Those Were The Days: All in The Family
“All in the Family” starring Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner focused on the divide between reactionary conservatism and modern liberalism.
Nervous about its controversial content, CBS included with a strongly-worded disclaimer before the first episode was broadcast, on Jan. 12, 1971 — 55 years ago Monday.
“All in the Family” would go on to become the most-watched series on U.S. television for five consecutive seasons.
Television's Most-Watched Show For Five Straight Years
Norman Lear read an article in Variety magazine about a British sitcom called “Til Death Us Do Part” that ran from 1965 to 1975, centering around a working class man with far right and racist views, struggling with his liberal daughter and her husband. The show was adapted for TV in Germany and the Netherlands. Lear was inspired to create an American version.
Lear bought the rights to the show and incorporated bits and insults he heard his own father use when he was younger. He called the show “Justice for All,” hired Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton to play Archie and Edith Justice and shot two pilot episodes with the intent of selling the new series to an extremely apprehensive ABC.
Lear’s first choice to play Archie was Mickey Rooney, but Rooney was shocked by the controversial dialogue and told Lear he felt the character was unAmerican. Tom Bosley, Jack Warden and Gavin McLeod were also considered. Meanwhile, CBS wanted to make the show as a vehicle for Jackie Gleason. Lear moved his pitch to ABC but kept O’Connor.
Part of the irony behind “All in the Family” is that O’Connor is very liberal — Reiner said that O’Connor was even more liberal than he was. As the years went on, O’Connor began rewriting Archie’s dialogue, clashing with Lear, holding out for more money and eventually, with his own production company, produced the spinoff series “Archie Bunker’s Place” and “Gloria.”
Tim McIntire and Kelly Jean Peters played Mike and Gloria in the first pilot for ABC. They were replaced by Chip Oliver and Candice Azzara for the second pilot. When the project moved to CBS, Richard Dreyfuss wanted the part of Mike and Penny Marshall was considered for Gloria. Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers got the parts.
Jean Stapleton chose “All in the Family” over another project offered to her, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” She would have played Mrs. Teevee. Edith’s screechy voice was a running gag throughout the show and especially in the opening credits. In fact, Stapleton was a professionally trained singer who had performed in Broadway musicals.
A number of other series were spun off of “All in the Family”: “Maude” in 1972, “The Jeffersons” in 1975, “Gloria” in 1982 and “704 Hauser” in 1994. Spinning off of those shows were “Good Times” from “Maude” in 1974 and “Checking In” from “The Jeffersons” in 1981. “Maude” and “Good Times” would last 6 seasons while “The Jeffersons” would run for 11 seasons.
Lear had planned to end the show with season 8, when Mike and Gloria move to California but O’Connor and CBS wanted another season. When “All in the Family” finally ended in 1979, the character of Archie bought his favorite neighborhood bar. A series built around that lasted for four more seasons. CBS canceled it in 1983, despite getting decent ratings.
'All in The Family' Rating and Emmy Awards
