Reviews (11)

Unsung masterpiece of film comedy
It's a shame more people don't remember this film. Made in 1971, it hasn't aged one bit. It remains a devastating (and gut-bustingly funny) commentary on addiction, greed, and industry. How can you go wrong with a script by Larry Gelbart (writer of several classic "M*A*S*H" episodes), direction by Norman Lear (who brought us "All in the Family," "Maude," "The Jeffersons," etc.), and a cast of comic geniuses like Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart, Edwrad Everett Horton, Jean Stapelton (Edith Bunker on "All in the Family"), Vincent Gardenia, Tom Poston ("Newhart"), and Bob & Ray? You can't. Throw in a score which features some of Randy Newman's best songs from his album "Sail Away," and you have one of the great film comedies.

Cold Turkey
this movie shows that not all older movies, especially comedies, are corny. This movie is still one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Tom Postin and Barnard Hughes are hiliarious. Getting to see it commercial free and hearing all of Randy Newmans songs without the station talking over it was a big plus. You rarely get to see this movie on cable and I was so glad to find it on amazon. Wonderful to have in my collection. It's in my list of top 10 comedies.

A classic for your collection
Saw this movie when it first came out and my wife and I have been looking for a copy of it for years - this film deserves to be distributed in DVD format. Vintage humor. Will be the first on our block to purchase it when its offered.

Memories
I was an extra in this movie (age 10). My grandfathers farm is in the background in the opening scene (dog watering the sign). The barbershop belonged to my uncle. Lots of memories!!!

A forgotten satire on the tobacco industry from Norman Lear
lucky seven for those of us who fondly recall this underappreciated satire. Keep in mind that it was only in 1966 that Congress first required ciagarette manufactureres to place specific warning labels on cigarette packs and that the last cigarette commercial (for Virginia Slims) was broadcast on "The Tonight Show" at one minute to midnight on January 1, 1971. While there were those who were worried that the lost of ad revenue would destroy network television (which seemed like a good idea at the time), the larger question was how cigarette companies would seek to market their product.

In "Cold Turkey" the idea is advanced by Merwin Wren (Bob Newhart), an advertising executive who convinces the Valiant Tobacco Company to offer $25 million to any town that can stop smoking for thirty days. The idea is that the offer will generate free publicity but that no town in American would ever be able to successfully go cold turkey. But the 4,006 heavy smokers of Eagle Rock, Iowa take up the challenge, led by the thought of all that money and the persuasive efforts of The Reverend Clayton Brooks (Dick Van Dyke), of the Eagle Rock Community Church. The town had been trying to woo back the military, hoping the return of the military industrial complex would help the local cash flow, but that has not panned out.

This film, co-written and directed by Norman Lear, on the cusp of remaking television with "All in the Family," falls into three acts. In the first Reverend Brooks convinces the townspeople to take the pledge, while in the second the members of the community deal with not being able to smoke any more (substituting sex seemed like such a good idea at the time). The climax of the film comes as it looks like Eagle Rock might actually be able to do it and Merwin Wren has to pull out all the stops to make sure that does not happen. There are plenty of laughs and while you have to feel "Cold Turkey" falls short of its true satirical potential, it is still worthy tracking down and checking out.

In many ways "Cold Turkey" is the impoverished cousin of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," with a host of familiar faces such as Tom Poston, Vincent Gardenia, Jean Stapleton, Barnard Hughes, Graham Jarvis, and Edward Everett Horton. The comedy team of Bob (Elliott) and Ray (Goulding) appear in multiple roles of "familiar" Names. Bob is Hugh Upson, David Chetley, and Sandy Van Andy, while Ray plays Walter Chronic, Paul Hardly, and Arthur Lordly (think about it for a while and if you are my age you should get most of those). Add to the mix Randy Newman's first film score, which opens with his song "He Gives Us all His Love."

