Friday, December 13, 2013

Archie Bunker's Place

Archie Bunker's Place

"Aaaaaaaaaachie!!!!!"

"Meathead"

"Dingbat"

Archie Bunkers Place.jpg

Format: Sitcom

Created by: Norman Lear (based in part upon Till Death Us Do Part, created by Johnny Speight)

Starring: Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Martin Balsam, Danielle Brisebois, Allan Melvin, Denise Miller, Jason Wingreen, Barbara Meek, Bill Quinn, Anne Meara, Barry Gordon

Opening theme:"Those Were the Days" by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse (Ray Conniff instrumental version)

Ending theme: "Remembering You" by Roger kellaway and Carroll O'Connor (Ray Conniff instrumental version)

Country of Origin: United States

No. of Seasons: 4

No. of episodes: 97

Running time: 30 minutes

Original channel: CBS

Original run: September 23, 1979 - April 4, 1983

Chronology:

   Preceded by: All in the Family
   Related Shows: Maude, The Jeffersons, Gloria, 704 Hauser


(Check out my other blogs especially the bipolar one.  I don't have bipolar disease but my sister does.)
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Archie Bunker's Place is American sitcom.  It wasn't as popular as All in the Family.  There was enough people (someone check my grammar) for the show to last four seasons.  In it's first season the Archie Bunker's Place did so well that it replaced Mork & Mindy during the Sunday night time slot.

Archie Bunker's Place continued where All in the Family left off.  The Bunker home is seen every so often but the main setting was the tavern that Archie bought.  At the beginning Archie has a Jewish partner, Murray Klein (Martin Balsam).  Archie and Murray get the chance to buy the place when Archie's co-owner partner decides to sell his share of the business.  Archie and Murray modify the bar that existed so that it now has a restaurant section.  The regulars to the tavern are Barney Hefner, Hank Pivnik, and Edgar Van Ranseleer.

Archie Bunker's Place allowed Archie to voice his opinions and get feedback from friends.  When Murray leaves later in the series Archie takes on another partner, named Gary Rabinowitz (Barry Gordon). Gary's views are very different from Archie's so send in the clowns.

Characters

Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker.

He is a blue-collar worker who become a bar owner---so that makes him a dirty white collar worker.  He is ignorant and stubborn.  He usually defeats his own arguments.  After becoming a bar owner he is not as racist as he was in All in the Family.  On that show he wouldn't have agreed to be partners with a Jewish guy and even more he wouldn't become good friends with a Jewish guy.

Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker.

She is Archie's wife as she was on All in the Family.  She was on early episodes occasionally during the first season.  She decided to leave the series in 1979.  Her character was talked about but not seen again.  The producers explained her absence by saying she had died of a stroke.  Archie took Edith's death hard but started socializing again......you know chasing women.....well dating.

Martin Balsam as Murray Klein (1979-1981).

He was Archie's Jewish partner.  He was a liberal thinker and was more tolerant of Archie's odd thoughts.

Danielle Brisebois as Stephanie Mills

She is the 10-year-old Jewish daughter of Edith's step-cousin, Floyd Mills.  You almost here banjos playing but Stephanie is a sweet little girl with brains.  She's not a nerd; she is naturally "streetwise".  She gets along with everyone.  Archie and Edit took Stephanie in after her father abandoned her during the final season of All in the Family.  Stephanie loved to sing and dance and she did both every so often.

Celeste Holm as Estelle Harris

This is Stephanie's wealthy grandmother.  She argues with Archie about the right ways to raise Stephanie.

Allan Melvin as Barney Hefner

He's one of Archie's best friends.  He comes to the bar regularly.  They became friends on in 1972 during an episode of All in the Family.  He was then married to a woman named Mabel.  After Mabel died Barney married Blanche (Estelle Parsons), one of Edith's friends.  Blanche left Barney many times until the couple divorced in 1979.

Danny Dayton as Hank Pivnik