It's Edith and Archie Bunker's wedding anniversary. Edith manages to drag Archie to church. Daughter Gloria and her husband Mike try to whip up a party atmosphere for the parents.
Guest Stars:
Mike Evans
Mike writes a letter to President Nixon, protesting everything that's wrong with America, including the state of the environment and the nation's involvement in Vietnam. Archie finds out, and to refute his son-in-law's claims he decides he too will write a letter praising the nation's chief and attempting to explain the Meathead as an ignorant. While penning the letter, Archie pictures the family all standing behind him, dressed in his Sunday best, all supporting his positions.
Archie is convinced he'll collect a large settlement from a petty traffic accident if a Jewish lawyer handles the case. The stylistic minimalism of the Bunkers' sparsely furnished set is on full display in this early episode. According to director John Rich, who grew up not far from Archie's neighbood, the Spartan look of the Bunkers' living room deco was achieved as a result of painstaking efforts. The director remembers personally supervising the cracking of windows and repainting of walls to give the place a run-down, lived-in look. "I told the set designers to take all the color out of it," remembers Rich. "Norman and I wanted to do the show in black and white, but CBS nearly went into a coma. So we decided to do the next best thing and shoot the entire show in muted sepia tones."
Archie refuses to donate blood because he's afraid that his vital fluids might get mixed in with those of a different race.
Guest Stars:
Mike Evans, James Hong, Jeannie Linero
Archie scorns one of Mike's effeminate friends, unaware that one of his own beer-drinking buddies is a well-adjusted gay man.
Guest Stars:
Philip Carey, Billy Sands, Anthony Geary, Billy Halop, Bob Hastings
Archie's dream of becoming a grandfather is dashed when Gloria suffers a sudden miscarriage.
Guest Stars:
Mike Evans, Holly Near
Mike invites one of his hippie friends to spend the night in his living room, despite Archie's strenous ojections.
Guest Stars:
Jenny Sullivan, Corey Fischer, Jack Bender
Louise Jefferson makes her first appearance, through husband George will remain an offscreen character for another two seasons. Their son, Lionel, had been a regular visitor to the Bunkers since the pilot episode, when the writers discovered how effective the street-smart black youth was at gently letting the air out of Archie's sails.
Edith abandons the kitchen for the courtroom when she is chosen for jury duty, leaving Archie to fend for himself.
Guest Stars:
Doris Singleton, Billy Sands, Hollis Irving
No one in the family gets any sleep when Archie spends the night worring that he might lose his job.
Guest Stars:
Burt Mustin, Sandy Kenyon, Hollis Irving, Jack Perkins, Keith Taylor
Gloria leaves the house in a rage after Mike refuses to recognize her as an equal partner in their marriage.
Guest Stars:
Mike Evans, William Windom, George Savalas, Herbie Faye, Len Lesser
Archie reevaluates his definition of success after he meets an old army buddy who's become wealthy in the used-car trade.
Guest Stars:
William Windom, George Savalas, Herbie Faye, Len Lesser
Guest Stars:
Helen Page Camp, Rich Little
Guest Stars:
George Furth, Salem Ludwig, Mike Evans, Richard Stahl
Guest Stars:
Vincent Gardenia, Mike Evans, Isabel Sanford
24 Episodes