ALL IN THE FAMILY - THE COMPLETE SERIES + BONUS (CBS 1972-79) Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers, Rob Reiner

Developed by Norman Lear, based on the BBC sitcom Til Death Us Do Part by Johnny Speight All in the Family was about a working-class family in Queens, New York in the 1970s. Loading dock foreman Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) is the opinionated patriarch, Edith (Jean Stapleton) is his patient wife, Gloria (Sally Struthers) is his feminist “little girl,” and Mike (Rob Reiner) is his argumentative son-in-law. Archie has a tendency to express his outdated prejudices, Mike inevitably overacts, and Edith and Gloria always smooth things over.

Creator Norman Lear based Archie and Edith on his own parents, but the series dealt with inter-generational conflicts that are relatable to everyone and it’s still as funny and relevant today as it was when it originally aired. .All In The Family was the top-rated TV show for five years and it won 22 Emmy Awards. It is listed as #9 on Rolling Stone’s list of Greatest TV Shows.

Like most long-running shows, All In The Family evolved over its nine-season run. Neighbors George and Louise Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford) “move on up to the East Side” of Manhattan for a spin-off series of their own, The Jeffersons. Mike and Gloria leave for California with their baby. Archie and Edith fill their empty nest with Edith’s grand-niece Stephanie (Danielle Brisebois). And Archie buys a neighborhood bar and renames it Archie Bunker’s Place.

But most importantly, Archie evolves. He’s a better man at the end of All In The Family than he was at the beginning. And that’s all we can ask of anybody, real or fictional.

The supporting cast also featured Mike Evans, Betty Garrett, Vincent Gardenia, Liz Torres and Allan Melvin.

Notable guest stars includes Sammy Davis Jr., Henry Fonda, Billy Crystal, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Theodore Bikel, James Cromwell, Charles Durning, F. Murray Abraham, Charlotte Rae, David Soul, Bernadette Peters, Eileen Brennan, Hector Elizondo, Doris Roberts, Christopher Guest, Jack Weston, Sorrell Booke, Estelle Parsons, William Windom, Roscoe Lee Browne, Harvey Lembeck, A Martinez, Norman Lear, Philip Carey, Gregory Sierra, Larry Storch, Cleavon Little, Anthony Geary.

This 26-DVD set contains all 209 episodes, plus two bonus pilot episodes featuring different casting for the roles of Mike and Gloria.

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Number of DVDs: 26

Number of Episodes: 211

Quality: 9/10

Running Time: 87 hrs 55 min (approx)

Aspect Ratio: Full Screen

NOTES: This is a fan-made DVD set. Not    a studio release.