All in the Family

All in the Family was a popular liberal situation-comedy which aired on CBS from 1971 until 1979, created by left-wing producer Norman Lear, and starring late actor Carrol O'Connor as bigot Archie Bunker. It also starred Jean Stapleton as Archie's wife, Edith, Sally Struthers as their daughter, Gloria and Rob Reiner as liberal son-in-law Michael Stevich. The show's storylines featured Archie, incorrectly portrayed as a conservative bigot, engaging in constant arguments and debates with Mike Stevich (nick-named "Meathead" by Archie), most especially regarding Archie's racist tendencies.

All in the Family was notable at the time of it's airing for being the first show to feature controversial storylines focused on the political themes of racism, homosexuality, abortion and feminism, among other topics, on mainstream American television. This reflects the time period during the early 1970's, during which Hollywood's sharp turn to radical left-wing political themes in both film and television during the era of the Vietnam War saw a shift from conservative tv shows featuring strong moral and family values (such as westerns Bonanza and The Rifleman) towards liberal urban-set dramas and sit-coms, which also included The Jeffersons and Good Times (also created by Norman Lear).

While All in the Family is today considered to be a "groundbreaking" show in the history of television by the liberal media, it is also viewed by conservatives as a glaring reminder of Hollywood's sharp turn to the left during the late 1960's and early 1970's.