“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.”
This was the disclaimer CBS aired before the very first episode of All in the Family. The Norman Lear creation didn’t just push the envelope; it sealed and stamped it. Week after week, viewers tuned in to watch stories about previously taboo topics, such as menopause, rape, homosexuality, and race relations. Here’s a look at the groundbreaking show and some fascinating behind-the-scenes tidbits.
1. The Show Was Based on a British Sitcom
Norman Lear bought the rights to Till Death Us Do Part in the late 1960s after reading about the BBC series in Variety. Alf Garnett (Warren Mitchell) was a working-class conservative in London’s East End with his wife, daughter, and liberal son-in-law. Alf had strong opinions on everything and was vocal in his dislike of anyone different from him.
2. Archie Bunker Was Originally Archie Justice
Lear believed the BBC show’s setup could be mined for humor for American audiences. His original pilot script, Justice for All, starred Carroll O’Connor as Archie Justice and Jean Stapleton as his wife, Edith. Kelly Jean Peters and Tim McIntire played Gloria and Richard (Meathead’s original name). After ABC passed on the show due to the lack of chemistry between Archie and Edith, Lear recast the roles, renamed the show Those Were the Days, but ABC still wasn’t interested.
3. CBS’s “Rural Purge” Helped All in the Family Get on the Air
In 1969, CBS president Robert Wood canceled several long-running “rural” shows, like Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies, to attract a younger demographic. Norman Lear’s revamped pilot—now called All in the Family—was considered relevant enough and premiered in 1971 as a summer replacement series.
4. Much of Archie Bunker Was Based on Norman Lear’s Father
Lear’s father frequently called him “Meathead” and his wife a “Dingbat.” He even had a living room chair reserved for his use only. The constant shouting in Lear’s shows mirrored the loud conversations of his family.
5. Mickey Rooney Turned Down the Role of Archie
Norman Lear only got as far as describing Archie as “a bigot who uses words like ‘spade’” before Mickey Rooney interrupted him, predicting that the character would get him killed. Carroll O’Connor, however, landed the part quickly but was skeptical of the show’s success.
6. The Future Mrs. Reiner Almost Played Mrs. Stivic
Rob Reiner’s girlfriend, Penny Marshall, was a finalist for the role of Gloria. Although Marshall gave a better reading, Lear felt Struthers’ look fit the “Daddy’s Little Girl” role better.
7. CBS Wanted “Edgy,” But Within Reason
CBS Program Practices department requested that homosexual terminology be minimized. Lear ignored these requests, as evidenced by the episode “Judging Books by Covers,” where a surprising twist reveals a football player friend of Archie’s is gay.
8. The Expected Viewer Backlash Never Materialized
CBS braced for outrage the night All in the Family premiered, hiring extra operators to handle the expected calls. Surprisingly, only a few viewers were offended enough to call. Instead, Archie Bunker became a cultural phenomenon, with “Archie Bunker for President” bumper stickers and The Wit and Wisdom of Archie Bunker becoming a bestseller.
9. The Theme Song Caused Confusion
Viewers had trouble understanding “Gee, our old LaSalle ran great” in the opening theme song. O’Connor and Stapleton re-recorded it more clearly for the third season.
10. Carroll O’Connor Wrote the Lyrics for the Closing Theme
Roger Kellaway wrote the instrumental “Remembering You” for the closing credits. O’Connor wrote lyrics for it and received a co-writing credit and royalties. He performed the song on The Flip Wilson Show.
11. Four Archie-less Episodes Were Filmed During a Salary Dispute
O’Connor held out for higher pay and more vacation time in 1974. Lear responded by filming Archie-less episodes and hinting that Archie could be killed off if the dispute continued. James Cromwell’s character, Stretch Cunningham, would have taken his place.
12. Sally Struthers Also Had Contract Issues
Struthers wanted to star in The Day of the Locust but was denied time off. She took Tandem Productions to court, resulting in her absence from two episodes until the dispute was settled.
13. The Show Featured Full Frontal Male Nudity
In 1976, All in the Family showed full frontal male nudity for the first time on American network TV. The scene involved baby Joey Stivic, filmed tastefully and relevant to the plot. Ideal later released an anatomically correct Joey Stivic doll.
14. The Famous “Sock and Shoe” Debate Was Real
The debate about whether to put on socks or shoes first was based on a real-life incident between Reiner and O’Connor. It was included in the episode “Gloria Sings the Blues.”
15. Sammy Davis Jr. Caused the Longest Laugh Recorded on the Series
Davis, a fan of the show, guest-starred in “Sammy’s Visit.” The kiss at the end, suggested by O’Connor, resulted in the longest and loudest laugh in the show’s history.
16. Edith Did Not Die on the Show
Contrary to popular belief, Edith’s death was depicted in the second season of Archie Bunker’s Place, not All in the Family. The scene where Archie mourns her is one of the most emotional moments in television history.
All in the Family was a revolutionary show that tackled serious issues with humor and honesty, leaving an indelible mark on television history.