History YMMV / AllInTheFamily

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: Creator/{{ABC}} considered extremely risky the very thought of a sitcom about [[TheGenerationGap a bigot and his hippie daughter and son-in-law]] in such turbulent times, even if it was based on a formula that had been proven in Britain. Creator/{{CBS}} had its own doubts when it picked the show up, not guaranteeing that it would ever see the light of day. Even star Creator/CarrollOConnor thought it would be driven off the air by audience complaints. The series became the #1 show on TV for five seasons.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: Creator/{{ABC}} considered extremely risky the very thought of a sitcom about [[TheGenerationGap a bigot and his hippie daughter and son-in-law]] in such turbulent times, even if it was based on a formula that had been proven in Britain. Creator/{{CBS}} had its own doubts when it picked the show up, not guaranteeing that it would ever see the light of day. It did anyhow, and the series became the #1 show on TV for five seasons.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Fans typically reject the 9th season without Mike and Gloria.

* SeasonalRot: The series ended its eighth season with Creator/NormanLear departing as executive producer and the Stivics being PutOnABus to California which resolved the core premise for the series and provided an emotional TearJerker of a finale. However, Creator/CarrollOConnor accepted a huge salary increase that led to the show limping on another year that saw the introduction of Edith's young niece who was abandoned by her alcoholic father that the Bunkers took in. This failed to replace the tension that Archie had with Meathead in the first eight seasons, and while there were still some funny episodes, Lear's creative guidance was sorely missed. After this, Creator/{{CBS}} decided to ReTool the show as ''Archie Bunker's Place'' which limped on for 97 more episodes that saw the series shift from DomCom to WorkCom, the death of Edith and Archie growing into a kinder, less ignorant person with an ethnically diverse social circle, which effectively killed his effectiveness as an UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist.
** In fairness, the episode that dealt with Edith's death, "Archie Alone", was considered the high point of the series and directly impacts the next two episodes. One could argue that Archie's softening after this point was also a result, given his breakdown near the end (particularly since he was yelling at Edith to get out of bed, unaware that she had died of a stroke in her sleep).

** Creator/TimAllen went so far as to compare his character on ''Series/{{Last Man Standing|2017}}'' to Archie Bunker, claiming that both are "likeable conservative characters." The only difference is that ''All in the Family'' was clearly aimed at a liberal audience, so Archie's conservative views (particularly on race) were something to be laughed at, while ''Last Man'' is aimed at a conservative audience, so the audience is supposed to laugh ''with'' Allen's character in response to his conservative views (particularly feminism).

** Creator/TimAllen went so far as to compare his character on ''Series/LastManStanding'' to Archie Bunker, claiming that both are "likeable conservative characters." The only difference is that ''All in the Family'' was clearly aimed at a liberal audience, so Archie's conservative views (particularly on race) were something to be laughed at, while ''Last Man'' is aimed at a conservative audience, so the audience is supposed to laugh ''with'' Allen's character in response to his conservative views (particularly feminism).

* AdaptationDisplacement: Because the show is so iconic in the United States and seen as being brave for focusing on American social and political issues of the day, ''Till Death Us Do Part'' is often unknown outside Britain.

** In another episode, Archie makes surprisingly salient points about how big corporations encouraged everyone to buy electronic products, and even made life difficult without them, only to, once they'd made their "billions and billions of dollars," turn around and start demanding that people ''save'' energy and go without. This lines up with the modern environmental movement, which has shifted from trying to encourage individuals to change their behavior to holding large corporations responsible as the root of environmental problems.

* ValuesDissonance: This show was made towards the end of the time where being Slavic-American was still somewhat perceived as "ethnic" and a bit apart from the "average white". Of course, the show appeared to realize this as the othering of Poles is treated as arbitrary, even though modern audiences wouldn't be able to buy the idea that Slavic Americans are anything other than white.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: Creator/{{ABC}} considered extremely risky the very thought of a sitcom about [[TheGenerationGap a bigot and his hippie daughter and son-in-law]] in such turbulent times, even if it was based on a formula that had been proven in Britain. Creator/{{CBS}} had its' own doubts when it picked the show up, not guaranteeing that it would ever see the light of day. It did anyhow, and the series became the #1 show on TV for five seasons.

* CompleteMonster ("[[Recap/AllInTheFamilyS8E3EdithsFiftiethBirthday Edith's 50th Birthday]]"): [[VileVillainSaccharineShow Lambert]] is a SerialRapist who intends to make Edith his latest victim. Charming his way into the Bunker house by [[ImpersonatingAnOfficer posing as a detective]], Lambert attempts to force himself onto Edith while holding her at gunpoint. When Archie unexpectedly shows up, Lambert hides in the closet after instructing Edith to get rid of him, threatening to kill the both of them if she alerts Archie to his presence. Edith tries to get help by screaming, but Lambert taunts her by implying that screaming hadn't helped his past victims. While she escapes the encounter unharmed, the usually happy-go-lucky Edith is left traumatized and terrified of everything for weeks after, and her unwillingness to go to the police out of fear allows Lambert to rape yet another woman.

