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All in the Family: Season 01
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All in the Family [TV Series]
"The program you are about to see is All in the Family. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show -- in a mature fashion -- just how absurd they are." With this carefully worded disclaimer, the CBS television network ushered in a new era of television comedy on January 12, 1971, with the premiere of All in the Family. Inspired by the British sitcom Till Death Do Us Part, the series was proposed by producers Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin in early 1968, and a pilot episode titled "Those Were the Days" was commissioned by ABC. From the beginning, Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton were "set" as leading characters Archie and Edith Bunker (original last name: Justice), though two unknowns were cast as the couple's daughter, Gloria, and son-in-law, Mike Stivic. Also from the beginning, it had been decided to retain the controversial nature of the original British series, with bigoted hard-hat Archie forever at odds with his flaming liberal son-in-law. Alas, ABC had just been burned by the hostile reception afforded another hot-potato project, Turn-On, and had lost its taste for controversy, even when Lear and Yorkin toned down the venom in a second pilot. But in 1970, CBS, in desperate need of a hit for its sagging Tuesday-night lineup, decided to take a chance on "Those Were the Days," which by now had been christened All in the Family, and had added Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner to the cast as Gloria and Mike. Worried that audiences might be unkindly disposed to Archie Bunker's incessant harangues against "hebes," "spics," and "coloreds," CBS prefaced the first episode with the aforementioned disclaimer. Though the opener ended up an anemic 54th in the ratings (due primarily to the decision by several affiliates not to air the program, or to reschedule it to a "fringe" time slot), the first All in the Family was the topic of conversation in virtually every household and place of business in America before the week was out. By the time the series began in its second season in the fall of 1971, All in the Family was CBS' top-rated program, a status it enjoyed for the next five years. Archie Burnker, a loading-dock supervisor who resided at 704 Houser Street in Queens, NY, was a firm and immovable believer in America, right or wrong (but mostly far, far right). Offsetting Archie's racial slurs, antediluvian political beliefs, and incessant malapropisms was his somewhat foolish but fundamentally good-hearted wife, Edith (or "Dingbat," as Archie designated her); his budding-feminist daughter, Gloria; and Gloria's long-haired, radical husband, Michael Stivic (aka "Meathead" and "Polack"), who while attending graduate school lived with Archie and Edith, and all but ate them out of house and home. In virtually every episode, an Issue (with a capital "I") was brought to the forefront -- gun control, the sexual revolution, homosexuality, religion, integration, rape -- with Archie taking the diehard conservative viewpoint, Mike assuming the liberal stance, Gloria siding with Mike, and Edith sitting on the sidelines making inane (but sometimes surprisingly sensible) comments. Usually, Archie would be hoisted by his own bigoted petard, but sometimes Mike would be trapped in the morass of his good intentions. Whatever the case, All in the Family tackled subject matter that only a few years earlier would have been rejected out of hand on network television, using language that likewise had seldom if ever been heard on the small screen. In this respect, All in the Family can be regarded as the single most influential situation comedy in television history. Over the years, Archie's character mellowed a bit, but fundamentally he remained the same opinionated jerk he'd been in the first episode. Through it all, however, one never doubted that the members of the Bunker family all loved one another dearly and intensely. In addition to the "core" regulars, several other recurring characters paraded past Archie's beloved easy chair: Lionel Jefferson (Mike Evans), a black friend of Mike and Gloria's who, much to Archie's dismay, became their across-the-street neighbor (Lionel's upscale black family would later be spun-off into their own series, The Jeffersons); Irene and Frank Lorenzo (Betty Garrett and Vincent Gardenia), who were every bit as broad-minded as Archie was not; Bert Munson (Billy Halop), an employee at the cab company where Archie moonlighted; Archie's co-worker and lodge buddy Barney Hefner (Allan Melvin); and Tommy Kelsey (Brendan Dillon, and later Bob Hastings), owner of Kelsey's Bar, Archie's favorite hangout. At the beginning of the 1975-1976 season, Gloria and Mike moved next door to Archie and Edith, and in December of 1975, Gloria gave birth to her first child, a boy named Joey. During the 1976-1977 season, Archie met yet another sociological opponent in the form of Puerto Rican boarder Teresa Betancourt (Liz Torres). And as the 1977-1978 season began, Archie made the momentous decision to quit his job and purchase Kelsey's bar, which he renamed Archie Bunker's Place. This season ended with Mike, Gloria, and Joey bidding farewell to Archie and Edith when Mike landed a teaching job in California. The Stivics' former sleeping quarters were taken over in 1978 by Stephanie Mills (Danielle Brisebois), Edith's niece, who had been abandoned by her ne'er-do-well father. All in the Family per se came to an end with the final episode of the 1979-1980 season; thereafter the multi-award-winning series was known as Archie Bunker's Place. In addition to its prime-time run, All in the Family was seen in rerun form as part of the CBS daytime lineup from December 1975 to December 1979; and in 1991, selected episodes of All in the Family were run in tandem with a newer but much (much) less successful Norman Lear production, Sunday Dinner, which debuted and wrapped within a month. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Includes Seasons:
