1971

All in the Family

1971 | January 12 – Norman Lear’s All In The Family debuts, introducing the nation to Archie Bunker- a cantankerous, if ultimately good hearted bigot whose views on nearly everything are both amusingly shocking and uncomfortably familiar. The show’s success leads to numerous spin-offs (The Jeffersons, Maude, Gloria), each attempting to use comedy to explore some of the day’s thornier issues.