has not heard, at some point in their lives, Archie beligerently address his son-in-law as "Meathead," sit in his famous, brown armchair, or call his wife "dingbat"? America still bowls over laughing at the famous 1972 scene where Sammy Davis Jr. kisses an unsuspecting Archie Bunker on the cheek. Few do not know what the Bunker's toilet counds like when it flushes.

Famous episodes include the aforementioned 1972 classic where Sammy Davis Jr. stops by the Bunker house to pick up a brief case that was inadvertanly left in a taxi cab Archie drove when carrying Davis as a fare. In 1973, breast cancer awareness took a major leap forward when Edith Bunker felt a lump during a self-examination (it was merely a cyst). In 1974, Gloria fell victim to being raped when walking by a construction site. In 1975, she gave birth to Joey, the Stivics' son. In 1976, Archie had an affair with a waitress who works at a diner. In 1977, a dramatic scene played out in the Bunker living room when Edith was nearly raped by a man posing as an investigator. In 1978, the Stivics left during a tearful faewell when Mike got a job in California. In 1979, Edith nearly succumbed to a phlebitis. Of course, these are just a few of the many memorable, profound, and classic All in the Family episodes.

During the last season, Archie and Edith found themselves caring for a young niece, Stephanie Mills (Danielle Brisebois). The show's dynamics became quite much quieter and subdue during this last year, at least as opposed to the more intense seasons that preceded. More of the show took place in the bar, "Archie's Place," that Archie bunker bought from former owner Kelsey in 1977. By and large, the last season set up the stage for what would be the official end of All in the Family but beginning of the new series Archie Bunker's Place (1979-1983), where the actors maintained their All in the Family roles but where the show mainly transpired inside the bar. Without a doubt, the biggest blow for Archie Bunker came when beloved wife Edith died in 1980. The series Gloria (1982-1983) spun off from the All in the Family/Archie Bunker's Place entity; the short series depicts Gloria Stivic as she, after having divorced from Mike, raises Joey on her own upon returning to New York.

Indeed, All in the Family is not only a major part of television history and an absolute comedy hit that is as funny today as it was thirty-five years ago, but it truly reflects where we were as a nation all those years ago. As the intense nature of society cooled down, so did all of the social fervent banter in the show. As the Bunkers matured into their early senior years and the Stivics reached age 30, so too did the World War II generation find themselves slowly but increasingly in the backseat of society as baby boomers reached adulthood and gradually took over many aspects of American society. And, yes, as Americans became generally more accepting of the dramatic social changes that took place in the sight of only several years, so did Archie Bunker, who went from near hostiltiy toward certain types of people during the early years of the show to almost complete tolerance toward the end of the show. Maybe Archie Bunker had resigned himself to the changes that had taken place over the decade. Or maybe his understanding and acceptance of others simply grew. All in the Family can be found on the cable network TV Land and also purchased on DVD.

Resource:

Internet Movie Database. "All in the Family." 20 July 2007. http://www.imdb.com/