ALL IN THE FAMILY: A television show that I love and argue with at times.

[Chris K.]

I remember the old saying of "They sure don't make them like they used to". Indeed that is true. Let's face it, the shows and sitcoms that are made on TV today stink. The only good shows we have is THE SIMPSONS. And that is only ONE GOOD SHOW AVAILABLE! But I ususally stick with the classic TV shows. You know, the ones that are good like THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, THE BEVERLY HILLBILIES, I DREAM OF JEANIE, etc. And sure, I may have not grown up in those times but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to find them entertaining. They may not be up to today's standards, but I tell you these shows are better than crap like SOUTH PARK! And they are still funny to this very day because they are classics.

Anyway, I remember when I was about 8 or 9 years old. At that age, I was introduced to ALL IN THE FAMILY. At the time of my young age, I was really into staying up late at night until 12:30 to watch TV (I seldom do that now because the good stuff isn't on anymore, so it's not really worth it). But, when I first saw ALL IN THE FAMILY it was on at 12:00. Why it was on that late God only knows. All I knew was that I was laughing myself to pieces. Hell, my mom even told me to shut-up at times so she can get some sleep. But I just kept on laughing.

My favorite characters were Mike and Archie Bunker. Today they are still my favorites. Gloria wasn't much interesting and Edith had a few good moments. But Archie and Mike were the ones to watch. Both fought and argued, and in the end Mike is right and Archie is made a fool of. I always ask myself "How did I find ALL IN THE FAMILY to be so funny at a young age?" At the time when ALL IN THE FAMILY premered, it was controversial due to Archie's "racist" comments. To me they are not offensive because I have heard them before. But I understood what they ment when I was young and it was funny to me. And at the age of 17, it is still funny to me.

But in reality, Archie Bunker is the typical character who is shown as the reason why America was falling down at that time due to his attitude of being a jerk and treating other people (his family up to other races) like crap. But what is amusing about this is that their is real people who act just like Archie. I have a next door neighbor who is just like him. Because of the character of Archie Bunker, I laugh at him and I promise myself that I will never end up like that character. But I will only enjoy the character of Archie Bunker because he is humorus and above all wrong about everything-and that is what makes this character a legend as well.

I also thought that Carroll O'Connor was a really mean guy in reality too. But later on I have read and looked up that O'Connor was really a nice guy who is not against anybody's race or creed, but is able to play a character as a "mean spirited" prick. Because of this, I can relate to him more. But it is a shame that Carroll O'Connor has passed on because he will be missed by all who enjoyed his presence as Archie Bunker because he was Archie thru a different personality and perspective.

Questions or comments about this legendary person and this show?

[Guitarwolf]

Truely  a classic show. I agree today's show aren't good. As for the Simpsons, I've loved them since the begining. But the last couple of episodes have been a bit of a let down. Thankfully, Homer always manages to make me laugh, even in the lesser quality episodes. Another show that I loved growing up was Good Times. The show had real characters too. Not actors that resemble models with very little to no personality.  The last sitcom to come out that I cared about, was NewsRadio. The show wasn't realistic at all. But the show was still very well written and had a very talanted cast.  One of the things that pushed me in the direction of cult films, was the genericness of modern television and films.

[N. E. Moses]

A moment of silence for Carroll O'Conner, please...I agree with you in all aspects(my favorite is also Archie and "Meathead").  This is probably one, if not only, show that , after the closing credits, is the subject of many arguments in its prime.  Archie Bunker represented everything that was wrong with America.  Every word that comes out of that man's mouth, has to be something bad to blacks, Jews, hispancis, anyone, but with a comic twist.  All in the Family--an icon in American culture.  May it never die.

As for the "They don't make them the way they use to", I can compare that with this show that I thouth would never air after the first two minutes of its first episode.
But after ten season, we've all shown love for one lonely shoe saleman--Al Bundy.

 Married...With Children, to me, is the last "man's sitcom" ever.  Besides  ALL IN THE FAMILY, has there ever been a show that has pushed the envolope on family life.  A man working minimum wage and his wife who is always taking it (along with what's left of his life), a son who's never had any, and a daughter who's had it too much.

 I like Al because the guy was just silly, always complaining about fat women coming in his store, clinging on to his high school past (4 touchdowns in a single game.  Let it go, Al), he's always fantasizing about bikini wearing women fawning for him, and the feet, oh the feet.

 And what TV family have y'all seen that are willing to give an all out brawl against anyone (see the Labor Day episode).

Don't forget about "that wacky neighbor" Marcy Rhodes-D'arcy (don't know her maiden name).  She evolved from being normal to be as silly as Al with her playing a feminist against his chauvanism.

Among all those family sitcoms that always have some kind of message behind every episode, Married...With Children is just good "clean" fun.  To me, if comedy were royalty, ALL IN THE FAMILY  is king no doubt, and MARRIED...WITH CHILDREN is the prince next to heir the throne.  

And that's my opinion.

[Chris K.]

Because of N.E. Moses' post, I myself remember MARRIED WITH CHILDREN. I even remember the last episode when it canceled in 1997. Indeed it is just like ALL IN THE FAMILY, but with a different twist.