All in the Family: Season 01
From the vantage point of the early 21st century, it is hard to imagine the shocking impact of All in the Family's premiere episode, "Meet the Bunkers," in which the world was introduced to Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor), who apparently never met a minority group he liked and whose vocabulary was sprinkled with outrageous racial epithets. Also introduced in this landmark episode are Archie's slow-witted but good-hearted wife, Edith (Jean Stapleton), aka "Dingbat"; Archie's airheaded daughter, Gloria (Sally Struthers); and Gloria's grad-student husband, Mike (Rob Reiner), a flaming liberal and the bane of Archie's existence. Additionally, this opening episode features the first appearance of Mike Evans as Lionel Jefferson, a black youth who delights in needling Archie without his knowing it. Several of the series' earliest episodes have become classics of their kind. Among the highlights: Archie writes a fan letter to President Nixon, fakes a back injury after a minor traffic accident, worries that some "colored" will be the recipient when he donates a pint of blood, wrongfully assumes that he knows a homosexual when he sees one, and is in for a major shock when he is reunited with an old army buddy. In other stories, the black Jefferson family moves into Archie's lily-white neighborhood (and in the process, Isabel Sanford makes her first appearance as Louise Jefferson); Gloria "discovers" women's lib after a few chauvinistic comments from husband Mike, and in another episode learns that she is pregnant (but not, alas for long); and Edith serves on a jury, inevitably emerging as the sole holdout in an otherwise unanimous "guilty" verdict. Ratings for All in the Family's first season were shaky, but that wasn't the series' fault. Several CBS affiliates, nervous about the series' controversial content, delayed the program's telecast to the low-rated late evening hours, while other affiliates refused to run the show at all. But, thanks to word-of-mouth and a torrent of positive criticism in the mainstream press, All in the Family survived its freshman year, and by the end of season two, the series was America's top-rated program. ~ All Movie Guide

Includes Episodes:
All in the Family: Meet the Bunkers
The sitcom that changed the face of American television premiered on January 12, 1971, with the last of three pilot episodes filmed between 1968 and 1970 (during which time the property underwent two near-complete cast overhauls and three title changes). Written by series co-producer Norman Lear, "Meet the Bunkers" used the occasion of Archie and Edith Bunker's wedding anniversary to introduce the main characters and rapidly establish both the mood and tenor of all the episodes to come. Though virtually plotless, the episode is jam-packed with incident: Archie and Mike have a heated argument over "racial profiling," Edith tries to drag a recalcitrant Archie to church, Gloria and Mike are so hot for one another that they can barely wait until they get to the bedroom, and Lionel Jefferson (Mike Evans) uses broad African-American stereotypes to subtly needle the reactionary Archie. Especially worth noting in this inaugural episode is Jean Stapleton's portrayal of Edith, who comes off as a lot less stupid and a lot more sarcastic than she would in future episodes. While "Meet the Bunkers" seems somewhat tame when seen today, it packed enough of a wallop back in 1971 for CBS to issue a disclaimer at the beginning of the program, in which the network lauded All in the Family for its courage and daring and simultaneously begged the viewers' pardon for those qualities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Writing the President
Incensed that Mike has written a stern and critical letter to President Nixon, super-patriotic Archie tries to set things right by penning his own missive to the Chief Executive. "Dear Mr. President...Your Honor...Sir..." -- and Archie even dons a clean shirt and tie for the occasion. Scripted by Paul Harrison, Lennie Weinrib, and Norman Lear from a story by Les Erwin and Fred Freiberger, "Writing the President" originally aired on January 19, 1971. Though withdrawn from CBS' daytime rerun package of All in the Family at the request of producer Lear (who felt that Archie's behavior was ridiculous even for him), the episode has since been restored to the series' syndicated package. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Archie's Aching Back
After getting into a minor fender-bender, Archie suffers a delayed case of whiplash. Hoping to collect a huge settlement from the other driver, Archie figures that his chances in court will improve if he hires a Jewish lawyer. But even Attorney Rabinowitz (Salem Ludwig) balks at suing a "van full of nuns." Also in the cast are George Furth as Fitzroy and Richard Stahl as Marshall. Written by Stanley Ralph Ross, "Archie's Aching Back" first aired on January 26, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Archie Gives Blood
