http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/community/opinion/e3i71cdc4be5311379d3428efe4460cfb30

One of the episodes of One Day, meanwhile, was supposed to feature Bonnie Franklin’s Ann Romano being attacked by a rapist. But that dark and unfortunate story line was handed to poor Edith Bunker on the episode titled “Edith’s 50th Birthday” on All in the Family—one of the most dramatic moments in TV history. Norman Lear felt it was too dark for the Franklin sitcom.

Wow, I think that topic would've fit right in on ODAAT. I think Bonnie Franklin would've done a good job with it.

Interesting side casting note: The actor who portrayed the rapist in "All In The Family", dated Ann Romano in an episode as a serious classical musical mystro.

Interesting side casting note:The actor who portrayed the rapist in "All In The Family",
dated Ann Romano in an episode as a serious classical musical mystro.

David Dukes was the actor's name

Interesting! And yes I think Bonnie Franklin would have done a good job with the role had the ep come into being.

yea, I remember reading that somewhere once.

I wonder if this is true.

From the 1987 book "Archie & Edith, Mike & Gloria: The Tumultuous History of All in the Family":

"The idea, initially, had been developed for Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) on One Day at a Time. Then, as a story emerged, people began to feel that if rape is indeed a crime of violence against women of all ages, the message would come across more effectively with Edith Bunker as the victim. A new script evolved and was introduced in the customary fashion."

From the 1987 book "Archie & Edith, Mike & Gloria: The Tumultuous History of All in the Family":

"The idea, initially, had been developed for Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) on One Day at a Time. Then, as a story emerged, people began to feel that if rape is indeed a crime of violence against women of all ages, the message would come across more effectively with Edith Bunker as the victim. A new script evolved and was introduced in the customary fashion."

Nice. I have that book, but didn't remember that part.I just re-skimmed thru it. Found it on page 133.

From the 1987 book "Archie & Edith, Mike & Gloria: The Tumultuous History of All in the Family":

"The idea, initially, had been developed for Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) on One Day at a Time. Then, as a story emerged, people began to feel that if rape is indeed a crime of violence against women of all ages, the message would come across more effectively with Edith Bunker as the victim. A new script evolved and was introduced in the customary fashion."

I yearn for the days when TV shows were TV shows and not political propaganda. "We want to influence America with a rape story but Bonnie Franklin is too cute. Let's rape ugly Edith instead."

Nice. I have that book, but didn't remember that part.I just re-skimmed thru it. Found it on page 133.

Yeah, it's still a great book. And it was an especially good resource when it came out back in the pre-internet late-80s, when episode guides and show histories and interviews weren't readily available in just a few clicks.

Yeah, it's still a great book. And it was an especially good resource when it came out back in the pre-internet late-80s, when episode guides and show histories and interviews weren't readily available in just a few clicks.

I have a ton of those books. And because I'm old school, if one comes out that interests me, I still buy them.

Bumping due to some talk in the ODAAT A-Z thread

Look, uh...why couldn't they have done a rape or attempted rape story line for Ann too? It might have gotten her that elusive Emmy. But then again it might have tanked.

Instead she got the harass the underling story line and heart attack story. Barbara came closest with that disgusting professor story, I guess.

I don't think you can do a rape story on a half hour sitcom very easily, its hard to play that theme for laughs. It was done brilliantly on AITF but does anybody remember the Too Close For Comfort where 2 obese women rape Monroe? That was just horrendous.


BF's best acting IMO was the married man 3 parter which I hated for the way they made Ann into an unrecognizable door mat but somehow she pulled off some really good, understated acting. No tics or histrionics like the first season.

I have a ton of those books. And because I'm old school, if one comes out that interests me, I still buy them.

Yes, me too.

My favorites include Hailing Taxi, The I Love Lucy Book,Mary and Lou and Ted and Rhoda and The Partridge Family Album although I really am more of a Brady fan. I have the Barry Williams book about the show and he or his ghostwriter got a lot of the details in the episode guide wrong.

Yes, me too.

My favorites include Hailing Taxi, The I Love Lucy Book,Mary and Lou and Ted and Rhoda and The Partridge Family Album although I really am more of a Brady fan. I have the Barry Williams book about the show and he or his ghostwriter got a lot of the details in the episode guide wrong.

