Long before 1990s sitcoms made dysfunctional families fashionable, America had Edith and Archie Bunker. Every week as the war in Vietnam raged on, they could be counted on, seated at the piano, singing of the good old days as they welcomed America into their fractured-fairy-tale home for another episode of All in the Family.
Equal parts comedy and social commentary, All in the Family offered a televised mirror to a nation struggling to redefine itself in an increasingly complex world. The show shocked and seduced, arousing its audience as it continually reflected society in ways unprecedented and still unequaled.
Norman Lear, the show's creator, hosts this 20th anniversary best of the Bunkers, offering scenes from the finest and funniest episodes: Archie slinging ethnic slurs, Meathead Mike ranting on Richard Nixon, Edith and Archie confronting his impotency, and Edith learning of the lump in her breast. These and many more highlights remind how the show scandalously addressed topics taboo at the time, yet undeniably present in everyday life.
As the warning screen indicated when the show made its debut: The program you are about to see 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. Indeed. --Stephan Magcosta