All in the Family is a sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. The show revolves around the life of a working class bigot and his family. Produced by Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin the series starred Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, and Sally Struthers.
The show broke ground in its depiction of issues previously considered unsuitable for U.S. network television comedy. Themes such as racism, homosexuality, women’s liberation, rape, miscarriage, abortion, breast cancer, the Vietnam War, menopause, and impotence. Through depicting these controversial issues, the series became arguably one of television’s most influential comedic programs, as it injected the sitcom format with more realistic and topical conflicts. Continue reading