What brought this movie back to mind was the decision of Hollywood to change the case at the heart of John Grisham's novel "Runaway Jury" from a tobacco case to a gun case. The reasoning was that Hollywood had already done a "cigarette" more with "The Insider," and, as we all know, Hollywood never repeats an idea and companies only pay to have products placed in movies not to have them not placed in movies. However, even a faithful adaptation of Grisham's novel would not be as brutal an indictment of the tobacco industry as "Cold Turkey." For that matter it has a pretty cynical take on small town Americana as well. Of course, in the end the joke is on the people of Eagle Rock, and, by extension, the rest of us. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Some of the best moments of a landmark series
"All in the Family" has been reviewed, re-reviewed, analyzed and re-analyzed till little anything original is left. Who cares? This series was a true revolutionary for its time and had the gonads enough to tackle real-life social issues and problems in real-life fashion, something that comedies then didn't do. This video, a compilation of highlights from the series, comes no where near capturing ALL the highlights of the program: you'd have to get cassettes of literally every episode to savor all those other highlights for which not enough time exists in this compilation. We do get the treat of some classics, like the historic kiss Sammy Davis Jr. plants on Archie while a camera captures it, "Meathhead" Michael's frustrating rantings to Archie about "Tricky Dick" and a then-bold episode where "Dingbat" Edith finds a lump in her breast. But some of the other highlights you won't see here are those showing Edith's evolution from passive to formidable wife, and her standing up with a strength the comes from unflappable conviction of her beliefs. We miss the powerfully devastating show where Edith escapes a sexual assault by decking her victimizer with her own birthday cake, nor do we see (or are we likely to as long as Norman Lear has his way) Archie's heartbreaking acceptance of his wife's death. Still, this compilation is a dandy and gives us just enough of an appetite to ask for more. In that respect, the late Carroll O'Connor, who pumped an amazing life into the character of Archie Bunker, and a cast of stellar other performers, has left us with an indelible and priceless legacy.

Innovative, creative, topical and a one of a kind milestone!
In a television world sadly beset with mediocre programs aplenty, violence, endless, insipid talk shows and total insipidness, "All In The Family" dared to tackle sensitive issues with outstanding results. In a time when "its just talked about in polite company," it dared to be nonPC (Politically Correct). Not only did it stimulate endless debates and converations, but provided vehicles for spinoffs. Today in an climate of "eggshell"non-controversial world of television/movies, other media, in an effort not to offend, PC has watered down controversy to pablum. Save the insipid, sensationalized, endless parade of talk shows and expose shows, nothing is ventured. What a shame that this program cannot be resurected and hold again a mirror to American society.

Great synopsis of the series as a whole
This video has loads of scenes from many different episodes of All in the Family; with emphasis on everything from Archie's prejudice to Edith's ever-present kindheartedness and innocence to Meathead's liberalism and Gloria's squeaky voice, with Norman Lear, the castmembers, and some fans/naysayers of the show interspersed in between. This trip down Memory Lane is well worth the money! The only thing that is not in the video is any appearance or mention of the little girl named "Stephanie" played by Danielle Brisbois. "Joey" does make a few appearances; when Archie "baptizes" him and when Gloria and Mike decide to "move out West" with Joey in tow and say their tearful goodbyes.

