Retro Recommendations: All in the Family

Welcome to the inaugural installment of Classic Shows You Should Watch. In this article, I will focus on All in the Family.

All in the Family is a classic sitcom that aired for nine seasons from 1971 to 1979. It starred Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, and Sally Struthers for the first eight seasons, until Reiner and Struthers departed the series. Throughout the ninth season, Danielle Brisebois was a series regular and was a major part in the spinoff Archie Bunker's Place, which ran for four seasons.

The Writer's Guild of America ranked this show as the fourth-best written TV series ever, while TV Guide ranked the show as #4 of TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The protagonist, Archie Bunker is described as a "lovable bigot" who is a blue-collar worker who is an equal opportunity offender. Archie longs for better times where people who shared his viewpoint were in charge, in the ironic theme song.

Edith Bunker is described as the dingbat who is often told by Archie to "stifle" herself. She is in the series throughout nine seasons until she dies off screen in the second season of Archie Bunker's Place. Gloria Stivic is the daughter of Archie and Edith who marries Michael. She has the ditziness of her mother and the stubbornness of her father. The combination brings out a refined feminism about her. Michael Stivic is the "Meathead" and the husband of Gloria. He constantly fights with Archie over political matters. Stephanie Mills, the niece of Archie and Edith, is smart and clever, Jewish, and serves as the liberal foil to Archie's conservatism. 

The show is a classic because it portrays contemporary political discourse of the 1970s. A lot of the discourse still applies in today's time. 

And that concludes the first installment. Stay tuned for more Classic Shows You Should Watch! 

1978-79 Sitcom Scorecard -- Happy Days For ABC, Despite High Cancellations

Written Nostalgic for ABC Prominence by Bridger

Behold an astounding season which not only ABC claimed the top 6 places in the yearly Nielsen register, but they were all sitcoms!  A wave of fantasy and nostalgia comprised these entries, along with two failed clunkers riding on the winning coattails of the network leaders.  Elsewhere, 2nd place CBS held tight to their early-mid 70's social relevance sitcoms and had to bid adieu to former 1st Place champ after 9 seasons.  NBC found its next hit with Different Strokes, albeit the show was the only fare to write home about as the network was iced in 3rd place.

Prior to September 2, TV Ratings Guide only had full access to ratings post-1984 and unearthed a treasure trove of data spanning back to 1964.  Odd years, including 1978-79 have complete data intact, thanks to historic online newspaper articles.  TVRG continues its mission to create a unified source for Historic Ratings before the internet created a prolific source of information.  TVRG now possesses a conglomeration of elite ratings data; enjoy a view back into another era of Nielsen hstory.

ABC held an embarrassment of Nielsen riches in sitcoms (lest not underscore the word "embarrassment" with The Ropers and several failed sitcoms).  They held a record 17 original sitcom entries and held room to pare down the roster.  Successful entries such as Taxi and Mork and Mindy allowed ABC to part with What's Happening and Welcome Back, Cotter in the midst of another successful season.  CBS also delivered a healthy roster of 15 sitcom entries, though 7 survived to the next season.  Veterans All in the Family, Good Times and Rhoda ended durable runs, and Stockard Channing's Grease fame was not enough to sustain a Nielsen hit.

NBC made a valiant effort to resurrect their decimated sitcom schedule after cancelling all helpings the previous season.  Diff'rent Strokes took off amid controversy over a blended cast, and tie-in Hello, Larry piggybacked via a 2-episode crossover.  The remains sans BJ and the Bear were dispensed, and the network's prospects for improvement were far from sight.

