Features: DVD, Pan and Scan (TV Format), Aspect Ratio 1.33:1, Mono Audio
By the fourth season, Norman Lear's landmark series All In The Family was on its way to becoming an American institution. It consistently ranked number one in the ratings while at the same time breaking all of prime time TV's taboos. Archie Bunker's (Carroll O'Conner) shocking politically incorrect diatribes, marriage problems for Mike (Rob Reiner) and Gloria (Sally Struthers), a breast cancer scare for Edith (Jean Stapleton) all broke with sitcom conventions. In the fourth season, Archie was hilariously faced with two worthy new opponents: neighbor Irene Lorenzo (Betty Garrett), a staunch believer in women's rights, and loud-mouthed George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley), soon to star in the spin-off hit series "The Jeffersons." Rob Reiner won an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and the show was nominated for four other Emmy Awards for the fourth season.
Editor's Note
Breaking new ground in a TV-land that still bore a resemblance to the rose-tinted, apple-pie version of America that dominated screens in the 1950s and 60s, ALL IN THE FAMILY debuted in 1971 and proceeded to address its controversial issues with humor and a refreshing candor. Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) was the openly bigoted and rude patriarch, with conservative views and a stodgy outlook that placed him at odds with almost everyone he encountered. His slightly ditzy wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) was his foil, providing an open-minded and cheerful foundation for the family. Their daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) also lived in Bunkers' home in Queens, along with her liberal, scholarly husband Mike (Rob Reiner). The storylines broached topics prescient to the times, incorporating politics and racial issues by addressing the Vietnam War, economic injustice, and prejudice with an open humor, framing these topics in bold new ways. Other plots touched upon rape, death, women's issues, homosexuality, and even introduced a scatological humor to the small screen. In season four, a Mexican family moves into the neighborhood, much to Archie's chagrin, and Archie and Edith celebrate their 25th anniversary, rediscovering their love in the process. Edith also finds out that she may have breast cancer. Episodes include "Archie, the Gambler," "The Taxi Caper," "Lionel's Engagement," and "Gloria Sings the Blues."
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