All in the Family 20th Anniversary Special
Whatever I try to write about this show will not credit everyone involved enough to do the show justice but I will do my best. Everytime I see the repeated episodes on Nick at Nite I can remember watching those same repeated shows with my parents in the 80's when I was just a kid. The nostalgic feeling I get is unlike anything I have experienced watching television. The show strikes a nerve in all of us that can't occur watching any other TV program or movie in my opinion. Archie was brilliantly created by Norman Lear and directed as perfectly by Hal Cooper. Jean Stapleton may be one of the best actresses in entertainment history. Her ability to play a character like Edith had to take all her strength and talents because it was done perfectly. Rob Reiner's and Sally Struthers' characters will never be duplicated by any TV couple now and forever. The show's stories were the most powerful messages any sitcom has achieved and will never be achieved again. The rape episode when Edith overcame the situation could have won an emmy on its own for best actress. Another example of this with regard to Edith is when she stood up to Archie about her working at the senior citizen's center. Archie could have won emmies on single episodes many times over. The two we can never forget and must never ever forget is the Christmas episode with Mike's friend who was a draft dodger sharing the dinner table with not only Archie in Archie's house but Archie's friend who lost his son in the war. The performance put forth by Archie in this episode will never be duplicated by any actor in a sitcom again. The other stand out performance has to be the emotional roller-coaster we are put through when we find out Edith has passed on and see Archie express his sadness like no other actor will do more perfectly again on any tv show for the rest of eternity. Their are countless episodes that will never be recreated again. It is not because they are dated like I've seen some comments reflect it is because no one can perform at such a high level like the entire cast and crew did on this show for years. They made us laugh, cry, think, hope, question, philosophize, regret, love, hate, sympathize, and much much more. Most of all they left a mark on our lives like very few people in their position will ever do again throughout the course of our life while we and the entire population of the world are alive on this planet. In closing all I can say is: "THOSE WERE THE DAYS."

Bunkers' Best Begets Buyer's Bravos!
How could this not be a great video? It depicts the greatest moments of the greatest comedy of all times. The range of emotions it elicits is incredible. All in the Family was the most innovative and contriversial television program in history, and the reasons for this are shown clearly in this video. Even today, in this supposedly enlightened age, the language and subject matter walk the tightrope of social acceptability. And, best of all, this all took place in Queens- the home of the Amazin' Mets! ... Read more

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In the Family Way collects three episodes from the groundbreaking All in the Family show. The first, "Gloria's Pregnancy," centers around the Bunkers' daughter's miscarriage. The way the show dealt with topics such as these is what put it way ahead of its competition in the 1970s. What's truly amazing, however, is the way an episode like this holds up decades later. Comforting his daughter, O'Connor lets the purest of hearts shine through the often prickly-as-a-porcupine Archie, the character himself becoming a symbol of what the show was trying to communicate: the bittersweet complexity of living.

In "The First and Last Supper," Archie tries to escape from dining with his neighborhood's newest residents, the Jeffersons, and stoops so low as to fabricate a story about Edith twisting her ankle. When his plan falls apart, he's forced to swallow not only dinner but some disturbing food for thought--he might not be the only one harboring some racist tendencies. The episode also treats one to a classic Bunker take on evolution: "We didn't crawl out from under no rocks, we didn't have no tails, and we didn't come from monkeys, you atheistic, pinko meathead."

Closing out the collection, "The Bunkers and the Swingers" features Rue McClanahan and Vincent Gardenia as a hot-to-trot couple whom Edith invites to the house after completely missing the point of the wife-swapping ad they've placed in the back of a magazine. It's a particularly affecting episode in the way it highlights Edith's innocence ("It sounded like they needed us") and Archie's hilariously cordoned-off worldview, in which anything the least bit alien is automatically "Communism." --Bob Michaels ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Archie's world gets turned upside down three times
I remember "Gloria's Pregnancy" (Episode #6 February 16, 1971) as the first episode of a situation comedy ever to make me cry (I wasn't old enough to get the emotions of "Lucy is Enciente" when I watched it as a kid). Even though it was only the sixth episode of "All in the Family," the character of Archie Bunker was already so fully formed that when he visits Gloria after she suffers a miscarriage, the first crack in his gruff facade was a tender moment. This episode was originally entitled, "Gloria Has a Belly Full." "The First and Last Supper" (#13 April 6, 1971) finds the Bunkers visiting the Jeffersons for dinner, where Archie discovers he might not be the most bigoted person in the neighborhood. Finally, "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (#44 October 28, 1972) features guest stars Rue McClanahan and Vincent Gardenia as a couple who come over to the house when Edith innocently answers an ad for "swingers," not knowing that their visitors have come for a night of wife-swapping. Now that you know what three episodes are included in this volume, you have to admit the title "In the Family Way" is meant somewhat ironically. The one common thread of these three episodes seems to be that Archie finds the tables turned on him in three decidedly different ways.

