Custody/Christmas episode

[AITF & ABP ROCK!!]

Thanks, Tv Guy. I already have "Archie & Edith, Mike & Gloria". It was an interesting book, because I learned a lot of facts
about AITF & ABP that I never knew before. Anyway I'm posting the information about ABP that I got off of the AITF site message board. These are supposedly little known facts of ABP that were posted on there the night ABP started on TV Land:

1) The show was shot at CBS Television City in Hollywood on Soundstage 31.

2) Soundstage 31 was the coldest set in Hollywood. There was never any heat over there.

3) Martin Balsam signed on for a 3 year contract but he stayed
on for only 2.

4) The outside of the Bunker house was taped on an outside soundstage on the back lot.

5) The show was rehearsed in 4 days not 5 days:

Monday: They got the script in first draft
Tuesday: Walk through and blocking
Wednesday: Rehearsal
Thursday: Tape in front of a live audience contrary to popular belief

6) The show was renewed for a 5th season but was canceled in the summer of 1983

[DarleneIllyria]

Originally posted by TV Guy



I definitely recommending picking up "Archie, Edith, Mike, and Gloria" if you are a fan. It covers the entire run, from AITF to ABP, and has a lot of interesting behind-the-scenes trivia.

I've never read that book. I'll have to pick it up the next time I go to the library.

[jon123]

Jenny, if you go to amazon.com, and do a search for archie, edith you will find the book. You can get it used for $6 from zshops. It is absolutely required reading for true blue fans like ourselves.

[DarleneIllyria]

Originally posted by jon123
Jenny, if you go to amazon.com, and do a search for archie, edith you will find the book. You can get it used for $6 from zshops. It is absolutely required reading for true blue fans like ourselves.

Thanks for the info, Jon!

[TV Guy]

Originally posted by AITF & ABP ROCK!!
These are supposedly little known facts of ABP that were posted on there the night ABP started on TV Land:

1) The show was shot at CBS Television City in Hollywood on Soundstage 31.

2) Soundstage 31 was the coldest set in Hollywood. There was never any heat over there.

3) Martin Balsam signed on for a 3 year contract but he stayed
on for only 2.

4) The outside of the Bunker house was taped on an outside soundstage on the back lot.

5) The show was rehearsed in 4 days not 5 days:

Monday: They got the script in first draft
Tuesday: Walk through and blocking
Wednesday: Rehearsal
Thursday: Tape in front of a live audience contrary to popular belief

6) The show was renewed for a 5th season but was canceled in the summer of 1983

Interesting, but there are some factual errors here. The show was never renewed for a fifth season. In the spring of 1983, O'Connor and Lear did discuss ideas for a possible fifth season, but when CBS announced the fall schedule in May, ABP was not on it. This news even made the front page of the local paper where I grew up, accompanied by a picture of Archie with his ever-present cigar.

The outside (front porch) of the Bunker house was attached to the regular set inside the studio, and was not in some separate outside soundstage. You can see this in "Thanksgiving Reunion" in the scene where Archie greets Gloria on the porch.

There was no studio audience present during the taping, according to several other sources. You can even tell if you listen closely to the episodes -- the actors deliver their lines at a much lower volume than in the AITF episodes that had a studio audience.

[DarleneIllyria]

Originally posted by TV Guy


Interesting, but there are some factual errors here. The show was never renewed for a fifth season. In the spring of 1983, O'Connor and Lear did discuss ideas for a possible fifth season, but when CBS announced the fall schedule in May, ABP was not on it. This news even made the front page of the local paper where I grew up, accompanied by a picture of Archie with his ever-present cigar.

Do you still have that paper, TV Guy?

All in the Family and Archie were such big things in entertainment and I get the feeling that paper would be worth so much money today- or maybe years from now. I don't sell the collectibles that I buy, but it's still kind of interesting to see how much somebody would pay for a paper telling about Elvis Presley's death or a paper telling about the end of All in the Family/Archie Bunker's Place.

[AITF & ABP ROCK!!]

Thanks for answering back TV Guy, I knew that part about the outside of the house being taped on a back lot had to be incorrect. Anyway the whole thing that brought this up was the fact if there was an audience during taping or if there was no audience during the taping. I don't think there is an answer to that question because some people say it was taped before an audience and some people say it wasn't.

[TV Guy]

Originally posted by Jenny

Do you still have that paper, TV Guy?

All in the Family and Archie were such big things in entertainment and I get the feeling that paper would be worth so much money today- or maybe years from now. I don't sell the collectibles that I buy, but it's still kind of interesting to see how much somebody would pay for a paper telling about Elvis Presley's death or a paper telling about the end of All in the Family/Archie Bunker's Place.

I didn't clip it, but now I wish I had. I did clip a few other TV items from the paper in the 80s, like an article detailing the planned "Facts of Life" spinoff for Blair (where she runs the school).

As far as the studio audience question goes -- maybe Danielle Brisebois or Anne Meara or someone will do a fan chat, and someone can ask them.

[AITF & ABP ROCK!!]

Does anybody on this board have proof that ABP was taped in front of a live studio audience? This question has to be solved once and for all!

[sm95fan]

Originally Posted by jon123

I had forgotten that Custody was set during Christmastime. Too many holes in the plot. Why would the grandmother be so heartless as to begin the custody fight just before Christmas? Also, it would take weeks or months to get a hearing date-you wouldn't get one right away. Why couldn't Stephanie just tell her grandmother she wanted to stay with Archie (I think she does in part 2) and avoid the stupid court fight. I'm sure a compromise like Stephanie staying with her grandmother once a month or so could be worked out.

Also, if this is the first Christmas after Edith's death, then why isn't Archie spending it with Gloria and Joey (and the meathead, who has not yet run off to the commune). I know Rob and Sally didn't want to appear, but why couldn't Archie and Stephanie go to California (off screen) to spend Christmas together. Archie surely could have gotten a few days off from the bar and there was no restraining order to keep from taking Stephanie with him.

At least we got to see Mrs. Canby. Too bad we won't see more of her unless TVL airs all the episodes.

Yesterday I noticed a major flaw when Mrs. Canby said she was making ham and potato salad to celebrate a potential win by Archie in court. Ham is not kosher and Stephanie and Murray are both Jewish...