All in the Family: The Show that Changed Television

by Norman Lear, Jimmy Kimmel (Foreword), Jim Colucci (Adapter)

All in the Family creator Norman Lear takes fans behind the scenes of the groundbreaking sitcom on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

The face of television was changed forever in 1971 with the premiere of All in the Family . The working-class Bunker family of Queens, New York—lovable bigot Archie (Carroll O'Connor), his long-suffering “dingbat” wife Edith (Jean Stapleton), their liberal daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers), and son-in-law Mike "Meathead" Stivic (Rob Reiner)—instantly became, and half a century later still are, four of the most iconic characters in television.
In All in the The Show that Changed Television , Norman Lear shares his take on fifty essential episodes that exemplify why the show remains as funny and relevant as ever. Its boundary-pushing approach to hot-button topics is examined with commentary from co-stars O’ Connor, Stapleton, Reiner, and Struthers, as well as writers, directors, and guest stars from the show.
With previously unseen notes from Lear, script pages, production designs, and a foreword by super-fan Jimmy Kimmel, this book is the ultimate companion to the seminal series and a must for fans of Lear’s shows and television comedy.
“Norman Lear,” said New Yorker critic Michael Arlen, “has a feel for what people want to see before they know they want to see it.” All in the Family , like all of the Lear shows that followed, was a turning point in television’s handling of taboo subjects such as race relations, feminism, homosexuality, war, religion, gun control, social inequity, and other controversial subjects, all of which remain in the news today.

Genres: Tv, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published November 2, 2021

Reviews

[Martine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brought back so many memories of my childhood. I can hear echos of my Dad laughing and clearly picture iconic episodes that are still funny to this day.  I really enjoyed reading about what inspired the shows, what the actors thought at the time and how the audience reacted. I applaud Norman Lear for the impact he made in the entertainment industry. He forever changed television.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of "All in the Family". this wonderful book was written to celebrate 50 years since the show premiered. I was about twelve when this show premiered in my livingroom. It was different from any tv show. Even the title of the book adds "the show that changed television" and boy did it ever! this book goes over the nine seasons. Since it would be hard to discuss every single episode it writes of some of the more famous ones. It includes interviews with the cast. Some of these are older interviews since Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton have died. this book has tons of pictures and do a great job and writing of the more famous episodes. This show was very brave and daring discussing subjects that were tabboo such as menopause, and current events. We just finished going through all nine seasons so i was delighted to see this book. A good one for those who are fans of this well done comedy series. I for one enjoyed reading about the characters, Archie Bunker, Edith Bunker, Gloria Bunker Stivic and Mike Stivic.

[Leighann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read if you’re interested in the history of television, comedy, or social commentary in the media. I loved seeing the snippets of scripts, letters from viewers, and other correspondence. Not every episode is covered in detail, but there are highlights from every season and listings of each season’s episodes and Emmy wins, along with a section at the end about other parts of the show’s impact, like spin offs and the Bunkers’ chairs in the Smithsonian (the chairs had to be reproduced at one point, at great cost!). It’s apparent how much influence Norman Lear and All in the Family had on television, then and now.

[Lynne Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Groundbreaking" is one way to describe this sitcom, that I well remember watching as I grew up. After reading this book, other phrases such as, "So this is where it all began" come to mind. At first I enjoyed reading Lear's thoughts about the show, as well as other actors and producers. But as it went on, it felt sour and manipulative. Now I'll remember this tv series as the beginning of the strong arm of liberalism in television.

[Joanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest TV shows of all time! Norman Lear changed Television and the world with this show first before the others. I've binged it several times.... and might do it again!

This book has behind the scene stories by Norman, Rob Reiner and the cast on specific episodes from the show. It's just a treat all the way around!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a huge fan of All In The Family you will love this book. I am not a huge fan but I do like the show, so I found it interesting. The size of it was a problem because it's so huge (weight-wise, as in heavy) which made it cumbersome to read it thoroughly. It goes into details about several of the most famous episodes and tells how the series came to be.

[Edward Zitvogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

All in the Family is the greatest show in television history.