Archie Is The Best.
This Show Was Very Funny. Archie Made Us All Laugh When He Talk About President Nixon. Archie Goes With Edith To Her Cousin Maude's House For Carol's Wedding Shower. Maude Who Created Her Very Own TV Show By The Same Name, Slams The Door On Archie. Buy This Tape ... Read more

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While the residents of 704 Hauser Street offered plenty of opportunities for Archie to, well, show what a jerk he could be, it occasionally took an outsider to make that special brand of Bunker idiocy really shine. Enter Sammy Davis Jr. in "Sammy's Visit," this collection's first of three episodes. When Sammy agrees to pick up the briefcase he left in Archie's cab, Archie is beside himself with excitement, commanding Edith to open up a fresh box of Twinkies. "It's a kind of Wasp soul food," Meathead explains to Sammy. Of course, Archie can't leave the evening unmarred for long: "Bein' colored... I know you had no choice in that. But whatever made ya turn Jew?" Sammy rises above it all in the end, though, with a kiss smack-dab on the cheek and a zinger that flies way over Archie's head: "I can honestly say, having spent these moments with you, you ain't no better than nobody." In "Maude," staged largely on the set of Bea Arthur's eventual spinoff, Edith and Archie arrive to attend a wedding that never quite gets off the ground. The Bunkers are still in town long enough for Archie to get into it not only with Maude but also her daughter, a kind of Meathead minus the Y-chromosome. Finally, in "The Very Moving Day," news of Gloria's pregnancy is the cause of an actual tender moment between Archie and Mike.It also paves the way for a whole new genre of pregnancy-hysteria-induced Bunkerisms: "Don't run! You'll fall off your shoes and wake the baby up!" --Bob Michaels ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Those Were The Days
A few weekends ago, I found myself runningy my own mini-ALL IN THE FAMILY marathon. It was, I was telling myself, "good nostalgia," one with a social conscience as it were. Then a friend called while on a break from watching the 16 hour Holocaust documentary SHOAH. Well, that was kind of humbling, and if it didn't quite shoot my "socially conscious" argument totally out of the water, it did remind me that what I was really up for that Saturday night was a little entertainment. If it just happened to be entertainment with a message, well, that was OK too. There are times when a spoonful of yucks makes the medicine go down.

It's hard to remember how revolutionary AITF was in its day. Back then, even the sound of a toilet flushing on a network TV series seemed pretty bold--let alone the airing of a (patently benighted) character's bigoted views and fairly candid talk about matters sexual, societal, and political. But by 1971, the world really was ready for something a little grittier than Ozzie and Harriet. Shows like LAUGH IN and THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS had already pushed the envelope significantly, but AITF cracked open the tight-buttoned world of sitcoms. And network TV hasn't been the same since.

The episodes on this particular VHS are a sampling of some of the best, all, I believe, from the second season when the show had pretty much found its footing. The Sammy Davis episode seemed particularly risky, however. Davis was known to jump on almost any trend (from LAUGH IN to Nehru jackets), and there seemed no plausible way to write him into a script about a blue collar family from Queens. The set-up (Archie's moonlighting as a cabbie, and Sammy accidentally leaves his briefcase in his taxi and comes to Hauser St. to retrieve it) is kind of rickety, but once they hook up, Davis and Carroll O'Connor play off each other brilliantly. Others have cited some of the punchlines, so I won't belabor those. It's more about the sly looks and asides anyway. About the only weakness in the episode is the would-be Greek chorus of Mike, Gloria and Lionel on the couch. Their snide little song and dance act seems kind of embarrassing now.

