Archie Bunker Getting Killed Off James Evans Style?

[Brian Damage]

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=E_wjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=62YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6936,5338377&dq=archie+bunker&hl=en

In the above article dated September 13th, 1974, Norman Lear says that if Carroll O'Connor doesn't show up for work, he was going to be written out permanently. O'Connor was a no show to show support for striking electricians.

Carroll seemed to be a real troublemaker on the set. I never realized Lear was so close to write off the Archie Bunker character.

http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/j/Carroll%20O%27Connor.jpg

[Stuck In The '70's]

I heard about that. If they would have written O'Connor off, the show would have been over. As much as the other actors were great in their roles, Carroll O'Connor was the star of AITF. All the conflict came from their reactions to Archie. On Good Times, James was an important member of the cast and I don't think the show was as good after he left. In the 70's though, JJ was the reason people watched.

[Brian Damage]

I heard about that. If they would have written O'Connor off, the show would have been over. As much as the other actors were great in their roles, Carroll O'Connor was the star of AITF. All the conflict came from their reactions to Archie. On Good Times, James was an important member of the cast and I don't think the show was as good after he left. In the 70's though, JJ was the reason people watched.


I agree with you wholeheartedly on this Sonny. I just don't understand why Carroll was so difficult to work with at times. He no showed tapings, claimed AITF was more a drama than an actual sitcom etc...

[Stuck In The '70's]

I agree with you wholeheartedly on this Sonny. I just don't understand why Carroll was so difficult to work with at times. He no showed tapings, claimed AITF was more a drama than an actual sitcom etc...
He probably let all the stardom go to his head. He was huge in the 70's. I know he and Lear didn't get along that great. Lear also had trouble with Redd Foxx. He walked out on his show too. I guess after years as a struggling actor, he went on a power trip.

[Brian Damage]

He probably let all the stardom go to his head. He was huge in the 70's. I know he and Lear didn't get along that great. Lear also had trouble with Redd Foxx. He walked out on his show too. I guess after years as a struggling actor, he went on a power trip.


Yeah, it really seemed to be a theme in the 1970's where the inmates ran the asylum. lol

I never knew that Carroll and Norman Lear didn't get along that well though. Very interesting indeed.

[OH Nuts!]

I heard about that. If they would have written O'Connor off, the show would have been over. As much as the other actors were great in their roles, Carroll O'Connor was the star of AITF. All the conflict came from their reactions to Archie. On Good Times, James was an important member of the cast and I don't think the show was as good after he left. In the 70's though, JJ was the reason people watched.

Well, at the very least, the show would have been dealt a strong blow. Jean Stapleton was magnificent on the show too. She might have been able to keep it going...perhaps in the same way Carroll kept ABP going (without his beloved dingbat). BUT if the two of them had left, that definitely would have been the nail in the coffin.