ALL IN THE FAMILY

Created by Norman Lear, All in the Family broke television ground in its depiction of issues previously considered unsuitable for network television comedies including racism, homosexuality, rape, breast cancer, menopause and impotence.

The show centered on Archie Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor), a working-class, outspoken bigot who was dismissive of anyone not in agreement with his view of the world. His wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) was a sweet, understanding, if somewhat naive woman. They had one child, Gloria (Sally Struthers), who was married to college student Mike “Meathead” Stivic (Rob Reiner). For much of the series, the Stivics live in the Bunkers' home to save money. When Mike finally graduates college, the Stivics move to the house next door, offered to them by George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley), the Bunkers' former neighbor (George and his wife Louise would spin-off into their own show, The Jeffersons, in 1975).

The main plot points of the show revolved around Mike, who was part of the counterculture of the 1960s, and Archie’s clash between the two generations. The show was notorious for featuring language and epithets previously absent from television (i.e. "fag," "hebe,” and "spic")

The sitcom ran for on CBS from 1971 to 1979, ranking #1 the first five years and winning numerous Emmys, becoming the first of three sitcoms in which all the lead actors (O'Connor, Stapleton, Struthers, and Reiner) won Emmy Awards (the other two are The Golden Girls and Will & Grace). 2002’s TV Guide's “50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time” ranked the show as #4.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_in_the_Family

The cast of All in the Family. Carroll O'Connor as Archie on the right.

Each episode began with Archie and Edith singing "Those Were the Days," the show's theme song.

A famous episode of All in the Family, where Sammy Davis Jr. guest stars as himself. His famous "kiss" comes towards the end of the clip, around 9:30.