In its day, All in the Family was truly a revolutionary sitcom. Created by Norman Lear, it broke new ground in network television and was the first sitcom to openly discuss subjects like racism, miscarriage, menopause, homosexuality, and breast cancer.
All in the Family revolves around a blue-collar household that’s owned by a bigoted working stiff, Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), and his sweet but dim-witted wife, Edith (Jean Stapleton). Living with them are their adult daughter, Gloria (Sally Struthers), and her liberal husband Michael Stivic (Rob Reiner). Recurring supporting characters are played by Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, Mike Evans, Mel Stewart, Betty Garrett, Vincent Gardenia, Danielle Brisebois, and Allan Melvin.
The show debuted on January 12, 1971 and CBS ran a disclaimer before it aired: “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.”
Struthers once said that the network was bracing for a barrage of angry phone calls but instead received lots of calls from people who wanted to see it return.
After eight seasons, Struthers and Reiner left the series. In season nine, Brisebois joined the cast as Edith’s young niece, Stephanie. Her mother had died and her father, Edith’s cousin Floyd, couldn’t take care of her properly so the Bunkers stepped in to raise her. The tone of the series had clearly changed.
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All in the Family ended more than 20 years ago, on March 25, 1979, but the characters continued on in a new series, Archie Bunker’s Place, in the Fall of 1979. The new sitcom focused more on Archie’s neighborhood bar. Stapleton appeared in some of the episodes and then asked to be written out of the show. After that, Edith was mentioned but not shown. In the second season opener, we learn that Edith has passed away from a stroke and Archie and Stephanie are left to continue on together.
Edith’s death is foreshadowed a bit in the series finale of All in the Family. In “Too Good Edith,” Archie calls on his wife to help cook the food for the St. Patrick’s Day celebration at his bar. Unknown to him, Edith has a bad case of phlebitis and has been told by her doctor to stay off her feet. She doesn’t want to disappoint her husband but finally it catches up with her and she can’t walk. The doctor chews out Archie and then feels badly that Edith hadn’t told him.
In the final few moments of the series, Archie visits Edith in bed. Though the characters would continue on, the last scene makes a sweet end to the series and shows the heart of a bigot like Archie Bunker. Take a look.
My favorite all time show. Too many one liners to remember. Watched when only three channels existed and they signed off at midnight. <
Huge fan then and now. It is great there are networks that will re-run the series but it is disappointing that they edit the episodes. They cut scenes to make room for commercial time. They fade certain references that are “politically incorrect”. In the 1970’s it was understood that the subject matter would be risque and CBS ran a disclaimer before it aired: “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… Read more »
Yep. But I believe it’s Sony’s intent to make you purchase the DVDs just to see the final episode. If Sony owns it, I doubt that you’re going to see it on YouTube without some kind of price. And then they get upset when people use bit torrent downloads.
Why do I remember seeing the actual episode where Archie finds Edith in bed, after she has passed away? And then I remember Gloria coming for the funeral. It’s a bit vague in my memory but I do remember seeing it. Where is that episode? It might have been on Archie Bunker’s Place but I’m not sure.
Sorry, but it doesn’t exist. We learn that Edith had died between the end of season one and the start of season two of Archie Bunker’s Place in November 1980. Archie remembers trying to wake her up but we don’t see it. Gloria and Joey didn’t return to visit Archie until February 1982 — on their way to start the Gloria spin-off.
I too remember Archie trying to wake Edith up and griping because she didnt wake him up for work before realyzing she was gone
Perhaps you’re remembering part of another episode or visualized it based on what Archie says. Stapleton wasn’t in the Archie Bunker’s Place episode where Edith died.
Perhaps you are wrong. I remember him finding Edith dead also.
SORRY Trevor, You’re mistaken. Archie leaned over and discovered Edith had gone on. Perhaps the episode has been lost.