4 of those are in my collection (No M&L&T&R. I remember when it came out, but I decided it wasn't for me). My most recent buy is a hardcover Golden Girls book, which I noted on their board. A poster here, who said he had worked on The Sitcoms of Norman Lear book, which contained some One Day at a Time talk, but relatively speaking, not much, mentioned he was working on an ODAAT book, but I haven't heard from him in a while.

I yearn for the days when TV shows were TV shows and not political propaganda. "We want to influence America with a rape story but Bonnie Franklin is too cute. Let's rape ugly Edith instead."

I agree, what man in his right mind would want to rape Edith Bunker? :crazy:

I'm opposed to rape regardless of who the victim is, but since Norman Lear wanted to do a rape story, I think he made the right call using Edith as the victim instead of Ann Romano. With Edith, it made the story more shocking and effective.

Rape is all about control I hear. Bill Cosby, whoever thought that he would have ended up being a serial druggist/rapist? After his numerous victims finally spoke out about it, Damon Wayans famously said, "those women are unrapeable". A very ignorant comment if ever there was one.:mad:

I don't think Edith was ugly. just an average looking housewife like Archie was an average looking husband.

I was so happy she shoved that burning cake in her attacker's face. Greatest moment of the show among many great moments.

I don't think Edith was ugly.

True she wasn't ugly, just unattractive.

Yes, me too.

My favorites include Hailing Taxi, The I Love Lucy Book,Mary and Lou and Ted and Rhoda and The Partridge Family Album although I really am more of a Brady fan. I have the Barry Williams book about the show and he or his ghostwriter got a lot of the details in the episode guide wrong.
the I LOVE LUCY book you have isn't that one that came out in the 70s and was written by Bart Andrews; is it? Because that one's full of mistakes.

I have a ton of those books. And because I'm old school, if one comes out that interests me, I still buy them.
me too, I also have HAILING TAXI as well as the BEVERLY HILLBILLIES and the updated version THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES: A FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY WING DING, THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW: ANATOMY OF A CLASSIC, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF M*A*S*H, and THE STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION compendium.
And even though they weren't a TV series (although they did make 2 unsold pilots) I have a few 3 STOOGES books.

the I LOVE LUCY book you have isn't that one that came out in the 70s and was written by Bart Andrews; is it? Because that one's full of mistakes.


Oh, I am a uuuge fan of Lucy and am curious. What did they get wrong?

me too, I also have HAILING TAXI as well as the BEVERLY HILLBILLIES and the updated version THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES: A FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY WING DING, THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW: ANATOMY OF A CLASSIC, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF M*A*S*H, and THE STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION compendium.
And even though they weren't a TV series (although they did make 2 unsold pilots) I have a few 3 STOOGES books.


I think Hailing Taxi was the best one of its kind that I have read. Very well written and incisive with interviews from all of the living major players and creative staff. Judd Hirsch comes off as unnecessarily nasty though when they profiled him. TAXI is definitely in my top 10 along with Lucy and Cheers, SCTV and MTM and The King of Queens, Everybody Loves Raymond, Hot In Cleveland, The Golden Girls, The Brady Bunch. Oh yeah and some other show.:)

You know its got to be an accurate rendering of their history when Marilu Henner who remembers every day of her life praises it on the front cover and in the foreword and doesn't dispute a single word, LOL.:)

me too, I also have HAILING TAXI as well as the BEVERLY HILLBILLIES and the updated version THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES: A FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY WING DING, THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW: ANATOMY OF A CLASSIC, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF M*A*S*H, and THE STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION compendium.
And even though they weren't a TV series (although they did make 2 unsold pilots) I have a few 3 STOOGES books.

The ones I have from your list are TAXI, DICK VAN DYKE, and MASH.

the I LOVE LUCY book you have isn't that one that came out in the 70s and was written by Bart Andrews; is it? Because that one's full of mistakes.

I have that one too, but the Lucy book I recommend is THE LUCY BOOK by Geoffrey Mark Fidelman. It's formatted TV season by TV season, and covers every TV appearance Lucy ever made.

Rape is all about control I hear. Bill Cosby, whoever thought that he would have ended up being a serial druggist/rapist? After his numerous victims finally spoke out about it, Damon Wayans famously said, "those women are unrapeable". A very ignorant comment if ever there was one.:mad:

I don't think Edith was ugly. just an average looking housewife like Archie was an average looking husband.

I was so happy she shoved that burning cake in her attacker's face. Greatest moment of the show among many great moments.


