My thoughts on All In The Family...

[bh7812]

Earlier this year, I got a great deal on the All In The Family Complete Series box set. I finally got to it on my list of sitcoms left to see list a month ago and spent the last month watching through it completely. Just as I did after I completely finished Happy Days, I'd like to write out my thoughts on the show as clearly and concisely as possible.

Back when I was a kid, All In The Family was constantly in reruns through syndication here in the Chicago area. At the time, I didn't really have a lot of interest in it. Early this year I'd heard some people talking about it and I did some reading up on it. I thought if I ever found a good deal on the complete series set Id buy it. A few months back I finally got a crazy insane deal on it at a price I was ok with paying. Through this year I've been working through my monster stack of multi-cam sitcoms I've wanted to see, which has taken almost 5 years to do. I'm now down to the last 4 after having seen all of AITF. My initial thought was it was going to be a very long, gradual crawl through the series that might have taken me months. It only took a month due to me getting more than I ever expected to out of it.

Norman Lear had a hell of a lot of guts putting AITF on TV back in the early 70s and I feel it's a literal miracle he succeeded in getting a network to pick it up. It's bold, it's NOT shy and anything goes! EVERY conceivable topic or issue is addressed and explored throughout the series 9 seasons. I'm still shaking my head in amazement CBS let the whole thing fly. That would not ever happen now. If he were pitching it now-same characters, concept, everything there's no way in hell it'd get on the air. People say it's a dated show but other than the direct references to the Presidents in office through the series run, it's really not. We're still dealing with almost, if not all of the topics AITF touched on. Only difference is now some of those topics don't dare get touched on in conversation let alone get dealt with on TV! Where other shows would have stumbled and embarrassed themselves tackling the issues if they did at all, AITF deakt with every one of them with dignity and class in a way that made it okay for people to talk about what they'd seen after. The reason they were able to do that was thanks to the great writers and phenomenal ensemble cast. Here's my thoughts on the characters...

Archie- Due to having been in the war and injured, plus things that happened to him as he grew up, Archie ended up an extremely difficult man to be married to, live with and be friends with. He was uncensored. He gave his opinion on issues, topics, nationalities and races whether he was asked for them or not. He stood very strongly by his beliefs. He had a great deal of belief in and confidence in God. He was very patriotic. Though he had an extremely difficult time with it he loved his wife Edith though she drove him insane. As he days in the series finale he is nothing without her. He loves his daughter and later his grandson who he mellowed out quite a bit thanks to him. At least partially. He was a man of strong conviction and very little BS, common in his generation. For the few friends he had, and his family though, he'd do anything for them and often did. In Carroll's own words, Archie was rude, crude, hard to live with and quite unpleasant. I cannot see anyone else playing that character period let alone as well as he did. He did a phenomenal job. God bless him..he played that role for 13 years of his life, never missing a beat. Thank you, Carroll. You did outstanding.

Edith- What a nice lady! She was the opposite of Archie in every way, really. Everyone loved her, wanted to be her friend, and were only too happy to help her when she needed it because she helped them countless times. She had no problem expressing Her love for Archie and her family. She was not shy with that and expressed Her love for them all the time. She was a very kind hearted woman who seemed to be a simple lady at the surface but there was so much more to her. when she did have the courage to speak up, she told it like it was-and almost always the truth. Over the series she grew more and more courageous, finally standing up to Archie a few times! And herself too. She was way more street smart than book smart I thought. Thank you to Jean, too. She gave 9 years of her life to that character and no I e could have done it better. By the end, Archie and Edith were just as real as Carroll and Jean. Very hard to achieve and I forgot many times those 4 characters were just that.

Meathead- I loved Meathead!! He was my favorite of the 4. Though a stout Athiest, he never ever shoved that in people's faces. He respected greatly each persons right to their own beliefs, values, and religion. He may not agree with you, but he'd always respect your beliefs. We need more Mike "Meathead" Stivcs in the world. If we did, it would be much easier to be open to and respect other people's choices and beliefs. He always stood up to Archie and gave him a hell of a lot to think about. He showed him there's akways more than one way to look at things. Showed him he was never too old to open his mind up but Archie was pretty much a lost cause by then, too set in his ways. Though not perfect by any means, Meathead was a good guy. Rob Reiner did outstanding too. Though the whole ensemble was terrific, he and Carroll were the heart and soul of AITF.

