One of the things I loved about AITF was how it dealt with controversial issues in a forthright way. UNHEARD of in the 70s.

My favorite was in the first season when Archie thinks Mike & Gloria's friend is gay because he's well mannered and nicely spoken while its Archie's macho ex-football playing buddy who turns out to be the one whose gay.

And of course there are many others. What are yours?

What episode wasn't controversial? lol. I would pick 'The Draft Dodger' because you got hear from the liberal side as well as the conservative. The 1st time I saw this episode was around Christmas last year (because the episode is set at Christmas and it was part of the TVLand Merry-thon) and I loved it. Once again, another great performance by Mr. O'Conner.

Some find this episode very hard to watch and disturbing (rightly so) but for me it is the rape episode. Done quite well.

Also the episode with Beverly LaSalle, when she/he was mugged, beaten & died.

I liked the episode where Archie finds a swastika on his front door.

When Gloria has the miscarriage......it was nice to see Archie show a tender and caring side

When Gloria has the miscarriage......it was nice to see Archie show a tender and caring side

There was actually many episodes showing the tender and caring side of Archie throughout the series.

My all-time favorite episode dealing with a controversial issue is probably the third season "Archie is Branded," the swastika episode. The last scene of that episode still gives me the chills just thinking about it. ALL IN THE FAMILY was way more than just a comedy. It had a message, a purpose, and a reason for being on the airwaves: it was TRUE reality television. The brilliance of ALL IN THE FAMILY is that that it can give you a belly laugh one minute, and make you break out in tears the next. It is a true emotional roller-coaster.

Not that it was a controversial episode, my all-time favorite emotional moment in the series is the second-to-last season eight episode where Mike and Archie open up to each other in the basement. Archie and Mike may not always realize it, but they're more like father and son than in-laws (this is explored even more in depth in the final season eight episode).

It's not neccesarily my favorite, but one of my favorites and that is the episode where Archie finds out that his visiting niece is dating Lionel! Too funny! OOOHHHH, Taboo!!LMAO!

I love the episode where Gloria gives birth to Joey!! :D I also love the one where Edith is going through menopause, especially this scene

Archie: "I'M GIVING YOU JUST THREE MINUTES TO CHANGE!! NOW CHANGE!!" :lol:

As hard as it is to watch, I like the episode where Edith is almost raped, and I always love the scene where she shoves the burned cake in his face and gets away. I never heard an audience cheer so loud!!

Th ALL IN THE FAMILY was way more than just a comedy. It had a message, a purpose, and a reason for being on the airwaves: it was TRUE reality television. The brilliance of ALL IN THE FAMILY is that that it can give you a belly laugh one minute, and make you break out in tears the next. It is a true emotional roller-coaster.




It truly was a BRILLIANT show & SO MANY years ahead of its time. Funny, tender, provocative, insightful, utterly original, and so much more! A real peak on TV's landscape.

When Archie Fines The Swastika on The Door

I remember seeing the show when it first aired. My parents I think were a little taken back. Never was a show like this on. Where the charactor talks about blacks, chinese in a slanggy way. Oh my. But somehow we saw the show through all the seasons.

It truly was a BRILLIANT show & SO MANY years ahead of its time. Funny, tender, provocative, insightful, utterly original, and so much more! A real peak on TV's landscape.

It's STILL ahead of it's time!! You can't discuss 90% of what they talked about on this show these days....

When Gloria has the miscarriage......it was nice to see Archie show a tender and caring side

That was a very sweet moment. I loved that episode!

"Writing the President". :lol:

I liked the episode where Archie finds a swastika on his front door.
Same here - except that it was Gregory Sierra (:eyes:) who got blown up at the end!!! :(

It's STILL ahead of it's time!! You can't discuss 90% of what they talked about on this show these days....
Ain't that the truth!!!