Archie walks into his now empty bedroom and he looks at the bed where Edith passed. At first, he was angry that she had left him but then softens saying, “I was supposed to go first, Edith, it was supposedan to be me….. It was a very touching, poignant scene showing that Archie, in spite of his comments through the series… (Ding-bat) really did love Edith and was really heartbroken that she passed. The transition from All in the Family to Archie Bunkers Place was cute in tHenry but didn’t hold my attention as A I T F did. I… Read more »
Oddly enough as poor as my memory is becoming at my age, I clearly remember expecting the episode to be more revealing and was disappointed to find that it jumped to a month later when aired. Then I think, how morbid would I expect them to be? We love Edith Bunker, we’ll just morn with Archie and Stephanie. What I don’t remember is any mention of the phlebitis from the season finale of All In The Family tying into Edith’s stroke in Archie Bunkers Place. The actual episode mentions a heart attack, not a stroke. (unless this was lost in… Read more »
I distinctly remembered this episode also and have been searching high and low for it. It did exist and am posed that I can’t find it.
Episode from Archie Bunker’s Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agwAbMS7DA0
I really n truly feel that ALL IN THE FAMILY was indeed one of the very best shows on television…althou 4 some reason, I only loved seasons 6 thru 9.
I WATCHED ALL IN THE FAMILY WHEN IT CAME OUT AND WAS TURNED OFF BY YELLING THAN WHEN I UNDERSTOOD IT AND GOT THE HANG OF IT, SHE SHOW GREW ON ME. THE CHARACTERS WERE SO INTENSE AND BIG ENOUGH TO FILL THE WHOLE SCREAN WHICH THEY DID AT TIMES. UNDERNEATH ARCHIE WAS AFRAIDE TO SHOW HIS TRUE FEELINGS. EDITH WAS DEDICATED AND SHARP IN HER OWN WAY. MICHAEL AND GLORIA WERE FUNNY TOO. MANY OF FUNNY MOMONETS IN THIS SHOW AND NOW I SEE RERUNS ON ANTENNA TV AND I LAUGH EVEN HARDER.
…funny you mention being turned off by yelling.
I must admit like a lot of people while I was younger didn’t like all that “yelling.” Not until
recently that I understand the real underlining of Archie’s ways. He seemed abusive at
times but it was because he was “so insecure” about himself and I realized men were
taught to be the “bread winner” and was considered his last words meant he was the boss.
I now watch the reruns with a different perspective and thank God I don’t have someone that is that insecure in my life.
I recall not being able to watch the final season of the show because of news that Edith would. The show had that much of an impact on the American TV audience. You could not help but be fond of Archie. No matter how smug he was, Archie hid a heart of gold under his grumpy demeanor. His destruction of the English language was spot on. I’ll never forget Edith’s singing voice that could pierce a balloon. The show was such a brilliantly written situation comedy it spawned two other long running TV shows. Both “Maude” and “The Jeffersons” trace… Read more »
And Good Times sprang from Maude. Florida Evans was Maude’s housekeeper
We have just purchased seasons 5 and 6 on dvd – my son LOVES the show – he keeps on asking – “they were allowed to say that at that time?” – If the show still makes a teenager laugh over 20 years later, then it was one heck of a show..
I watch the first six seasons over and over on DVD, I never get tired of this wonderful show. I wish they would release the remaining seasons. Strangely enough, the first season of ‘Archie Bunker’s Place’ is on dvd, when the entire ‘All In The Family’ series has yet to make it to store shelves.
Unfortunately it is all about the margin. As sales slump, they will not continue producing. The first season of Archie Bunkers Place was discontinued due to poor sales. No other seasons would follow on DVD. A 2015 decision is to re-release season 1 on DVD (according to Wikipedia) so hopefully the rest of the series will follow. Season 2, episode 2, “Archie Alone” part 2, is owned by BBCA Sony and isn’t available in USA, for whatever reason. Hopefully it will be released on DVD.
Did this season ever get released I never saw it and am so interested in seeing this