All in the Family

Few in Hollywood can claim to have a more constant, high-quality streak when it comes to creative dominance than writer/producer Norman Lear did in the 1970s. All in the Family, a version of the British sitcom 'Til Death Us Do Part that made its debut in 1971, was the first example of Lear's type of comedy, which aspired to produce gut-busting humor that would bring contentious but current social topics of race, sex, and class into the American living room.

Archie Bunker, the cantankerous, cynical, and blatantly racist working man who served as the series' main character was played by Carroll O'Connor and became one of television comedy's finest characters and a beacon for both liberals and conservatives (those on the right were convinced he was espousing their values, while those on the left viewed him as a caricature of old world sentiments). Every week, Archie's narrow viewpoint would be questioned by people like his counterculture-friendly son-in-law, leading to conversations that were both insightful and amusing. All in the Family is still regarded as one of the most influential and potent shows of all time, despite the fact that not every one of its more than 200 episodes was a hit. Today, much of the abundance of great television on display can be traced back to Lear’s insistence that the medium could be an instrument of social change, rather than simply the “vast wasteland” it has been dubbed.

Years: 1971-1979
Creator: Norman Lear
Stars: Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers, Rob Reiner, Danielle Brisebois
Network: CBS