Al Bundy is a hard working American who doesn't get his fare share of anything while his wife hardly cooks, cleans, wash, etc. and she insults him for working hard. His son is a straight A student who has never gotten any and the daughter has gotten too much and she is as dumb as a post. And yet, Al gets beaten on for trying to raise a family that will respect him. The feminist neighbor Marcy feels that Al treats Peg badly, but it is Peg that treats Al with disrespect. And Al Bundy is hated by all who have been near him and his humorus adventures. In other words, the whole world is out to get a hard working man.

Al Bundy is a character that I respect and adore along with Archie Bunker. But their are some bad qualities that Al displays. For example, his badmouthing of the French. What is wrong with the French? I have French herritage in me, but it doesn't really offend me that much. Their is nothing wrong with the French. However, in one episode in which Al is taking a vacation by sitting on his couch and acting like his is traveling around the world, he is wearing a French hat and drinking wine? It seems like Al's view of the French has now changed, but I really don't care. Their might be other mistakes twords his character development, but forget about it. The show is funny and I admire it.

When I have the time, I catch MARRIED WITH CHILDREN on at 11:00 and it makes it worth the wait.

[Redcell]

Well, I grew up watching those shows and they were indeed classics! What about "The Honeymooners"? As old as the show is its still on TV! And still funny!
The garbage on TV now will have their short run and be forgotten!

[indianasmith]

All in the Family was standard fare around my household, but I will take issue with one thing.  Archie always SAID the wrong thing - but usually, he came around to DOING the right thing in the end, however reluctantly.  His character grew (slowly and reluctantly) over the seasons, until, in the show's final years, you really wouldn't think he was the same person.

As for Mike the Meathead - he was obviously educated and articulate.  But he was frequently wrong, and sometimes outright hypocritical. 

What I loved about the show is how it consistently exaggerated the prejudices and viewpoints of both liberals and conservatives in a way that skewered both, without ever being mean-spirited.

What a great show!

[The Burgomaster]

ALL IN THE FAMILY is one of the best shows ever.  It wasn't as good after Mike and Gloria left the show, and continued a downward spiral when it became ARCHIE BUNKER'S PLACE.  But still a classic.  I remember going to my cousin's house on Saturday nights in the 1970s.  It was a gethering place for my aunts, uncles, and cousins.  We would watch Lawrence Welk, All in the Family, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, and Carol Burnett.

I used to have the Columbia House All in the Family collection on VHS.  When I signed up for it, I idn't realize it was not every episode, just a "best of" collection.  They would send me one tape per month . . . each tape had 4 half-hour episodes (some tapes had only 2 or 3 episodes because there were some 1-hour specials).  I gave the whole set to my parents and will someday purchase the DVD collection.

[HappyGilmore]

All in The Family is a great show both for it's time, and today, as well.

Some of the acting and writing was really great. 

[schmendrik]

We had a recent ALL IN THE FAMILY marathon when we discovered that many of the episodes are available on Youtube. Yep, it's still funny. Any fan from the old days can instantly be taken back if you say the words "Cling Peaches" to them (it was an episode where Edith dented somebody's car with a can of peaches).

No, Carroll O'Connor was not Archie Bunker in person. If you want to seem him in a diametrically opposite role, check him out as a small town southern sheriff in "In the Heat of the Night" with Carl Weathers (the TV series, not the Sidney Poitier/Rod Steiger movie).

[bladerunnerblues]

Possibly the greatest sit com of all time.It jumped the shark though when "Li'l Steffie"came along.Kind of hard to talk about"spics"and"fags"with a little moppet
I would like to see the show it was based on,which I think is a British sitcom,the title I can't remember.

[schmendrik]

Possibly the greatest sit com of all time.It jumped the shark though when "Li'l Steffie"came along.Kind of hard to talk about"spics"and"fags"with a little moppet
I would like to see the show it was based on,which I think is a British sitcom,the title I can't remember.

According to Wiki, it's TIL DEATH DO US PART. I'd like to see that sometime, too.

[Zebra 3]

All in the Family really had it all, great cast, scripts, relevancy, realism...you name it, it rules. My all-time favourite US sitcom.

[indianasmith]

Great, quality entertainment.  When I was in high school, it came on at 10:30 local, right after the news, and I always watched it right before bed.  The spinoff series, THE JEFFERSONS, wasn't in the same league but still had its moments.

[ChaosTheory]

ALL IN THE FAMILY was brilliant in that both extreme right- and left-wingers would watch it and feel vindicated.  And it was, of course, incredibly funny and real.  I don't agree with the people saying MARRIED WITH CHILDREN is on the same level, I think that show was just too spiteful and lowbrow to come anywhere close.  The only show that might have come close would be SANFORD AND SON or THE SIMPSONS in their prime - those shows were also unconventional but realistic takes on family life and society, that were well-written and beautifully cast.
One thing Caroll O'Connor said that always stuck with me was that he had met people like Archie Bunker - meaning extremely prejudiced - in every level of society, no matter what their education, status or political leaning was.

[Silverlady]

 Great show!  Carroll O'Conner, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers ... what a terrific cast.

Just a side note ... Penny Marshall (Rob Reiner's then wife) tried out for the role of Gloria but it went to Sally Struthers instead.