Source -- http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1979/BC-1979-06-18.pdf

1977-78 Sitcom Scorecard -- ABC Dethrones CBS As The Sitcom Champ, NBC Cancels All Sitcoms

Written "Doing It Our Way" by Bridger Cunningham

What a difference three years can make.  Skip back to TVRG's last  Sitcom Scorecard from 1974-75, and how the dynamics have changed.  1977-78 has 15 more players than '74-'75, which sets TVRG's current record low of 23 sitcoms offered in a season.  The fortunes shined on ABC, as they turned the top of the table green with landmark hits bringing the element of "fun" back to the definition of sitcom.  The genre's mid-70's helping of CBS relevance delivered downers and heavy material, while ABC's fantasy-laden fares returned laughs to simpler problems such as forgotten anniversaries and ruining a roommate's dress right before her big date.  Indeed, preferences had changed as viewers wanted to experience forgetting the ugliness of everyday life for 30 minutes and be able to laugh at the ridiculousness of something like Soap.

Up until Summer 2017, complete listings of ratings were not available on the internet for years before 1995, and now this site possesses ratings for several years dating back to 1964.  Enjoy the latest entry, as complete 1978-79 and partial 1981-82 data is planned next for sitcom scorecards.

ABC was the 1st place champion in the overall ratings for the 1977-78 season, and they possessed a slew of winning sitcoms to accent their victory.  After wisely retooling Happy Days in 1975, ABC managed to strike lightning twice and crafted spinoff Laverne and Shirley, which became the landmark sitcom of the late 70's.  In a disco-laden time period which cocaine was on the rise, viewers enjoyed a simpler departure in a nostalgic high from the late 50's as these shows depicted.  Of course, nostalgia was not ABC's lone vice of choice.  Pushing the envelope of sexuality gave the network cheap fantasy thrills via Three's Company and their latest controversial Soap, which several affiliates refused to air because of the "suggestive" pilot.  Ha!  If only these opponents could flash forward 40 years and see the ladies of 2 Broke Girls regularly referencing their lady parts as though they are a character on the show.

Elsewhere, Barney Miller, Welcome Back Kotter and What's Happening delivered traditional helpings of sitcom delight.  Over at CBS, it was time to retool the issue-laden sitcoms as the network cancelled 11 of their 18 helpings.  All in the Family was still a top-10 player, yet suffered the loss of Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner, leaving the future of the tart sitcom up in the air.  Alice, MASH and One Day at a Time delivered nicely, but renewed Rhoda, The Jeffersons and Good Times all struggled with middling ratings.  The upstanding Newhart and issue-icky Maude met less than honorable endings after 6 seasons, and none of the 9 pilots offered this season survived.

Over at NBC, Sanford Arms, a spinoff of uber-successful Sanford and Son, delivered ratings near the drain.  After Freddie Prinze, Sr.'s suicide in early 1977, Chico and the Man was never  the same and NBC cancelled the series after 4 seasons.  Not a single NBC sitcom survived the season, as the network was in its longest depression to date, having started in 1974 and not subsiding until early 1984.

Sources:
1. https://books.google.com/books?id=g5rhcrA0Oi4C&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=lou+grant+nielsen+ratings&source=bl&ots=VwtexuNYB7&sig=kWbrSQRfsFIBhAXUzREOOo2wQec&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwig_drgyKvWAhXHsVQKHdy7DGcQ6AEIXzAI#v=onepage&q=lou%20grant%20nielsen%20ratings&f=false
2. 2. Chicago Tribune, August 20, 1978 -- https://www.newspapers.com/image/198777664/?terms=1977-78%2BSeason%2BNielsen%2BRatings%2Babc%2Bcbs%2Bnbc
3. http://fbibler.chez.com/tvstats/by_5_yr_period/top_programs_1975-1980.html

1974-75 Sitcom Scorecard -- A Lean Season With High Casualties and Poor Happy Days Ratings

Written Grateful Not to See Lean Sitcom Season Like This by Bridger Cunningham


The 70's were harsh economically, both on American wallets and their sitcoms.  Current TV Ratings Guide records indicate 1974-75 is the leanest season for sitcoms to date, with a paltry 23 helping.  Of which, 10 did not receive a return engagement for the following season.  NBC delivered the lightest helping of 4 sitcoms, CBS delivered 10, and ABC 9.  CBS renewed 8 of their options, while ABC only renewed 3 and NBC 2.  Ouch.

