I missed All in the Family, being only four years old when it went off the air, but I'm certain I would have liked it. The episodes I've seen in syndication seem more daring and smarter than the sitcoms we have today.
The episodes around Edith Bunker's 50th birthday surprise and "the rape" have permeated popular culture to a point where I felt I'd seen them, only I hadn't. I hadn't seen this episode until this morning, so I didn't realize how uncomfortable it must have been to watch.
It's uncomfortable because the subject matter is so serious, yet there are still jokes and laughter from the live studio audience. Here's the clip (skip to 10:31), if you don't mind that uneasy, uncomfy feeling.
Wasn't that bizarre? Did anyone see this episode during it's initial run? How was it received then?