Gloria- well, she is definitely Edith and Archie Bunker's daughter! She's caught in a forever struggle between her parents and Her loyalty to her husband. She loved all 3 so much she never wanted to hurt, disappoint, or say no to any of them. Sally did well but IMO Gloria was the weakest character of the 4. Still very good but not as prominent as the others.

The supporting cast varied greatly in quality. Barney Hefner was a loveable dope, didn't care for Irene or her husband too much, the Jeffersons were great as was Maude. Harry the bartender was a typical dictionary definition bartender. Loved Stephanie, she didn't take why of Archie's cfap. Though only 10 she was wise to all of it and stood up to him eye to eye which earned her his respect and love. Great final season.

To wrap this up, AITF is most definitely a must see TV show, period. Just as with Happy Days, Cosby, and several other huge sitcoms AITF is a show you should make time to see all of if you can. Phenomenal ensemble, mostly sharp writing, and the way it tackles all the issues make it must see TV and will leave you thinking long and hard about many of the topics dealt with long after the final episide. I'm really glad I gave the show an honest, full chance. Got far more out of it than I ever thought I would! A grade, 9/10 show.

Edit- please excuse the typos, I wrote all this on my iPad so theres bound to be mistakes!

[cleverfun3000]

I have been a HUGE fan of AITF for many decades and have also seen every episode at LEAST twice,so it is with shock and awe that no where in your detailed analysis do you mention how uproariously funny the show was. I never even once watched it for the ground-breaking issues. I always watched it for the gut-busting laughs it gave me each week.

[OH Nuts!]

AITF was an amazing ground-breaking show and I'm glad I had the privilege of seeing it first hand in the early 70s as a teenager. The show was mind-blowing - but in a GOOD way - leaps and bounds over much of the pablum that passed itself off as TV. AITF was a masterpiece. I can't say enough wonderful things about the show.

[bh7812]

Originally Posted by cleverfun3000

I have been a HUGE fan of AITF for many decades and have also seen every episode at LEAST twice,so it is with shock and awe that no where in your detailed analysis do you mention how uproariously funny the show was. I never even once watched it for the ground-breaking issues. I always watched it for the gut-busting laughs it gave me each week.

Oh there were too many gut busting laugh out loud moments to count! There seemed to be just as many laugh out loud moments as there were serious ones! I apologise for excluding that part of it in my analysis/review. I thought it would be a little more interesting to have one that focused on the more ground breaking aspects of the show was all. But, I agree with you and gaurantee anyone who hasn't yet seen the show will find plenty to laugh out loud at! What's great about this show is each person will come out of it with a completely different perspective on it than the next guy..yet everyone will undoubtedly get the same messages/humor out of it Norman and the writers were trying to convey!

[bh7812]

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

AITF was an amazing ground-breaking show and I'm glad I had the privilege of seeing it first hand in the early 70s as a teenager. The show was mind-blowing - but in a GOOD way - leaps and bounds over much of the pablum that passed itself off as TV. AITF was a masterpiece. I can't say enough wonderful things about the show.

One thing that kept going through my mind as I watched the show was "How did teenagers and adults feel about and receive the show when it was originally airing?" So Id like to ask you that question and get your opinion on that. I was born in '78 so I was far too young to remember any of it's last season as it originally aired. Shows like this...yeah I wish I'd been old enough to fully enjoy them during the original airings! Also, with showd these days making big deals about their final seasons and all of that, what was it like at the end of the series run? Was there a lot of hoopla or a big deal made out of it? I'm curious about that since Carroll jumped right into Archie Bunker's Place in Fall of '79, right after AITF ended.

My Grandpa on Dad's side saw all of only 2 series-AITF and The Muppet Show. Dad told me this a few years ago when Grandpa died, he was 91. Dad said he watched both shows religiously and sat there laughing his ass off during both shows! He never missed an episode according to Dad and made sure he was near a TV so he could catch both shows during their original rubs regardless of where he was.