TVRG is proud to be the first website to publish the complete 1974-75 ratings, as only the common Top 30 shows have been the only source available online to see ratings performances.  Thanks to newspapers.com, the complete ratings featuring shows' Nielsens and ranks were recovered, and will be available in upcoming weeks.  Enjoy the Sitcom Scorecard as an early peek of what is to come, as the complete Ratings History will be published soon.

The 2000's have been regarded as one of the harshest eras to be a sitcom airing on broadcast television.  But the 70's gave them a run for their dastardly treatment of the common laugh box.  Relevance sitcoms flourished on CBS, with 8 top-20 sitcoms earning renewals.  NBC proudly flaunted Sanford and Son, as well as Chico and the Man (featuring Freddie Prinze, Sr, father of Freddie Prinze, Jr, who would have his own sitcom Freddie in 2003).  NBC did away with the failed Sunshine and Bob Crane, far less than the bloodletting ABC experienced.

That;s My Mama, a show so forgettable it would not survive outside the 1975 calendar year the next season, led ABC's brood of 9 sitcoms.  Their other two renewals were handed to an ailing Happy Days and mid-season replacement Barney Miller, which was the lowest-rated television show to be handed a renewal in 68th Place.  ABC wisely retooled the shows, as Barney Miller received a timeslot upgrade and enjoyed a lengthy run through to 1982.  And Happy Days?  Producers wisely mixed-in Henry Winkler into the plots, creating the show fans fondly loved which endured through to 1984 on Tuesdays.  The Odd Couple made a dramatic drop in the ratings and ended after 5 seasons.  Beyond that, readers best count their blessings they do not have to take a drink every time they have to stretch their mind to remember these forgettable cancellations.

Sources -- The Times Records, June 2, 1975 -- https://www.newspapers.com/image/58849538/?terms=1974-75%2BSeason%2BNielsen%2BRatings%2Babc%2Bcbs%2Bnbc

1973-74 Sitcom Scorecard -- The Brady Bunch and Partridge Family Foreclose in a Network Sitcom Purge

Written With Ratings as Flat as Brady Bunch Roof by Bridger Cunningham

Behold a rare treasure trove as TV Ratings Guide makes history as the first site to feature ratings data for syndication juggernaut The Brady Bunch.  A durable rerun player for over 5 decades, it failed to generate ratings fire during its Primetime run, ending in a mediocre tie for 54th place among the 80 shows.  TBB never cracked the top 30 as it aired in a less desired Friday timeslot, albeit it amassed 5 sturdy seasons to live on forever.

The 1973-74 season was a harsh climate for television shows as everything below 43rd place was cancelled, save for movie nights.  On the sitcom front, the genre comprised one-third of primetime shows.  Sadly, only 9 of the 27 entries returned the following season.  CBS swept the top of the chart with 6 of their laugh factories returning as they landed in the top 20.  ABC handed out two golden renewals to only 2 shows -- new sensation Happy Days, and aging Odd Couple (the origina, not the dreadful 2015 revival).  And NBC, who fared the harshest cancellation fates this season, only spared Sanford and Son.  Good Times and Happy Days were the only freshman sitcoms of the 12 offerings to return.

10 Freshman sitcoms failed, 2nd season Temperatures Rising and The Brian Keith Show never survived ABC's chopping block, and CBS's Dick Van Dyke revival turned old with a dismal 3rd season.  The remaining 6 shows axed possessed long runs worthy of syndication.  CBS turned Lucille Ball's last successful sitcom, Here's Lucy, blood red after 6 seasons.  ABC tossed a nickle severance to Brady Bunch, Love American Style and Room 222 after 5 seasons, and the Partridge Family's disastrous last season ended with four fingers into the rerun glass.  1974 ended the flat-housed technicolor era and turned laughs serious via social relevance on CBS.

Source -- http://startrekfactcheck.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-truth-about-star-trek-and-ratings.html