The VHS also contains what must have been the pilot for MAUDE, with Archie and Bea Arthur squaring off in this one (and with Carol played by an actress other than Adrienne Barbeau). Maude was touted at the time as being something of the anti-Archie, the comic knee-jerk liberal to Archie's comic bigot. Both were comically flawed, and on some level,kind of endearing. Some might say the often strident Maude was in fact, less endearing than Archie. In fact, by the second season, Archie's humanity was allowed to blossom significantly. The inclusion of the "Gloria's Pregnancy" episode on this VHS reminds us that Archie had a tender side, especially when it came to his family. That "old softie" side of his personality, though, was just enough there to show Archie as human. Some complained at the time that making Archie Bunker too endearing excused his bigotry. Nothing of the kind. We've all known a few lovable bigots in our lives. Only in extreme cases do you cancel them out of your life. You cajole, you wheedle, and you try to get them to see a different perspective . Sometimes you even have a breakthrough. It happens. When it happened on AITF, it was a little ray of hope for us all.

The heart of '70s comedy
I missed much of the enjoyment of "All In The Family" during the 70's because I just wasn't tuned in to that kind of comedy. But now, 30 years later, I see Archie Bunker as the classic flawed comic protagonist.

Each of these three episodes stands alone as an outstanding episode, but the one with Sammy Davis, Jr. is truly comedy at it's greatest. Such moments as Archie's look at the glass shared by everyone including Sammy; Sammy's kiss on Archie's cheek; the contrast between Sammy's good guy celebrity image and his private reactions; all make this one of the top episodes of the series and of sitcoms in general.

In another vein is the "Maude" episode which is obviously a lead-in to her own eventual series...this one gives a good preview of what to expect from the new series, combining sarcastic humor with more serious coping with her daughter's suddenly cancelled marriage, and of course a few exchanges with Archie.

And the third one does bring out the fact that even Archie Bunker can sometimes show a little tenderness, especially upon learning that he's to be a grandfather.

If you have any liking for this series, this definitely is one of the collections to get.

Sammy Davis, Jr. visits Archie Bunker, who visits Maude
One of the most memorable episodes of "All in the Family" was the appearance of Sammy Davis, Jr. in "Sammy's Visit" (#34 February 19 1972). Archie is making a little extra money driving a cab and when the entertainer leaves his briefcase behind he makes a unforgettable visit to 704 Hauser Street, lovingly preserved in a photograph. "Maude" (#37 March 11, 1972) finds Archie and Edith visiting her cousin Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur). The occasion is the wedding of Maude's daughter, but this is really the test pilot for the "Maude" spin-off that started on CBS in 1972. Finally, in "The Very Moving Day" (#111 September 8, 1975), Gloria's announcement that she is pregnant drives Mike and Archie to new heights of male ineptitude. Another set of classic episodes from one of the most significant television series in history, Sammy kissing Archie alone makes this a worthwhile one to have, especially now that both Davis and Carroll O'Connor have passed on.

Worth It for the Nostalgia!!
This one's well worth it, as you'll feel yourself transported back to the early 70's with mirth and wit! Tell me, somebody: Which tape features the episode with the broken refrigerator? This would be the episode in which 3 different versions of the "refrigerator repair" story are recounted. Unfortunately, the advertisers neglect to specify WHICH episodes are on some of the videos offered here...e-mail me at niibru@yahoo.com!

This Is A Classic.
All In The Family Is One Of The Best Shows Ever. This Cassatte Includes Sammy Davis JR's Visit To The Bunker House, One Of The Show's Spinoffs "Maude", And Gloria's Pregnantcy. Edith And Archie Are So Sweet And Charming. They Can Make You Laugh. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Feeling nostalgic? The three-episode collection Those Were the Days takes a misty-eyed stroll down memory lane, Bunker style. Misty-eyed? Archie? Sure. For such a blustery, abrasive jerk, even Archie could sometimes become an old softie. But not always. When Mike and Gloria leave the house for an entire week, Edith begins to have concerns about "Archie and Edith Alone." She gets a typically sensitive reply: "Edith, where do you get this crapola?" In "Second Honeymoon," Archie gets a little more in the mood to reminisce, once he's convinced to give up a basketball game ticket and is given some free champagne ("New York champagne... That's a funny label. They don't grow no raisins in New York"). Closing out the collection is "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Wig," featuring a truly hilarious fight between Mike and Gloria about what turns Mike on: his wife or her wig. If only they'd both listen to Edith's wisdom: "The nice thing about washin' a wig is that when you sit under the dryer, you don't have to be there!" --Bob Michaels ... Read more

