R.I.P. Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton)

[Peartree12249]

A wonderful actress. She owned that role.

[ebake02]

Stifle yourself Edith!

[Boomchild]

A wonderful actress. She owned that role.

You got that right. I loved that show.

[Enigma869]

Easily the best show EVER put on TV. Amazing to think that four decades after "All In The Family" first aired that you could NEVER get away with putting a show like that on the air today. Brilliant show with the most brilliant cast ever assembled! Jean had nothing in common with the character she played and Carroll O'Connor had nothing in common with the character he played, and yet, they were both sooooo believable in those roles. So sad that we'll never see anything half this brilliant on TV, ever again. RIP Jean.

[No Surprize]

Easily the best show EVER put on TV. Amazing to think that four decades after "All In The Family" first aired that you could NEVER get away with putting a show like that on the air today. Brilliant show with the most brilliant cast ever assembled! Jean had nothing in common with the character she played and Carroll O'Connor had nothing in common with the character he played, and yet, they were both sooooo believable in those roles. So sad that we'll never see anything half this brilliant on TV, ever again. RIP Jean.

How true. I know you have alway said that "All in the family" was the da bomb. My fav. was always "Sanford and Son". Show's like these along with "MASH", "Andy Griffith", "Hogans Hero's" etc., won't ever happen again. In fact it seems like when I see a show that I would like, it's gone after ONE season or hell, doesn't even make it thru one season before they yank it. What the fuck? So, since then, I have sworn off any fucking sitcom, drama or whatever and will never watch another. The only thing on tv I will lose time out of my life will be sports and music and Survivor and I DVR Survivor now and watch when I have the time.

[Rick]

Easily the best show EVER put on TV. Amazing to think that four decades after "All In The Family" first aired that you could NEVER get away with putting a show like that on the air today. Brilliant show with the most brilliant cast ever assembled! Jean had nothing in common with the character she played and Carroll O'Connor had nothing in common with the character he played, and yet, they were both sooooo believable in those roles. So sad that we'll never see anything half this brilliant on TV, ever again. RIP Jean.

Very well said. That was cutting edge tv in those days, and you're absolutely right, John. You won't see shows made like that on tv now. Brilliant writing and brilliant cast.

[YoungJRNY]

Though before my time, All In The Family was always a household favorite of ours. We always had that knack to comparing their characters to people we knew around the neighborhood and have a ball watching re-runs. The very candid nature of the show (like John said) wouldn't dare to even make it to set-scripts in this new age and that's what makes the show one of the all-time classics of sitcom. RIP Edith Bunker, you gave the world one helluva era.

[Don]

All In The Family was actually based on a British sitcom called Till Death Us Do Part, which Norman Lear had gotten the rights to (along with Steptoe and Son, which he converted into Sanford and Son). Surprisingly, both UK programs were actually even more belligerent than their American counterparts.

[Enigma869]

Nice three minute video piece on Jean by CBS.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50148112n

[bluejeangirl76]

Been really bummed about this since I heard it. Truly my top favorite show of all time, and she was such a wonderfully talented woman.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Waiting for meathead and "Gloria" to kick the bucket.

[Enigma869]

Been really bummed about this since I heard it. Truly my top favorite show of all time, and she was such a wonderfully talented woman.

I agree BJ Girl. I always thought that Jean was overshadowed on that show by the brilliance of Carroll O'Connor. She was an amazingly talented woman. I was thrilled that she won two or three Emmy's for playing that role, because it was easy to be overlooked with that cast, and she was every bit as brilliant as O'Connor was.

The irony of all ironies is that Jean voluntarily left the show (which led to four seasons of "Archie Bunker's Place") because she didn't want to be "type cast" in the role, which seems like an odd decision, after playing that role for so many years.

It's been my favorite TV show, ever, my entire life. I'm old enough to remember the later seasons when they were first running, and even as a young kid (even though I didn't understand some of the profound messages that the show put out there), I laughed uncontrollably watching that show, and the characters play off of each other. I've been looking for decades for ANY show to come even a little close to it. I've finally resigned myself to the fact that it simply won't ever happen again. It was a different time and different place. Those were the days...

[Don]

The first and last time Jean Stapleton and Carroll O'Connor appeared together on a talk show..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0_7y3MxZWM

[Don]

Interesting that she turned down Murder, She Wrote (Doris Day turned it down also). I wonder if she would have as much success with it as Angela Lansbury did.

[Rick]

The first and last time Jean Stapleton and Carroll O'Connor appeared together on a talk show..


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0_7y3MxZWM

Where's the like button?