And although he was crude in expressing his ultra-conservative views, O'Connor still managed to make Archie a decent guy who really did care about his family. During its run, such issues as abortion, women's liberation, Vietnam, rape, homosexuality and civil rights were addressed. Lear created the show based on the British comedy Till Death Us Do Part.

The set comes with a 40-page book with essays, a new interview with Norman Lear, documentaries about the show's creation and impact, and pilot episodes for spinoffs Gloria, Archie Bunker's Place and 704 Hauser. The series aired on CBS from 1971 to 1979. It includes two unaired pilots - And Justice for All and Those Were the Days - that were made in 19 for ABC, but were rejected. The 28-disc All in the Family: The Complete Series (1968-1979, Shout! Factory, not rated, $200) collects all 208 episodes of the groundbreaking show. In dealing with a wide range of controversial topics, it altered the perception of what was appropriate for TV, opened the door for a slew of other edgy sitcoms and kept its live studio audience in stitches, never needing a canned laugh track. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the first five years it was on the air. But he saved most of ire for his argumentative, radical college student son-in-law, Michael Stivic (Rob Reiner), whom he called 'Meathead,' unless he could think of something more insulting.Īmerica found humor in his often wrongheaded rants, and the show was No. He frequently called daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) 'little girl' even though she's grown with a mind of her own. His wife, Edith (Jean Stapleton), was as sweet as he was acerbic, and though he called her 'dingbat' she was kind, usually supportive and sometimes smarter than given credit for. His family was at ground zero for his vitriol and a source of conflict. He wore his prejudices on his sleeve (if you weren't white, Anglo-Saxon and Protestant, he had a problem) and he never minced words or slurs when it came to race, gender or politics. The world may have been awash in social change, but he was going to stand firm against the tide.

When Norman Lear's All in the Family premiered in 1971, TV sitcom dads tended to be absent-minded, apolitical sorts bemused by their families' shenanigans and gentle dramas.Īrchie (Carroll O'Connor) was none of that. Blustery bigot Archie Bunker fundamentally changed American television just sitting in his living room in Astoria, Queens.

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Carroll o'connor wife nancy today