Reviews (5)

30 Years On...Archie & Edith still wear well
When I spent a recent Saturday night watching this VHS, I was almost certain that by this point in time ALL IN THE FAMILY would likely prove a little dated. Well, there's no denying that the show was definitely "of its era"--it's very 70s, as Mike and Gloria's attire and lingo attest. But at its best, AITF hit on timeless themes of love, family, and yes, on a grander scale, generational conflict and social justice.

The three episodes included on this particular VHS focus on the former concerns, however, and therefore number among the warmest and most human entries in the series. The common theme they share is love and marriage and their attendant problems. What the Bunkers and the Stivics have there is usually a failure to communicate, and while that may not be so surprising for the gruff and malaprop-prone Archie and the truly sweet but admittedly (delightfully) dingbatty Edith, the fact that the young, "liberated" Stivics miscommunicate so royally on the classic "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Wig" suggests that it will be ever thus.

At the time of its run, one of the criticisms of the series was that it made bigots like Archie kind of likeable, if not downright loveable. I always found such critiques a little tiresome. Archie's prejudices were always either actively challenged by those around him (Mike, Gloria, Lionel) or contrasted against the better example provided in Edith's innocent openheartness and good will toward all. The fact that Archie had his endearing human traits, alongside his appalling biases, only served to prove that he was human, not a monster. There was always hope for Archie, hope that he would learn at least a few small life lessons along the way.

In at least two of these episodes, he learns something about how to begin to demonstrate his love for his wife. For him, that was no small lesson.

Archie & Edith shows Mike & Gloria how to be a happy couple
There is obviously a common theme to these three episodes from "All in the Family," which is how to keep the romance alive in your marriage. Not that you would really want to try any of this at home. In "Archie and Edith Alone" (Episode #32, February 5, 1972), is the one absolute classic on this tape. Mike and Gloria go off to a commune for a week leaving Archie and Edith alone with each other for eight days. Of course, with the kids gone they have no idea what to do with each other. Eventually Archie provokes a stupid fight, but after there is a wonderful moment when they talk about all the dreams they have lost and realize how important their marriage is to them both. When Mike and Gloria return, they find Archie and Edith dancing to "Moonlight Serenade."

"Second Honeymoon" (Episode #73, December 1, 1973), actually suffers in comparison. Archie has tickets for a basketball game but Edith has made surprise arrangements for a second honeymoon in Atlantic City. Archie does not want to go but Edith puts her foot down, to the surprise of her husband. Eventually Archie gets in the mood and the closing scene is certainly touching, which is not exactly the word to describe the third episode on this tape. In "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Wig" (Episode #72, November 24, 1973), Gloria makes the mistake of wearing a cheap wig during sex as a joke. Then Michael makes an even bigger mistake, asking Gloria to put the wig on again. Obviously, the Stivics need to listen to the Bunkers a lot more on the subject of stoking the fires of the heart.

Video picture quality is NOT good -ruins the viewing
I agree with the other reviewer. The picture quality is grainy and poor for such a good sitcom. You would think the licencers would have done a better job for the grant to reproduce the show but the picture quality just plain sucks. Only buy it if grainy poor quality is not as important to you. The other similiar made videos of All in the Family are the same type quality I imagine as the other few tapes of the show I bought are. Licensors-you should be ashamed of yourself for allowing reproduction like this quality.

Be Warned
This video is in EXTENDED PLAY MODE, a fact which is not stated on the online information. All In The Family is a great program, and these episodes are wonderful, but don't buy this tape if, like mine, your VCR cannot reproduce an extended play video.

