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The History
The show was actually based on a British Sitcom, "Till Death Do Us Part", created by Johnny Speight. When writer and director Norman Lear saw "Till Death Do Us Part", he saw that it had Cockney father up against a son-in-law. Lear recalled having similar arguments with his own father and decided that if this could be done for British TV, it could be done for American TV too.
Lear's first pilot for the show was submitted to ABC as far back as 1968, under the title "Justice for All", the lead character's name being Archie Justice. The title was changed to "Those Were the Days". ABC found it funny, but wouldn't put it on the air.
A second pilot was shot in 1969, and submitted to ABC. Once again, they thought it was funny, but it also made them nervous. They thought it best to withdraw from the project.
A third pilot was shot in 1970 with Archie, Edith, Mike, and Gloria , being played by the people who would eventually play them when the show made it. It was CBS who saw the pilot this time. They decided to give it a shot, and ordered 13 episodes.
"All in the Family" premiered on the 12th of January, 1971. It hadn't really been publicized, because CBS officials were unsure as to how to advertise it. CBS, nervous about the show's new type of content and how the public might react, put this message on the screen for the first 6 episodes, as it was read by an announcer:
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."
And so the show premiered. The Nielson ratings, however, showed that the viewing audience was exceptionally small. Of those who watched it, some loved it. Some hated it. But by May, the viewing audience had grown. And by the beginning of 1972, an estimated 50 million people a week were tuning in. And in May of that year, the show won several Emmy Awards. "All in the Family" was in. Not bad for a show that was expected, even by it's starts, to last no more than a few weeks.
It has always been said that "All in the Family" shaped the future of television by opening the nation's eyes to issues and ideas that television had never before tackled. In the process it broke through barriers, which allowed future shows much more room to explore ideas and characters that were different from what had already been seen on television. With this monumental contribution aside, it should be noted that "All in the Family" also influenced television in other ways that may not be quite as evident.
"All in the Family" was recorded on videotape in front of a live studio audience. Until this point in television, sitcoms had been recorded on film, and not since "I Love Lucy" were situaton comedies recorded in front of a live audience.
Norman Lear preferred a live audience, and by taping the show with a live audience and multiple cameras, he re-started a trend with an idea that Desi Arnaz had invented two decades earlier for "I Love Lucy".
Even today, many sitcoms use live audiences. Videotaping sitcoms was a long-time trend started by "All in the Family", which lasted into the 1990's. From the mid-70's to the late 80's, a majority of comedies were taped. Not only was videotape less expensive than film, but it gave programs a brighter, more "live" appearance. Today, however, all prime-time sitcoms on ABC, NBC, and CBS are filmed or shot on high-definition tape that imitates the look of film.
Using live audience responses and applause was an important part of the presentation of "All in the Family". And until recently, a lot of shows used this same "live" feel. Today, a studio audience plays a smaller role and applause at the end of programs isn't customary. This, along with the elimination of theme songs and closing credits, is partly due to the viewer's ability to change a channel with the click of a remote, and the heavy reliance on advertising time for money. Even though the face of television has changed since "All in the Family", some production techniques created by this remarkable show are still in use today. Interesting
fact:Mickey Rooney was Norman Lear's first choice to play Archie
Justice in the first pilot. Rooney had doubts and reservations
about the character, and refused.
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