** The show has gained an extra ironic edge with how even Mike now comes off as fairly conservative with how much society has changed. You can easily imagine him having the exact same reaction to the society of the 2010s that Archie did to the '70s.
*** Speaking of which, one of the few things Mike and Archie didn't argue about was trade unionism - Archie having a union job, and Mike, a leftist liberal, presumably being pro-union.[[note]]The closest we got to Mike's view on unions was the two-parter where Archie and his colleagues were striking for better wages and Mike gives an - unfollowed - suggestion to Archie that they include a cost-of-living clause (i.e. wages would automatically raise with inflation) in the collective bargaining agreement that would end the strike.[[/note]] Mike today, were he as conservative as claimed in the previous point, would probably be pretty ''anti''-union, while Archie would see his union job decimated by Reagan's anti-union and trade policies.

* SeasonalRot: The episodes after the departure of Gloria and Mike more or less take all the tension out of the show and aren't as well liked. Cranked UpToEleven with the AfterShow ''Series/ArchieBunkersPlace'' which saw Archie grow as a person and have a social circle full of ethnic diversity. Sure, he was a nicer guy, but comedy with a bunch of people always getting along isn't exactly good television.
** The handful of episodes without Creator/CarrollOConnor are predictably some of the least popular episodes of the series.

** In another episode, Archie makes surprisingly salient points about how big corporations encouraged everyone to buy electronic products, and even made life difficult without them, only to, once they'd made their "billions and billions of dollars," turn around and start demanding that people ''save'' energy and go without.

** The handful of episodes without Carroll O'Connor are predictably some of the least popular episodes of the series.

*** Archie's view is even more understandable when you remember not only did he serve in World War 2, but he was drafted as well.

** The show has gained an extra ironic edge with how even Mike now comes off as fairly conservative with how much society has changed. You can easily imagine him having the exact same reaction to the society of the 2010s that Archie did to the '70s. (Also, Mike was a baby boomer, and today "boomer" is shorthand for "aloof individualist conservative" amongst the youth - a 180' turn from the hippie, anti-war, revolutionary generation represented by Mike.)

* MemeticMutation: "Shut up, Meathead!" Even decades later, right-leaning fans have used it against Creator/RobReiner's views.

* SeasonalRot: The episodes after the departure of Gloria and Mike more or less take all the tension out of the show and aren't as well liked. Cranked UpToEleven with the AfterShow ''Series/ArchieBunkersPlace'' which saw Archie grow as a person and have a social circle full of ethnic diversity. Sure, he was a nicer guy, but comedy with a bunch of folks always getting along isn't exactly good television.

** Speaking of homosexual characters, a first-season episode has Archie assuming that a effete friend of Mike's must be gay--but the guy is actually CampStraight, while one of ''Archie's'' buddies, a beer-drinking ex-football player, turns out to be a StraightGay. Seeing gay people defying stereotypes remains an important topic of debate in media.

** In "Edith's Final Respects", Edith attends the funeral of her Aunt Rose, [[LonelyFuneral but was the only mourner]], as most of Rose's friends died before her. Afterwards, she confides in Archie that she worries her funeral will be the same. He reassures her that she would have an abundance of mourners, and that "I'm gonna be there, ain't I?" Not long after, he was proved right when Edith died before the events of the ''Series/ArchieBunkersPlace'' episode "Archie Alone".

*** Speaking of which, one of the few things Mike and Archie didn't argue about was trade unionism - Archie having a union job, and Mike, a leftist liberal, presumably being pro-union.[[note]]The closest view we had on Mike's view on unions was the two-parter where Archie and his colleagues were striking for better wages and Mike gives an - unfollowed - suggestion to Archie that they include a cost-of-living clause (i.e. wages would automatically raise with inflation) in the collective bargaining agreement that would end the strike.[[/note]] Mike today, were he as conservative as claimed in the previous point, would probably be pretty ''anti''-union, while Archie would see his union job decimated by Reagan's anti-union and trade policies.

** Speaking of Mike and Archie, one of the few things they didn't argue about was trade unionism - Archie having a union job, and Mike, a leftist liberal, presumably being pro-union.[[note]]The closest view we had on Mike's view on unions was the two-parter where Archie and his colleagues were striking for better wages and Mike gives an - unfollowed - suggestion to Archie that they include a cost-of-living clause (i.e. wages would automatically raise with inflation) in the collective bargaining agreement that would end the strike.[[/note]] Mike today, were he as conservative as claimed in the previous point, would probably be pretty ''anti''-union, while Archie would see his union job decimated by Reagan's anti-union and trade policies.

** Speaking of Mike and Archie, one of the few things they didn't argue about was trade unionism - Archie having a union job, and Mike, a leftist liberal, presumably being pro-union.[[note]]The closest view we had on Mike's view on unions was the two-parter where Archie and his colleagues were striking for better wages and Mike gives an - unfollowed - suggestion to Archie that they include a cost-of-living clause in the collective bargaining agreement that would end the strike.[[/note]] Mike today, were he as conservative as claimed in the previous point, would probably be pretty ''anti''-union, while Archie would see his union job decimated by Reagan's anti-union and trade policies.