Yes!! Agree 100 percent with your post!! ;)

This ep was just on the other day! Edith was in her own home, minding her own business, even baking her own Birthday cake! How innocent and wholesome is that? :) ( She didn't know there was a surprise Birthday party for her next door till Sybil Gooley spilled the beans) !

All she did was answer the door, and a man who showed a badge who she thought was with the police dept., being a good citizen, let him in. This is the 1970's,you didn't hear of people being able to obtain fake badges and stuff back than like now, a woman would probably me more cautious now days ! Edith was rather naive too!

My point being, she was a simple, middle aged housewife in her own home! she didn't "Ask" for this at all!! That is always the assumption more times than not, that a woman is "turning a man on", "teasing him"" ,"she got what she deserved"! :mad: So this was showing that it was indeed the guys fault and ONLY his fault! ;) That's why they chose Edith Bunker. If it could happen to sweet, old, naive Edith it could happen to anyone because the rapist is a sick man who's main goal is to overpower and intimidate an unsuspecting woman! :(

Also the rapist was portrayed by a good looking man, much younger than Edith. He could have gotten many women, pretty young women willing to have sex with him! ;) Heck ,a lot of them are happily married men when they carry out the rapes!! :(

Like Bill Cosby, he was happily married, and even if he wanted women on the side, lots of women would want to be with him, he was rich and famous Bill Cosby, also he was very nice and would appeal to a lot of women, he was good looking back than too! So something else besides sex was going on in his mind! :confused:

Edith ROCKED when she threw that hot cake in the rapists face!!! ;)

Back in the day when the episode was made, due to censorship they probably weren't allowed to have Edith give the guy a shot to the nuts, so they did the cake thing.

I never liked this episode, the only time I saw it was the original airing in 1977. Once was enough.

Oh, I am a uuuge fan of Lucy and am curious. What did they get wrong?
well, let's see...I can't list all the mistakes; there's too many-but I'll list some that I remember:

when he say that Lucy & Desis real kids were in the final scene of the last half hour episode; they weren't.
and when he says that Lucy & Vivian Vance didn't really like each other; that's not true. They were good friends.

when he says that Vivian Vance had in her contract that she had to gain and keep a certain number of pounds-again not true.

he tells of one incident where Lucy and Viv had to film a scene which started with them walking through a door and Lucy was pregnant at the time. Viv got back late from lunch and she ran onto the set where Lucy was waiting. Lucy looked over at her and glare "You're late!" Viv looked back at her and said "I'd say **** you but it looks like Desi already did!" Again, that never happened.

Those are just the few that I remember.

well, let's see...I can't list all the mistakes; there's too many-but I'll list some that I remember:

when he say that Lucy & Desis real kids were in the final scene of the last half hour episode; they weren't.

That one is half true. Desi junior is in it, Lucie isn't

http://ultimateilovelucy.wikia.com/wiki/The_Ricardos_Dedicate_a_Statue

I never liked this episode, the only time I saw it was the original airing in 1977. Once was enough.

I was so interested to see this a year or two ago that I looked it up on YouTube and watched it, but it just didn't ring true to me. It felt like it skipped over natural progression just to hurry and get to a presentation of a rape attack. Maybe it would have made a difference if I'd watched it on TV instead of on a computer screen window, I don't know.

The Facts of Life had Natalie attacked in season 3, episode "Fear Strikes Back". She wasn't raped, she was assaulted and the attacker got scared away when he heard voices approaching nearby. Although at the beginning of the episode Mrs. Garrett did tell the girls that the headmaster's secretary was raped.


when he says that Vivian Vance had in her contract that she had to gain and keep a certain number of pounds-again not true.

I don' t have any "Lucy" books, but I've heard elsewhere that she did have to maintain a heavier weight than Lucy.

I think this might have worked better on ODAAT then it did for All in the Family. Of course, then probably nobody would remember it as much as they do from "All in the Family". It had terrific writing, but it was a scary ep and I can know why you would hate it.

According to Bonnie Franklin, Norman Lear cast her in ODAAT because he thought she had a face that would be perfect for comedy. ODAAT was supposed to be more of a comedy but Bonnie fought tooth and nail to get it veered towards serious drama. She hated the first season because she thought it was too light. She wanted to touch on the realities of being a single parent with children. This inevitably led to Norman offering Bonnie a storyline where Ann Romano is almost raped on her birthday. When she declined it went to Jean Stapleton, who won an Emmy for the episode. Instead, we got Ann delivering a ten minute monologue in front of a mirror. :crazy: