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All in the Family: Season 04
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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 04
Still riding high as America's number one TV show, All in the Family glides effortlessly into its fourth season. Vincent Gardenia and Betty Garrett join the cast as, respectively, Frank and Irene Lorenzo, the Bunkers' new neighbors. Also making his first series appearance is nonagenarian character actor Burt Mustin as Justin Quigley, Edith Bunker's friend from a nearby nursing home. And in "Henry's Farewell," Sherman Hemsley is introduced in the role of George Jefferson, a character he would carry over into his own starring series in less than two years (later on, Zara Cully makes her inaugural appearance as George's supremely judgmental mother, Olivia, a character likewise revived on The Jeffersons). Highlight episodes this season include "The Games Bunkers Play," wherein Mike (Rob Reiner) is shown to be just as stubborn and disagreeable as Archie (Carroll O'Connor) -- maybe even more so; "Archie in the Cellar," an unbearably funny half-hour in which an inebriated Archie "meets his Lord," who turns out to be a black man; "Edith's Christmas Story," wherein Edith (Jean Stapleton) tries to hide the possibility that she may have breast cancer; "Gloria's Boyfriend," another lesson in humility for Archie when he underestimates the abilities of a mentally challenged man (played by Richard Masur); and "Mike's Graduation," in which Archie prematurely celebrates the likelihood that Mike will at last be moving out of the Bunker household. ~ All Movie Guide

Includes Episodes:
All in the Family: We're Having a Heat Wave
Season four of All in the Family commenced with an object lesson about -- what else? -- racial bigotry. Archie is up in arms over the notion of a Latino family moving into the neighborhood. In this, Archie finds himself with an unexpected ally: Henry Jefferson, his black neighbor from across the street, who is likewise averse to allowing "those people" to make their home on Houser Street. This episode served to introduce the Bunkers' new next-door neighbors, Irene and Frank Lorenzo, played by Betty Garrett (replacing Sada Thompson, who reportedly couldn't get along with series star Carroll O'Connor) and Vincent Gardenia. Written by Don Nicholl, "We're Having a Heat Wave" originally aired on September 15, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: We're Still Having a Heat Wave
Now that the Lorenzos have moved next door to the Bunkers, Archie has managed to come up with a whole new list of pet peeves. It especially vexes Archie that Irene and Frank Lorenzo don't seem to know their proper gender roles: Irene does the household repairs, while Frank does all the cooking -- and even sings in the kitchen. Even worse, at least as far as Archie is concerned, Irene bids fair to become Edith's new best friend. Written by Michael Ross and Bernie West, "We're Still Having a Heat Wave" first aired on September 22, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Edith Finds an Old Man
Burt Mustin makes his first series appearance in the role of feisty octogenarian Justin Quigley (a character that, at age 82, was seven years younger than Mustin!). Running away from a restrictive nursing home, Justin accepts Edith's invitation to temporarily move in with the Bunkers, which elicits the anticipated reaction from Archie. Ruth McDevitt likewise makes her first appearance as Justin's geriatric sweetheart, Josephine "Jo" Nelson. Scripted by Michael Ross and Bernie West from a story by Susan Harris, "Edith Finds an Old Man" was originally telecast on September 29, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Archie and the Kiss
Gloria brings home a miniature replica of Rodin's famous sculpture "The Kiss." The erotic nature of the sculpture does not rest well with Archie, who orders Gloria to take that "dirty thing" out of the house immediately. Want to bet that this sparks another Battle Royal in the Bunker household? Also worth watching is Edith's impromptu paean to the music of Henry Mancini. Written by John Rappaport, "Archie and the Kiss" first aired on October 6, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Archie the Gambler
Why is stingy, curmudgeonly old Archie coming home loaded down with expensive gifts and lavish compliments for Edith and Gloria? The answer: Archie has just struck it rich at the race track. The problem: Archie's gambling threatens to become compulsive -- and worse still, he begins posting heavy losses which he vainly tries to hide from Edith. Scripted by Michael Ross and Bernie West from a story by Steve Zacharias and Michael Leeson, "Archie the Gambler" originally aired on October 13, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Henry's Farewell
Archie is delighted to learn that his black neighbors, the Jeffersons, are planning to move. During a farewell party at the Bunker household, Archie finds himself deep in conversation with Henry Jefferson's contentious brother George Jefferson. Amazingly, the two men find they have a lot in common -- especially their mutual disdain for those outside their respective races. This episode came about due to Mel Stewart's departure from All in the Family to star in another sitcom, Roll Out; it also served to introduce Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson, who would likewise eventually headline a sitcom of his own (bet you can't guess the title...). Written by Don Nicholl, "Henry's Farewell" was first broadcast on October 20, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Archie and the Computer
Modern technology runs amok when a computer error enables Edith to collect a huge sum of money for a single prune-company promotional giveaway. Archie is delighted that Edith is the recipient of so much currency -- until another computer glitch declares that Archie is dead. The Bunkers' ensuing plunge into the world of bureaucracy and red tape is as hilariously frightening today as it was back in the pre-Personal Computer 1970s. Written by Michael Ross and Bernie West, "Archie and the Computer" originally aired on October 27, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: The Games Bunkers Play
While Archie is out of the house, the rest of the family joins Lionel and the Lorenzos in playing Mike's new "group therapy" board game, in which the players reveal their honest opinions about the other players. Alas, Mike doesn't like what he hears when time comes for the others to vent their feelings about him. It is up to Edith, displaying wisdom above and beyond her standard "Dingbat" status, to get Mike back on the right track. Though Carroll O'Connor is largely absent from the proceedings, his appearance at the tail end of the episode provides the evening's biggest laugh. Written by Michael Ross and Bernie West, "The Games Bunkers Play" first aired on November 3, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Edith's Conversion
Archie is uncomfortable with Edith's new friend, a peppery Catholic nun named Theresa (Phyllis Avery). When Edith begins attending mass -- mainly to hear the music -- Archie worries that his wife is planning to convert to Catholicism. In his usual roundabout manner, Arch holds next-door neighbor Irene Lorenzo for leading Edith "astray." Written by Ray Taylor and Don Nicholl, "Edith's Conversion" originally aired on November 10, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
All in the Family: Archie in the Cellar
This episode is essentially a solo tour de force for series star Carroll O'Connor. Left home alone while the rest of the family is out of town for the weekend, Archie manages to get himself locked in the cellar. Convinced that he will perish before he is discovered, Archie prepares to meet his Maker by fortifying himself with a bottle of vodka. The scene in which the besotted Mr. Bunker responds to a persistent rap on the cellar door with "I'm comin' Lord, I'm comin'!" -- and his reaction when he sees who's on the other side of the door -- may well be the series' single most hilarious moment. Written by Don Nicholl, "Archie in the Cellar" was first telecast on November 17, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

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