Very funny!
This contains some very funny episodes of All in the Family. "Second Honeymoon" is hysterical. Same with the others. A must have for any All in the Family fan. ... Read more

Amazon.com

All in the Family didn't feature a typical sitcom family. Indeed, no TV family prior remotely resembled the Bunkers, who were more likely representative of the average American family than those portrayed on the tube. What would Archie (Carroll O'Connor) have been without Michael Stivic, a.k.a. Meathead (Rob Reiner)? Certainly, in later episodes, after Gloria (Sally Struthers) and Mike moved away and then divorced, Archie had to find other liberal nemeses with which to do battle. But it was his early conflicts with the son-in-law he dubbed "Meathead" that set the tone for the series (based on a British sitcom), defined Archie's distinctive personality, and established the watershed issues that executive producer Norman Lear and his talented team brought to the small screen.

In "Meet the Bunkers," Archie and Mike have plenty to argue about during a surprise anniversary party. Meanwhile, Archie's put-upon wife, Edith (the brilliant Jean Stapleton), and daughter Gloria try to keep things upbeat. Archie likes Lionel (Mike Evans) just fine--but then Archie finds out that Lionel's parents, George and Louise (Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford), are the black family he's trying to prevent from moving in next door. Another wedding anniversary--this time that of the Stivics--offers a flashback of when Archie first meets Michael. Each episode encapsulates some of the series' finest elements: its ability to intrigue audiences through the irrepressible archconservative Archie Bunker, its ability to get its message across clearly, its intelligence, and never underestimating its audience. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Meet Archie, Edith, Gloria and the Meathead
With the passing of Carroll O'Connor, this collection of three episodes of "All in the Family" from 1971 provides ample proof of why Archie Bunker is one of the most significant characters in television history. The eternal battled between Archie and his son-in-law Mike begins in "Meet the Bunkers" (Episode #1, 12 January 1971), which was actually the third pilot episode shot for what would become the only television show to finish #1 in the Nielsen ratings five seasons in a row. "TV Guide" described this landmark episode as "A Lighthearted Look at Prejudice," and warned viewers that the sitcom was taking a giant stup with this adult social satire. "Mike Meets Archie" (#18 16 October 1971) tells us in flashback of the first meeting between Archie and the then fully bearded Mike. This episode features Michael Conrad as Mike's Uncle. "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood" (#8 2 March 1971) finds Mike enjoying Archie's discomfort when the Jeffersons move into the house next door. "All in the Family" is one of the most influential shows in television history, ushering in the era of relevant programming. Before AITF we had "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Gilligan's Island" and afterwards we had "M*A*S*H" and "Hill Street Blues." Norman Lear and his writers deserve credit, but so does the talented cast headed by O'Connor and Jean Stapleton. Every time I teach television, "Meet the Bunkers" is one of the shows that I always show to my students. Every show you enjoy today can be traced back to this pilot episode.

Brilliant Comedy that Refuses to Age
Though it's riddled with references to Watergate, Vietnam, inflation, and Nixon, "All in the Family" is still as fresh and thought-provoking today as it was in the early '70s. Based on the British comdy "Til Death Do Us Part", AITF is a rare example where an American adaptation of a British property, where the American version is actually better than the show that inspired it.

The show exists on several levels. As a political forum, it bought many issues into our living rooms, smartly diffusing them with comdey, and in the process, made us laugh and think; in addition it revolutionized the entire concept of "sitcom".

But the show also exists on a human level. Were Archie, Edith, Mike and Gloria not fully realized, tangible characters, the political content of AITF would have been hardly memorable. The characters are real, and the emotional content completely honest. When Archie ridicule's Mike's long hair, his taste his music, his choice in political candidates, or his entire ideology, he's really saying, "How dare you step in an 'steal' my little girl?"

As far as the topical nature of AITF goes, many of the issues the Bunkers argued about (what seems like) so long ago, we're still dealing with today: abortion, religion, homosexuality, racism, affirmative action, and the day-to-day struggle to keep a roof over one's head and on top of one's bills, that a large segment of our population struggles with just as it did twenty0five years ago.

