Revolutionary comedy with an influence on American TV that c
Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 08/25/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Season Two of "All in the Family" had enough laughs and classic humor to make it hilarious even today, although as others have noted I do wish this three DVD set had come with some extra featurettes or a commentary. The quality of the print is a high average; but that's not much of a bother when the high quality control comedy is all THIS good. The season also won seven Emmys and two Golden Globe awards; and just one look at these episodes will tell you why! The acting is outstanding and very convincing all the way through and the character development becomes more and more clear as the season progresses in these twenty-four episodes.
Although every episode here is a winner, I do have my favorites and I'll list them to give you an idea of just some of the highlights from this season of AITF.
Gloria Poses in the Nude - Archie's hang-up about the word "breast" make for some good laughs. When Gloria agrees to pose nude for Szabo, a friend of hers and Mike's, Mike starts having second thoughts. How will it get resolved? Does Gloria still go through with it?
Archie in the Lock-Up - Archie goes to a protest rally to get Mike safely back home before things get dangerous or people get arrested--and he winds up in the jail himself. (And, of course, Mike's "peace" sign is treason in Archie's eyes.) Look for a hilarious scene when Archie is locked up.
Flashback: Mike Meets Archie - A flashback episode that's bound to make you laugh; this episode tells the story of the conflict and high tensions when Archie and Mike met for the very first time. Archie's not too fond of Polish people--like Mike. I love Archie singing "God Bless America!"
Mike's Problem - Mike is a nervous wreck about his grades on his exams in school. He is so nervous, in fact, that he becomes temporarily impotent. Gloria doesn't know what to do; and Archie and Edith try their best to give Mike and Gloria time alone. Look for a good scene between Mike, Archie and Henry Jefferson in a local bar.
Cousin Maude's Visit - This is my very favorite season two episode along with the Sammy Davis, Jr., episode. When the Bunker household comes down with the flu, Edith's cousin Maude (Bea Arthur) comes to help out around the house. Look for the fight Maude and Archie get into about Franklin Delano Roosevelt!
Christmas Day at the Bunkers - Archie acts in a curious way at Christmastime; he's in a particularly grouchy mood and he brought home only a very tiny tree instead of the large tree that they usually have in their living room at Christmastime. Archie claims his company didn't give out Christmas bonuses this year--but what happens when word hits the Bunker household that his boss did give out bonuses?
Edith's Problem - Archie and Edith are planning their upcoming trip to Disneyworld; but Edith begins to experience the first signs of menopause. Predictably, this causes emotional upset for her as the rest of the Bunker household tries to deal with it, too. Watch and find out who gets the prescription for the tranquilizers!
Sammy's Visit - This is perhaps one of the best episodes of the entire series. When Archie is driving a cab for a little extra pocket money, he picks up Sammy Davis, Jr.! But when Sammy's briefcase is missing and he needs it back, Sammy decides to come to the Bunker household to retrieve his briefcase. Everyone wants to meet Sammy, including a lady who puts her kid on a fake tap dancing floor to impress Sammy! Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford) does a brief cameo as a huge fan of Mr. Davis; and the closing scene in which Archie and Sammy have their photo taken is a timeless treasure!
Maude - This last episode served as a pilot for the show "Maude," the first TV spin-off from "All in the Family." Bea Arthur is terrific as Maude and when The Bunkers meet Maude's daughter--and her Jewish fiancé--it's really very funny!
Overall, the second season of "All in the Family" will not disappoint anyone who is a fan of the show or anyone who likes comedy with a message to it. Even if you haven't watched the first season you'll have no trouble enjoying this season if you want to start with this three DVD set. I highly recommend it!"
The show that transfixed America in the early 1970's.
Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 03/24/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For todays generation of television viewers the numbers seem incomprehensible. Yet, it is indeed a fact that on Saturday nights in the early 1970's 60% of those watching television in America were tuned in to producer Norman Lear's groundbreaking situation comedy "All In The Family" on CBS. "All In The Family" premiered on January 12, 1971 as a mid-season replacement with an episode called "Meet The Bunkers". Executives at CBS were quite nervous about how the public would react to its new offering and for the first six weeks opened the program with the following disclaimer:
WARNING: The program you are about to see is "All in the Family". It seeks to throw a humerous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show - in a mature fashion - just how absurd they are."
In the beginning the audiences were small. But over the next year the audience grew steadily so that by the beginnng of 1972 more than 50 million people a week were tuned in to the show.
"All In The Family" centered around the exploits of the Bunker household at 704 Hauser Street in Queens. Archie Bunker worked on the dock at a local manufacturing plant and exhibited all of the fears and prejudices that were so prevalent at that time. Archie (Carroll O' Connor) hated anyone who did not look or think like he did and was not shy about expressing himself. His wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) was a peach of a woman who loved her husband dearly and tolerated all of his idiosyncrasies. The Bunkers had a daughter named Gloria (Sally Struthers) who had recently been married to Mike Stivik (Rob Reiner). Since Mike was still going to college the Stiviks saved money by living in the Bunker household. Mike's extremely liberal point of view was the perfect foil to Archie and made for some highly explosive and amusing moments during each episode. To further add to Archie's woes a black family named Jefferson bought the house next door in one of the very earliest episodes. The ensemble was now in place for one of the greatest shows in the history of television. Over the next five years the show would explore topics that were previously taboo on television. Subjects like gun control, menopause, integration, religion, homosexuality, the Vietnam War, draft dodgers, the sexual revolution and rape were just a few of the topics handled with great aplomb by Norman Lear and the cast. And as time wore on the timing of the cast improved dramatically and would only serve to enhance the audiences enjoyment of the show.
As the popularity of "All In The Family" continued to grow by leaps and bounds it was apparent that Norman Lear had struck a nerve with most Americans. After all, just about all of us knew Archie Bunker. He might be our dad, our uncle, our boss or perhaps our next door neighbor or the guy who ran the gas station across the street. The nation had grown weary of the mindless situation comedies of the 1960's and was looking for something different and a bit more sophisticated. Norman Lear gave the people what they wanted even if they didn't know it at first. What also made "All In The Family" so very special is that it was taped in front of a "live" audience. This technique had not been employed since the early 1950's when Desi Arnaz did it with "I Love Lucy". The "live" audience seemed to add a touch of spontaneity to the proceedings. "All In The Family" was the top-rated show in this country for five seasons. We will probably never see anything like it again. Great writing and a superb cast make "All In The Family" one of the greatest shows in television history. Very highly recommended!
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