I watched and enjoyed season 1 - it had some funny episodes and some really nice moments. I'm onto season 2 and I'm 6 episodes in - and it is a marked decline from season 1 - what happened? Archie Alone was a good episode, but the others are much lower quality. I'm sticking it out - its nice following Archie after the departures of Edith, Gloria, and Meathead, but so far, its a disappointment. Oh well, thanks God we will always have the classics of All in the Family to watch.

I watched and enjoyed season 1 - it had some funny episodes and some really nice moments. I'm onto season 2 and I'm 6 episodes in - and it is a marked decline from season 1 - what happened? Archie Alone was a good episode, but the others are much lower quality. I'm sticking it out - its nice following Archie after the departures of Edith, Gloria, and Meathead, but so far, its a disappointment. Oh well, thanks God we will always have the classics of All in the Family to watch.


What decline did you notice from season 1 to season 2?

The few episodes I had watched.so far (in Seaon 2) didn't seem as funny, and the writing/stories wasn't as good. After writing the above post, I watched and enjoyed the Incdent episode (where Archie belts the guy epwho made remarks about Mrs Camby) and the Custody episodes where Stephanie's grandmother tries to take her from Archie.

Most of the former All in the Family writers left after season 1.

Watching season 2 episodes on YouTube, I did notice it became more serious in tone, it seemed to drift away from the house even more than in season 1.

Watching season 2 episodes on YouTube, I did notice it became more serious in tone, it seemed to drift away from the house even more than in season 1.


It didn't need to be at the house since it was no edith, and just him and stepahanie

So it became more of a workplace comedy

Why the revolving door of supporting characters?
On the weekend, I saw some episodes from the later years.

Murray was gone.
Veronica was gone.
Billie was added. Who was she? Was Stephanie now not enough for the younger set?
The actor who played Chrissy's secret admirer from TC was added as a lawyer.

Why the revolving door of supporting characters?
On the weekend, I saw some episodes from the later years.

Murray was gone.
Veronica was gone.
Billie was added. Who was she? Was Stephanie now not enough for the younger set?
The actor who played Chrissy's secret admirer from TC was added as a lawyer.


Stephanie should have been gone too

Billie was added. Who was she Another one of Archie's nieces.

Something occurred to me a few days after I posted.
Season 2 would have been the shortened TV season because of a Writer's Strike.
The 1980/81 season didn't start until November.

I'm thinking that maybe if the writer's strike didn't happen, the original writers wouldn't have left.
Also, a couple of the actors must not have been happy in Season 2 either, because they left as well.

I suppose nobody on here knows why Murray left.

Not long after his final episodes, ABP had the most boring episode with only 3 regulars. 2 if you don't count Ms. Camby.
It was the episode where Ms. Camby was being ripped off after doing some sewing work. Not a bad idea for a plot line, but with hardly any other characters in it, it was so boring.

And the following season Billie is added.

Hank disappeared also.

And Stephanie's appearances became more sporadic.

The link to this thread at least helps answer at least one question on this thread
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=277871

Thanks for the link.

I actually do get Stephanie being on less and Billie on more.
Stephanie was now a teenager too young for the stories that they could do for Billie. Stephanie wouldn't be working at ABP while Billie was old enough.

Ha Ha, I saw the “Gloria” tie in episode tonight on ABP! Archie drives a car, LOL! Very lame show, even with Burgess Meredith. The animals were the highlight of the show for me. Sally Struthers as Gloria, without the AITF cast is YAWN. Beautiful set, nice opening & closing, but OMG this show was bad, about as bad as ABP season 2.

Ha Ha, I saw the “Gloria” tie in episode tonight on ABP! Archie drives a car, LOL! Very lame show, even with Burgess Meredith. The animals were the highlight of the show for me. Sally Struthers as Gloria, without the AITF cast is YAWN. Beautiful set, nice opening & closing, but OMG this show was bad, about as bad as ABP season 2.

The show reminds me of my life at the time. I was the same age as joey and my mom left my dad we move to a new location and a new home to get a new start in life.

Joey seems angry, frustrated. Is this how he is throughout “Gloria”? I don’t ever remember watching this in the 80s. Pets are always a comfort when faced with the unknown.

In season 2, it seemed the entire show revolved around Stephanie with Archie playing her soccer mom. It made sense that following Edith's death they would grow closer. But after she got bat mitzvah'd and became an 'adult' early in season 3, that angle no longer worked. Most teenage girls aren't going to spend a lot of time hanging out with a father type figure.

It felt like they had a hard time trying to figure out what to do with her character after that. So I assume that is why seasons 3 and 4 the show took a much more mature turn focusing the attention elsewhere like Billie and Gary.

Murray was the best character when he was on there

With Edith dying, Estelle Harris showing up and wanting to take Stephanie and Murray leaving, Season 2 was definitely a little dark. Maybe that's why they lightened things up a bit in Season 3 w/Reggie Jackson, etc.

Why the revolving door of supporting characters?
On the weekend, I saw some episodes from the later years.

Murray was gone.
Veronica was gone.
Billie was added. Who was she? Was Stephanie now not enough for the younger set?
The actor who played Chrissy's secret admirer from TC was added as a lawyer.

CBS wanted the cast to get younger. They had experimented with some things, Fred the Gay waiter, Samantha the antagonistic waitress, Veronica's much younger health inspector boyfriend, Amy Bloom's young liberal father, etc. But it seemed nothing really clicked so they added Billie.

Murray was the best character when he was on there

I liked Murray a lot to. But when you only have 24 1/2 hour episodes and established superstar like CoC it created a quandary. There was only enough material for one alpha dog. Stephanie was still really involved in the storyline at that point so you had to put aside some episodes for her. And Barney, Harry, Mr. VanR, Veronica, Mrs. Canby couldn't just be occasional comic relief. Once in a while you had to throw them an episode with some meat as well.

ABP probably tried to juggle too many characters trying to keep ties to AITF while establishing itself as a separate show.

The Gay waiter was very funny

Something occurred to me a few days after I posted.
Season 2 would have been the shortened TV season because of a Writer's Strike.
The 1980/81 season didn't start until November.

I'm thinking that maybe if the writer's strike didn't happen, the original writers wouldn't have left.
Also, a couple of the actors must not have been happy in Season 2 either, because they left as well.

History repeating itself in 2023?

Actually four season two episodes were kept in the can so CBS would have fresh product to launch the new Fall season as a long strike was expected. As it turned out, the strike was settled in a few months resulting in only a slight delay. Those 4 episodes were inserted into season three and seem awkward now as storyline had taken a very different direction by the time they aired.

History repeating itself in 2023?

Actually four season two episodes were kept in the can so CBS would have fresh product to launch the new Fall season as a long strike was expected. As it turned out, the strike was settled in a few months resulting in only a slight delay. Those 4 episodes were inserted into season three and seem awkward now as storyline had taken a very different direction by the time they aired.

how did those 4 eps make the storyline awkward?

how did those 4 eps make the storyline awkward?

When the real season three began, Billie was in, Gary was introduced shortly and lovely Stephanie and her supporting cast (Amy Bloom, Mrs. Canby, etc) were being pushed to the back burner. None of this was reflected in the four hold over episodes.

No doubt season 1 was the best. It was better in its first season than the last 2 seasons of All In The Family. I love how Murray, Veronica, and others were the center of many scripts. It was not always Archie as the star of the episodes. It worked really well. In season 1 we got mob hits inside the bar, estranged family members, a gay waiter, alcoholism, etc. The scripts were really good.