There’s good news for sitcom fans: as of March 25th, Netflix is adding every episode of this beloved, classic sitcom. It broke ground and broke records, tackling stories that other series of the time wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole, bringing attention to issues that were genuinely affecting the people who made up its audience, and going where no sitcom had ever gone before. And while the sitcom genre has changed over the last few decades, this one remains the greatest of all time.
Everyone knows All in the Family, the sitcom starring the late, great Rob Reiner, as well as Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers, and Carroll O’Connor. The series, based on the British sitcom Till Death Do Us Part, centered on a man named Archie Bunker (O’Connor), who constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the time as the world changes rapidly around him. It’s a show that would never be aired today, yet remains surprisingly timely in the issues it addresses and highlights.
All in the Family Stands on a Tier of Its Own
No other series has tackled the issues within All in the Family in the same, head-on way. Audiences were faced with discussions and arguments centering on racism, sexism, elitism, class, homophobia, and reality as it truly was experienced by families in 1970’s America, not to mention tackling issues related to loss, grief, and mental health. While most sitcoms of the time had a sanitized air, portraying families as either comically dysfunctional or perfect, this one made no bones about the kind of people it was portraying—ones that felt relentlessly real. “The great thing about Archie is that his character actually develops as the seasons pass. A lot of his stereotypically racist beliefs are put to bed, and he grows as a person,” stated one viewer.
There was something inherently brave about the way All in the Family handled the issues that were rocking American families at the time, using both irreverent comedy and character-driven moments to highlight the changes necessary to grow not only as people, but as a country as a whole. One viewer says, “Hate thrives in the dark, and that show shone a spotlight on it, showing the absurdity and the dangers of racism. Episodes like when Archie finds out his friends are gong to burn a cross on Mike and Gloria’s yard. That show needed to be done in the 70s so that we could grow as a society.”
We’ll never see another sitcom like All in the Family again, but the good news is that in just a few weeks, fans will be able to binge all their favorite episodes again.
What’s your favorite episode of All in the Family? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.