I'm hoping that this thread won't be moved. A lot of people, myself included, have never seen the 2-part episode of Archie Bunker's Place where Edith dies. It's not aired often at all, and it's supposed to be difficult to watch. Carroll O'Connor delivers a heartbreaking performance I'm told.
It's on TV Land tonight and tomorrow night at 12.
The episode is called Archie Alone.

In reality, Jean Stapleton wanted out of her contract and asked to be completely phased out of ABP. I do remember that Mr. O'Conner's acting in this episode is brilliant. Even if you are not an ABP fan, I'm told you should see this episode.

Jack

I think I broke my own record. I started crying at the matress commericial before ABP even came on. I'm the emotional type, what can I say. We haven't even got to the really sad parts yet. Incidentally, I did record in the bedroom too. I was afraid they wouldn't show it next time and I just wanted to get an extra copy just in case.

Jean did not ask out of her contract. In 1978 Jean agreed to do 1 more seasons and signed a 1 year contract for season 9. Jean's contract was up after the 9th season of AITF they were unable to convince her to renew it yet again, but they were able to convince her to do a few episodes in the first season of ABP.

Originally posted by Dan Asnis
Jean did not ask out of her contract. In 1978 Jean agreed to do 1 more seasons and signed a 1 year contract for season 9. Jean's contract was up after the 9th season of AITF they were unable to convince her to renew it yet again, but they were able to convince her to do a few episodes in the first season of ABP.
She was also willing to continue with occasional appearances on ABP even after the first season (despite what some other reports have said) out of loyalty to the show. But Carroll O'Connor felt that it was too difficult to continue to write stories around an off-camera Edith, and that audiences would be disappointed with the non-Edith episodes as long as there was a chance she would appear. So they made the decision to kill Edith off. Jean has said in the past that she was a little surprised that they chose to do this, but she ultimately understood.

Originally posted by TV Guy

But Carroll O'Connor felt that it was too difficult to continue to write stories around an off-camera Edith

That's the story that I've always heard.

I'm looking forward to see the 2nd parter to "Archie Alone", I've been waiting to see these episodes for a long time.

I think if they could have gotten Jean to do eight to ten episodes a year, the other episodes could focus on other characters in the bar and the show would still have worked without killing off Edith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz3lfQlf-wY