Gloria's miniskirts may have gone out of fashion, but very little else about "All in the Family" has.

One Of The Best Sitcoms On TV.
"All In The Family" Is 1 Of The Best Sitcoms Ever. On This Cassatte It Has Lional From The Spinoff "The Jeffersons". Archie Meets His Future Son-In-Low Mike "The Meathead". Gloria And Mike Put On A Anniversiry Party For Edith And Archie, Lional From "The Jeffersons" Visits The Bunker House, And Gloria And Mike Celebrate Their Wedding Anniversiry. This Is A Funny Tape. You Must Buy It.

SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO FUNNY!!!!!!!!
Have you ever seen such a look on anyones face like the one you see on Archie's when he first saw "Meathead"? I would admit, Mike did look sort of like a friek!

A CLASSIC NOT TO BE MISSED!!!
I have seen this video and it made me laugh till it hurt and it also makes you think as well. CARROLL O'CONNOR is great as ARCHIE plus JEAN STAPELTON AS EDITH will have anyone in stiches with her one-liners I won't give the plot away in these stories but just watch and you'll agree they are some of the funniest on television. The things ol ARCHIE gets worked up over may seem taboo today but will make you look at one's self at your own feelings about these story issues anway buy this tape you won't regret it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"All in the Family" pilot and visits from Sammy and Maude
With the passing of Carroll O'Connor this pair of "All in the Family" videotapes provides ample proof of why Archie Bunker is one of the most significant characters in television history. The first tape, "Archie Meets Meathead" finds the epic battle between Archie and his son-in-law Mike beginning in "Meet the Bunkers" (Episode #1, 12 January 1971), which was actually the third pilot episode shot for what would become the only television show to finish #1 in the Nielsen ratings five seasons in a row. "TV Guide" described this landmark episode as "A Lighthearted Look at Prejudice," and warned viewers that the sitcom was taking a giant step with this adult social satire. "Mike Meets Archie" (#18 16 October 1971) tells us in flashback of the first meeting between Archie and the then fully bearded Mike. This episode features Michael Conrad as Mike's Uncle. "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood" (#8 2 March 1971) finds Mike enjoying Archie's discomfort when the Jeffersons move into the house next door.

One of the most memorable episodes of "All in the Family" was the appearance of Sammy Davis, Jr., which gives its title to the second video, "Sammy Takes Bunker Hill." In "Sammy's Visit" (#34 February 19 1972) Archie is making a little extra money driving a cab and when the entertainer leaves his briefcase behind he makes a unforgettable visit to 704 Hauser Street, lovingly preserved in a photograph. "Maude" (#37 March 11, 1972) finds Archie and Edith visiting her cousin Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur). The occasion is the wedding of Maude's daughter, but this is really the test pilot for the "Maude" spin-off that started on CBS in 1972. Finally, in "The Very Moving Day" (#111 September 8, 1975), Gloria's announcement that she is pregnant drives Mike and Archie to new heights of male ineptitude.

"All in the Family" is one of the most influential shows in television history, ushering in the era of relevant programming. Before AITF we had "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Gilligan's Island" and afterwards we had "M*A*S*H" and "Hill Street Blues." Norman Lear and his writers deserve credit, but so does the talented cast headed by O'Connor and Jean Stapleton. Every time I teach television, "Meet the Bunkers" is one of the shows that I always show to my students. Every show you enjoy today can be traced back to this significant pilot episode.

All In The Review
What a great box set. All In The Family has to be one of the cult comedy series of all time. This box set includes six great laughter packed episodes: Meet The Bunkers, Lionel Moves Into The Neighbourhood, Flashback:Mike Meets Archie, Sammy's Visit, Maude (featuring Beatrice Arthur)and The Very Moving Day. My favorite episode from these epsodes is Maude. I think Columbia Tristar HomeVideo should release some episodes of 'Maude' (which was a spin off from AITF). ... Read more