In case you didn't know already, Norman Lear originally intended for the Ann Romano character to be raped. However, for what ever reason changed it to Edith Bunker from All in the Family being raped. Do you think it would've fit better if it was Ann instead? Was a rape episode even needed?

http://home.comcast.net/~matchgame/3x5pictures/BonnieFranklin1.jpg

I was always rather disturbed by that All in the Family episode. That just wasn't appropriete for a sitcom.

I think it was only successful because of the immense popularity of the show and the character. The audience had faith in Lear's ability to do it tastefully and for the right reasons, and so they accepted it, while still being shocked.

As to the question, I don't know. I'm sure Franklin could have made it work. But Stapleton did a great job with the episode as did the entire AITF cast.

I was always rather disturbed by that All in the Family episode. That just wasn't appropriete for a sitcom.
That episode was an emotionally powerful episode.

That episode was an emotionally powerful episode.
And , although in spite of what I said above, it was written and performed very well, and yes very emotionally powerful.

In case you didn't know already, Norman Lear originally intended for the Ann Romano character to be raped. However, for what ever reason changed it to Edith Bunker from All in the Family being raped. Do you think it would've fit better if it was Ann instead? Was a rape episode even needed?

http://home.comcast.net/~matchgame/3x5pictures/BonnieFranklin1.jpg

You know what? I completely agree.

I think one of the main issues which hurts ODAAT's visibility is the real lack of a heavy "marquee episode" like "Edith's 50th Birthday", "The Big Move" from Good Times or the abortion episode of Maude. To be fair, The Jeffersons never really had one, either, but you could tell that Norman Lear's influence over that show waned considerably over the years (the early episodes tended to focus more on the latest 70's social fads or concepts and were decidedly preachier than later ones). Plus, they had far more memorable supporting characters like Mother Jefferson, Bentley and Florence.

These days when people think about ODAAT, they're far more likely to associate it with Mackenzie's various escapades and little else (Diff'rent Strokes suffers from the same fate). IMODO, of course.