[Edward216]

I completely disagree with and don't understand your comment that a show like All In The Family wouldn't get on TV today. There's plenty of stuff like that (and a whole lot worse) on nowadays. I don't know how anyone can say there isn't.

Ed.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Edward216

I completely disagree with and don't understand your comment that a show like All In The Family wouldn't get on TV today. There's plenty of stuff like that (and a whole lot worse) on nowadays. I don't know how anyone can say there isn't.

Ed.

I'm guessing that someone watching it today for the first time is going to automatically or instantly look at Archie Bunker and just see a him as nothing more than a big racist jerk. But if you were watching it in the 1970s as a young adult, then Archie and Edith were probably a lot like your own parents, and that's where most of the humor came from. Basically, if you grew up during that time period, then Archie likely still pretty reflective of most adults in your respective area. Archie in one respect, could be seen as being a paragon of virtue for not being afraid to "tell it like it is" (although I don't necessarily think that it was Caroll O'Connor's exact intentions at the time).

[Coffeecup]

I remember seeing All in the Family as an young teenager and I don't remember really being embarrassed at the dialog. Todays tv shows I am a bit embarrassed.

[TVFactFan]

I don't like season 1 too much because of the reasons below


1. The set seemed real dark

2. Archie was real mean

3. Edith was extra goofy


Of course all of that changed in season 2

[Rewound50]

There is positively NO WAY a show like All in the family would make it on the air today. It had everything that no show has today - pure blunt honesty about social issues. We live in a society today that is so PC happy, I fear we will begin to lose all the gains from the last 40 years. Hell, if the Dukes of Hazzard suddenly "offends" people, there is nothing to discuss, because it's about censorship to appease special interest groups. All in the Family was a brilliant show because it allowed society to look at itself honestly. It didn't skew the lines because they were afraid of "hurting" someone's feelings. You can't address problems, if you are not strong enough to look at them honestly with open dialogue. I wouldn't be surprised if that show gets banned. It's no longer about discussion but who has control over the narrative.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Rewound50

There is positively NO WAY a show like All in the family would make it on the air today. It had everything that no show has today - pure blunt honesty about social issues. We live in a society today that is so PC happy, I fear we will begin to lose all the gains from the last 40 years. Hell, if the Dukes of Hazzard suddenly "offends" people, there is nothing to discuss, because it's about censorship to appease special interest groups. All in the Family was a brilliant show because it allowed society to look at itself honestly. It didn't skew the lines because they were afraid of "hurting" someone's feelings. You can't address problems, if you are not strong enough to look at them honestly with open dialogue. I wouldn't be surprised if that show gets banned. It's no longer about discussion but who has control over the narrative.

Well it's not on cable so it's no biggie

[DJM77]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Well it's not on cable so it's no biggie

It's still on FamilyNet. *knocks on wood*

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by DJM77

It's still on FamilyNet. *knocks on wood*

Doesn't sound like a channel most people get

[biffbronson]

One thing I think that's sometimes overlooked or forgotten is the occasional, blatant hypocrisy of the Meathead -- which is significant, and more than just to say he was "not perfect by any means."

For example, how can he espouse views in support of women's liberation and advancement, and then deny a female surgeon to operate on him due to her gender? Remember too how he made Gloria feel inferior because she had a limited education.

He was a complex character, but I think Lear's writers showed that being highly educated doesn't necessarily translate into actions that support the views.

[Rewound50]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

One thing I think that's sometimes overlooked or forgotten is the occasional, blatant hypocrisy of the Meathead -- which is significant, and more than just to say he was "not perfect by any means."

For example, how can he espouse views in support of women's liberation and advancement, and then deny a female surgeon to operate on him due to her gender? Remember too how he made Gloria feel inferior because she had a limited education.

He was a complex character, but I think Lear's writers showed that being highly educated doesn't necessarily translate into actions that support the views.

Well I think that was the point. Both sides of an argument were lined with their own style of hypocrisy. I think that's what the show demonstrated. You could be far right or far left, but both sides had unprincipled biases and contradictions even though each claimed to have the "correct" point of view. And we actually get it aired on a local channel here every day, which is great.