All in the Family pilots - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

HelloLarry · 02-24-2010, 02:33 AM

I don't know if anyone has posted anything about the two pilots on the Norman Lear Collection but I recently had a chance to screen them. Very interesting stuff.

The first pilot (Justice For All) was taped on 9/29/68 and stars Tim McIntire and Kelly Jean Peters and 'Richard' (Dickie) and Gloria. This one runs about 35 minutes and is almost identical to the pilot that eventually aired (Meet the Bunkers). The Richard and Gloria actors are clearly the weak link. Richard is a little more impulsive and Gloria is a little more sassy in the way they are portrayed. The actor who portrayed Richard here was in American Hot Wax among other films and died from drug/alcohol abuse. I recognized Kelly Jean Peters from some other tv shows I have in my collection (The Monkees, The Green Hornet, and M*A*S*H). Carroll O'Connor is either wearing a hair piece or they've done his hair in a way where it is parted in the center and wavy. The theme is almost identical except one of the lyrics didn't make the final cut when it finally aired (Had my 12 tube radio / loved the Eddie Cantor Show). The Richard character here is more 'hippie' in his appearance than the Mike character we've come to know. The set is different here.

The second pilot (Those Were the Days) was taped 2/16/69. This is the one that played on TV Land some time ago. This has Chip Oliver and Candy Azzara as Richard (still) and Gloria. The kids are a little better here but Chip Oliver (IMO) is a little stiff and deliberate in the presentation of his lines. The set here is the same as 'Justice' but the chairs are brought more into the center of the room whereas they were pushed more in the back of the room in the original pilot. The script again is almost identical than the original pilot although further alterations would be made before it hit the air.

There is the Goddamn exchange in both pilots that never found its way into the pilot that eventually aired on CBS. This dialog exchange was lifted and insterted (to better effect IMO) in the season four premier 'We're Having a Heat Wave'.

The pilot that we've all come to know as the first episode of All in the Family is much improved over the first two shots. It moves at a better pace and the cadence of the delivery works better with Rob Reiner in the role. Maybe I'm biased as it's hard to imagine anyone else in those roles but I think they did the right thing by casting Reiner and Struthers. Jean Stapleton and Carroll O'Connor are pretty well settled in their roles already and it's interesting to see from the get go, just how perfect they were in these parts.

02-24-2010, 02:33 AM	#1
HelloLarry Meathead Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 21, 2006 Posts: 273	All in the Family pilots I don't know if anyone has posted anything about the two pilots on the Norman Lear Collection but I recently had a chance to screen them. Very interesting stuff. The first pilot (Justice For All) was taped on 9/29/68 and stars Tim McIntire and Kelly Jean Peters and 'Richard' (Dickie) and Gloria. This one runs about 35 minutes and is almost identical to the pilot that eventually aired (Meet the Bunkers). The Richard and Gloria actors are clearly the weak link. Richard is a little more impulsive and Gloria is a little more sassy in the way they are portrayed. The actor who portrayed Richard here was in American Hot Wax among other films and died from drug/alcohol abuse. I recognized Kelly Jean Peters from some other tv shows I have in my collection (The Monkees, The Green Hornet, and MAS*H). Carroll O'Connor is either wearing a hair piece or they've done his hair in a way where it is parted in the center and wavy. The theme is almost identical except one of the lyrics didn't make the final cut when it finally aired (Had my 12 tube radio / loved the Eddie Cantor Show). The Richard character here is more 'hippie' in his appearance than the Mike character we've come to know. The set is different here. The second pilot (Those Were the Days) was taped 2/16/69. This is the one that played on TV Land some time ago. This has Chip Oliver and Candy Azzara as Richard (still) and Gloria. The kids are a little better here but Chip Oliver (IMO) is a little stiff and deliberate in the presentation of his lines. The set here is the same as 'Justice' but the chairs are brought more into the center of the room whereas they were pushed more in the back of the room in the original pilot. The script again is almost identical than the original pilot although further alterations would be made before it hit the air. There is the Goddamn exchange in both pilots that never found its way into the pilot that eventually aired on CBS. This dialog exchange was lifted and insterted (to better effect IMO) in the season four premier 'We're Having a Heat Wave'. The pilot that we've all come to know as the first episode of All in the Family is much improved over the first two shots. It moves at a better pace and the cadence of the delivery works better with Rob Reiner in the role. Maybe I'm biased as it's hard to imagine anyone else in those roles but I think they did the right thing by casting Reiner and Struthers. Jean Stapleton and Carroll O'Connor are pretty well settled in their roles already and it's interesting to see from the get go, just how perfect they were in these parts.