Archie balks at the notion of donating blood at the local Red Cross. When Mike accuses him of being chicken, Archie protests that he doesn't want to give up a precious pint of his own "pure" blood unless he can be certain that the recipient will not be a member of a minority group. Archie's ethnocentric monologues in this episode are so incredibly convoluted that one almost grudgingly admires his stubborn stupidity. Written by series coproducer Norman Lear, "Archie Gives Blood" first aired on February 2, 1971, replacing the originally scheduled episode "Judging Books by Covers." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Judging Books By Covers
Archie thinks he knows a homosexual when he sees one, and when Mike invites his flamboyant photographer friend Roger to the Bunker household, Archie automatically assumes that Roger is a "flamer." Retreating to the safety of Kelsey's Bar, Arch chooses to spend some time with his "he-man" pals, notably his old arm-wrestling crony Steve. This early episode scores not only by radically reversing the usual stereotypical expectations, but also with the casting of future General Hospital heartthrob Tony Geary as the fluttery Roger and veteran movie tough guy Philip Carey as the ostensibly "safe" Steve. Written by Norman Lear and Burt Styler, "Judging Books by Covers" was originally scheduled to air on February 2, 1971, but was moved down to February 9. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Gloria Is Pregnant
When Gloria announces that she's pregnant, both Mike and Archie blanche in terror. Not only did Mike enter into matrimony with the understanding that there wouldn't be any children, but he just plain can't afford to be a father. As for Archie, he is dead set against Gloria bringing a "little Meathead" into the world. The ending of this episode is especially poignant, with Archie revealing a heretofore well-hidden tender and compassionate side. Written by Jerry Mayer, "Gloria Is Pregnant" originally aired on February 16, 1971; at the time, the series' producers felt it wise to withhold information on the episode's content, thus TV Guide carried no synopsis whatsoever. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Now That You Know the Way
Also known as "Mike's Hippie Friends Come to Visit," this episode proves that even Mike has his limits when it comes to human behavior. Archie is appalled when Mike and Gloria invite their flower-child friends Paul (Jack Bender) and Robin (Jenny Sullivan) to "crash" at the Bunker home. He is even more incensed when he learns that Paul and Robin aren't married. At first a bastion of liberality, Mike slowly realizes that some of the "beautiful people" aren't quite so beautiful when seen close-up -- and besides, Robin's refusal to communicate with words is really annoying! Scripted by series co-star Rob Reiner, Philip Mishkin, Don Nicholl, and Bryan Joseph from a story by Reiner and Mishkin, "Now That You Know the Way" first aired on February 23, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood
Archie learns to his horror that a black family is moving across the street. As Edith, Gloria, and Mike listen with varying reactions, Archie spouts out all manner of racist venom and ethnic misapprehensions -- only to be caught short when Lionel (Mike Evans) arrives with an added tidbit of information. Vincent Gardenia, who later joined the cast as Frank Lorenzo, here portrays the extremely nervous Bowman (Best line: "Uh-uh, they're Baptists!"). Written by Don Nicholl and Bryan Joseph, "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood" originally aired on March 2, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Edith Has Jury Duty
Just because All in the Family specialized in cutting-edge humor didn't mean that the producers were above using tried-and-true sitcom plot lines now and then. In this one, Edith Bunker serves on a jury -- and, of course, is the sole holdout when everyone else enters a "guilty" verdict. As a bonus, Archie airs his somewhat skewered opinions on capital punishment. Though basically a showcase for Jean Stapleton, this episode also draws excellent performances from the rest of the regular cast, as well as guest stars Hollis Irving (as Clara Weidemeyer) and Doris Singleton (as Mrs. Stonehurst). Scripted by Susan Harris, Don Nicholl, and Bryan Joseph from a story by Harris, "Edith Has Jury Duty" first aired on March 9, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Archie Is Worried About His Job
This episode offers a few clues as to what makes Archie Bunker "tick." Worried that he will be fired from his job, Arch spends a nervous evening seated at the telephone, while a steady stream of eccentric characters -- a nosy cop (Sandy Kenyon), a noisy drunk (Jack Perkins), and a confused neighbor (Hollis Irving) -- make a bad situation worse. The best scene finds Archie hauntingly recalling his father's reaction to sudden unemployment during the Depression. Burt Mustin, who later joined the cast as Justin Quigley, is here cast as an elderly guard. Scripted by Norman Lear, Don Nicholl, and Bryan Joseph from a story by William Bickley Jr., "Archie Is Worried About His Job" originally aired on March 16, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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All in the Family: The Complete First Season [3 Discs] DVD

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