All In The Family

Consider this concept on paper. A situation comedy show set in New York in the early 1970's. There is a middle-aged couple, with their young adult daughter and son-in-law. The father is a bigot, rallying against all kinds of various people in the world. He slams everyone that is not him. Mainly, he targets Blacks, Jews, Homosexuals, all kinds of Religions, Women, etc. He uses every cliche word of prejudice to describe why he hates them. The son-in-law [ whom he calls ''Meathead''] is an ardent liberal, championing all of the minorities that the bigot slams. He is backed up by a daughter who is torn between her loyalties between her husband and father, ultimately choosing the husband's side. The bigot's wife is a sweet-tempered person with little intelligence. All of these ingrediants are thrown into the pot of trying to wring laughs out of this show. When all the evidence is gathered, it would be a very tough show to embrace. And, yet, through its sheer audacity to not play by the rules, and to challenge its audience, it succeeds beyond anyone's expectations. It becomes a cultural signpost for its times. The writing, directing, and, above all else, the extraordinary acting of its emsemble create the finest comedy series in television history........ In January, 1971, CBS premiered this show. It was called ''All In The Family.'' The origin came from a British TV show in the 1960's called, ''Til Death Do Us Part.'' Both shows had the central character of a hard-hat, blue-collar, average Joe. In the American version, the character, Archie Bunker, was the central focus of every show. His views reflected the course on which way every episode would take its focus and stand. Television at that time in the early 70's was a vast landfill of silly sitcoms and no topical humor. The networks were terrified of anything controversial [ a stand that still remains today], so, a show that did not fit the norm was viewed with deep anxiety and suspicion. But, the times we were living in demanded that television make the move towards relevance. Movies were leading the way, now that the decades long shackles of censorship were lifted, and, therefore, previous taboo topics were now playing out on the big screen with refreshing regularity. Music had kicked open the door in the 1960's with the same sense of experimentation and subjects of real life, as had comedy scene in the underground clubs. Television, always the most conservative of mediums, was last in line coming to the party with a new approach. Many performers wanted to kick open that door and challenge the public right smack in their living rooms. It wasn't an ambush, because for the last decade, the public was being barraged with one crises after another. From Civil Right to the threat of Nuclear War to the bloody war in Vietnam, Americans were seeing the images on the news and living out the chaos in the streets. The country was being torn apart internally. All other entertainment fields were expressing the sentiment of the times. TV was quiet, with it sitcoms of genies and country humor. Producer Norman Lear changed that....... Norman Lear grew up in a bigoted household. His father, whom he loved, was the epitome of Archie Bunker. He slammed all minorities and religions. Lear, a liberal, was in the habit of challenging his father about his views. The arguments were loud. Both would not back down from their positions. And, the echoes of those arguments would become the spine of the relationship between Archie and his son-in-law, Mike ''Meathead'' Stivic. Norman Lear made his bones in network TV throughout the 1950's and 1960's, working his apprenticeship with comedy giants like Sid Caesar and Martin and Lewis. When his chance to do a show like he always wanted to came about in the late 60's, Lear hit a brick wall with all three networks. Nobody wanted to touch his type of show, with these characters that seemed so unlikable. Likability is very key in any network approving a show. They rightfully want the public to like the characters they are watching, so, the show will become popular and the money rolls in. ''All In The Family'' did not have those characters. The lead actor was calling his wife a ''dingbat'', telling her to ''stifle'', while he called his daughter ''little girl'' in an almost offensive way. And, then he had the ''Meathead'' as the mooch in the house refusing to quit that liberal school and to go out and get a job. Finally, after much tenacity, Lear succeeded and got his foot in the door with CBS for a committment of thirteen trial shows from the network. Such was the fear of the network that before the first episode there was a scrawl on the screen describing this new show and its desire to '' shed some light and call attention to life's prejudices.'' CBS was clearly trying to cover its ass for the onslaught of negative feedback from its viewers...... There was some negative feedback about the show after its January, 1971 premiere, but, not as much as the network had feared. ''All In The Family'' was not a ratings success at first, and, received mostly lukewarm reviews from the critics. The cast and crew were convinced that there was no way this show, with its subject matter, would survive those thirteen weeks. And, at first, as with any show, the first few episodes were very rough in form and content. Seeing the reruns now, you can see them trying to find a unifying them of family built around the topics they were addressing. The actors were trying to find their voice and backbone of their roles, which is why the acting was very helter-skelter. Finally, by the last episode, a chemistry had been found and the cast and creators were in sync. The problem was no one thought it would last........ Then, a miracle happened. They became the talk of the entertainment business. By the end of the 1970/71 TV season, when the Emmy Awards were announced, ''All In The Family'' received multiple nominations. The public, which had only heard about the show casually, now saw it honored by the TV academy. Jean Stapleton won for her portrayal of Edith. The rest of the show was shut-out, but, it received an invaluable amount of publicity. When the show was rerun in the summer of 1971, the public embraced it. Suddenly, this show that was a ticking time bomb because of its subject matter and hard-to-embrace characters, was the hottest, most-talked about show. ''All In The Family'' shot to Number 1 in the ratings [ which it would stay at for five seasons in a row ] and the actors and its creator, Norman Lear, were the new saviors of television......... The writing was the best on television. The directing was A Plus. From head to toe, the show was filled with quality. But, it was the acting, the marvelous synergy of this most talented cast, that was its heart and soul. Sally Struthers played Gloria, the ''little girl.'' She was a freshed-faced kid in her early 20's when she landed the role. She only made a mark briefly in the Jack Nicholson movie, '' Five Easy Pieces'' playing the floozy waitress Nicholson picks up. Rob Reiner was the son of Hollywood legend, Carl Reiner. Rob wanted to be a writer like his old man and thought acting was only a way to get his foot in the door until he gathered real power for his own projects. Jean Stapleton was a character actress who had been around Broadway and TV for over a decade, but, had not made a mark yet. She was respected and admired, but, mostly unknown when Lear gave her the part of Edith. And, Carroll O'Connor was very much like Stapleton in that he had bounced around show business for a long time with very little success. He was the third choice to play Archie, after Jackie Gleason and Mickey Rooney both turned the part down. While Rob and Sally turned in fine performances in their roles, it was the brilliant acting of Carroll and Jean that was the engine of the show. O'Connor took his character beyond the gruff and bitter man that was Archie and expanded him into area not planned by Lear. Archie became like your relative or friend who was essentially a good person who had views that you put up with. I don't think Archie Bunker ever became beloved by the public, but, he became accepted and you understood his battles in life. Archie would never burn a cross on a person's home and would never bring harm to anyone. He just wanted to be left alone away from a world that was changing from his experiences and comfort level. The dark secret of why Archie Bunker and the show were so popular is the fact that a sizable part of the population---- and all ethnic groups watching--- secretly agreed with Archie and his views. That was what the actors and the show's creator believed was the real reason why the show was such a success [ that, and, it was a funny show ]. And, all of this can be traced directly to the brilliant acting of Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton. She made Edith a multi- versatile woman. She was simple, yes, but, also had an inner wisdom and common sense that set her apart. Edith loved her Archie, faults and all. And, Archie, for all of his running off at the mouth, loved his wife and daughter, and, also his son-in-law. Beneath all of the sharp edged social commentary and hard laughs was a strong affection for the characters for one another. The actors brought this out. Love through the sometimes bitter fighting among people you love the most. Just like a family........ The show addressed topics that the viewers knew only too well. Bigotry. Alienation. The Battle Of The Sexes. Rape. Political divide. Racial divide.Harassment. Abandonment. All were thrown together week after week into a comedy show. I ask you again: with the mixture that this show is on paper, would you believe this could be a comedy? In prime time? Embraced by the public so fiercely?..... It was. Strongly. Listen to the laughs of the TV audience in the studio during a taping. This was back in the days when comedy shows had AN ACTUAL AUDIENCE in the studio with them. The laughter from '' All In The Family'' was from the gut. There was no ''sweetening'' of the laughter as most shows do, like ''Seinfeld'' and ''Friends'' always did. Their audience reaction was enhanced in the editing room. Not ''All In The Family''. The laughter was roaring and real. It has been said that the longest laugh from an audience in TV history is from the episode on ''All In The Family'' where Sammy Davis Jr kissed Archie on the cheek. The editors had to edit the laugh down to a mere thirty seconds for the broadcast from its original five minute duration. Honest laughter from real people because of a real situation. Doesn't happen anymore......... The show ran from 1971 to 1979. It went out on its own accord and rules as it had during its run. In 1978, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers left and the show went on for another year, and, even went on as ''Archie Bunker's Place'' for several years with Carroll O'Connor as its sole survivor from the original show. But, ''All In The Family'' truly ended when Reiner and Struthers left in 78. The goodbye episode--- where Mike and Gloria move to California and Archie and Edith are devastated--- is a piece of acting Hall Of Fame. The emotions in the studio ran very high as these great characters and actors said goodbye to each other. Again, listen to the studio audience for this show. You can hear actual crying from the audience going on. The most poignant moments are between Archie and Mike. Their long-buried love for each other is finally brought to the surface. If you can watch this episode and not tear up, then the show was never really for you. The show ends with Archie and Edith sitting quietly in their chairs after Mike and Gloria are gone. They stare out sadly, as the camera slowly pulls back. The characters are remembering the fights, and above all else, the love that only a family can have for each other. The show fades to black and the audience claps. But, for once, the applause is intrusive. The show which came in with such a bang should quietly fade away with the memories of moments, very special moments. This show has earned its tears and fond memories........ The show will forever leave its mark on television. This show was the  longest of long-shots that created moments unparalled in popular entertainment. A show like this would never make it on network TV today [ maybe, on cable] because all of TV is safe now. Characters cannot grow anymore. Every show has to have a fast-paced formula. Quiet moments of reflection and calm are not allowed anymore. Acting and writing quality is almost non-existant. But, there was a time when it reigned supreme. And, ''All In The Family'' is the finest example...... Those were the days......