https://popculturereferences.com/when-did-all-in-the-family-jump-the-shark/

In a feature looking at if or when a TV series "jumped the shark," Brian asks you all to determine when (or if) All in the Family (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125335/http://www.jumptheshark.com/a/allinthefamily.htm) jumped the shark.

Today, we look at when (or if) you folks believe that All in the Family “jumped the shark.”

This is “Just Can’t Jump It,” (https://popculturereferences.com/category/just-cant-jump-it/) a feature where we examine shows and whether they “jumped the shark.” Jumped the shark (coined by Jon Hein) means that the show had a specific point in time where, in retrospect, you realize that show was going downhill from there. Not every show DOES jump the shark. Some shows just remain good all the way through. And some shows are terrible all the way through. What we’re looking for are moments where a show that you otherwise enjoyed hit a point where it took a noticeable nose dive after that time and if so, what moment was that?

All in the Family is one of the most famous and acclaimed sitcoms of all-time. However, the funny thing about the show is that also changed fairly dramatically from its original concept of Archie and Edith Bunker (Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton) living in a small house in Queens with their daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) and her husband, Mike (Rob Reiner), while Mike is in school. That set-up was only the first five seasons of a nine season series. Mike and Gloria move next door in Season 6, and leave the show entirely by the end of Season 8. So, with all of that change, did the show ever jump the shark?

So first…DID IT JUMP THE SHARK? I would say no. The show definitely was never as good as those first five seasons, and it lost a LOT when Mike and Gloria were gone and the Bunkers take in their young niece, Stephanie Mills (Danielle Brisebois), but I think that it was still a good show.

WHEN DID IT JUMP THE SHARK If I had to pick a point, I’d say Season 9, when the show officially lost Mike and Gloria, but, as I said, I think the show never actually jumped.

Rewatching the show starting from the beginning was a fun memorable experience. My memory of watching the show in the past then rewatching was the quality nosedived when Mike & Gloria moved into the Jeffersons house. The chemistry of the show tanked, (coincidentally?) writing dropped off, and the 4 main actors lost their ability to be funny. I gave it a few more token episodes after the Stivics moved out but the magic was gone and I moved on. It was tremendous up to that point needless to say.

I agree with with vitoscotti. When Mike & Gloria moved next door it started down the hill. It should have ended completely when they moved to California.

I would say when Mike and Gloria left it wasnt as good.......

When Michael and Gloria left, it was not the same without Michael and Gloria

Why did they leave?? Did Archie have enough of them @ the house??

Why did they leave?? Did Archie have enough of them @ the house??

You did not watch the show? Gloria and Michael left because Michael got a job offer to move to California

Hmmmmm maybe I mi$$ed that episode....

Thank you.....

Definitely when the kids moved next door. There were still some good episodes but when Joey was born, the show officially jumped the shark.

It just got not as good....... They didnt realise what they had :(

When Edith was nearly raped.(On her birthday of all days.):eek:

When Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers left, the show lost a lot since the Archie and Mike confrontations were the forefront of the show as well as the mother-daughter relationship between Edith and Gloria.

Mike and Gloria couldn’t have lived at the Bunker house forever and when the Jeffersons moved, it was just logical they move next door. Season 09 is when the show died.

When Edith was nearly raped.(On her birthday of all days.):eek:


That episode was grim but well done, I thought.

I'm not going to say the show jumped the shark during the 3rd season, but my goodness the show sure changed the tone with Mike (Meathead). They made his character so unlikeable~ The Games Bunkers Play episode and a few others. He isn't just argumentative, but downright capricious. His character was really out of control in some of those episodes.

I kind of wonder if Rob Reiner had already expressed interest in leaving the show and the writers were preparing the viewers for Mike's eventual departure. This show always featured the reality of families who argue and bicker, but I thought they were making Mike too angry and unsympathetic.

I'm not going to say the show jumped the shark during the 3rd season, but my goodness the show sure changed the tone with Mike (Meathead). They made his character so unlikeable~ The Games Bunkers Play episode and a few others. He isn't just argumentative, but downright capricious. His character was really out of control in some of those episodes.

I kind of wonder if Rob Reiner had already expressed interest in leaving the show and the writers were preparing the viewers for Mike's eventual departure. This show always featured the reality of families who argue and bicker, but I thought they were making Mike too angry and unsympathetic.
Mike was the anti-Archie. Archie was brutally annoying at times and so was Mike. The Games Bunkers play in season 4 really does reveal Mike's weaknesses as a person. I thought it was a brilliant episode. The viewer is always rooting against Archie when his biogtry is shown. Viewers got to root against Mike in this episode and a few others like Mike Comes Into Money.

Once Mike was no longer living with Archie, I believe the writers turned to the Edith character to form a dynamic with Archie -- maybe not so much as far as conflict or confrontation, but a tension arose that was new/different. Earlier on, Edith was practically always upbeat & positive. Few if any things upset her. But as the series progressed, they made her character somewhat tragic -- especially in her very upset reaction to Gloria & Mike moving away altogether, having already lost Louise Jefferson as a good friend.

Archie was not supportive of Edith's volunteer activities; it seemed that while he had a general disapproval of Mike, there were specific parameters he wanted Edith to stay within -- while primarily disapproving for example of her efforts' interference with her dinner prep.

We had major things introduced like the breast cancer scare, revealed to Gloria, and ultimately Archie forging her signature to be able to get the "saloon." One could argue that more depth for her character made her seem less cartoonish, but the changes came on sometimes in a disturbing way that may have been a bit heavy for a lighthearted sitcom mom.

Mike and Gloria couldn’t live with them forever and when the Jeffersons moved, it was a logical thing to do with them moving out.