The passing of actor Carroll O'Connor yesterday, and the ensuing stories in the press, have, of course, stimulated much reflection on "All in the Family" and his greatest creation, Archie Bunker. Love him or hate him, and he was always controversial, Archie Bunker has become one of the most indelible and enduring characters in American culture. And, whether you liked the character or not, you'd have to agree it was a great, landmark TV show!...the writing, direction, acting, all superb!...and it was funny! So I thought it might be interesting to hear folks' reflections on O'Connor, Archie, "All in the Family," or even "In the Heat of the Night." -- including all the controversy, and the imprint he made on the American cultural scene. I loved "All in the Family," and viewed Archie as a sort of pathetic, lovable, idiot whose vituperations, though humor, helped launch topics into public discussion that might otherwise have been left in the closet of our denial. And "All in the Family" really raised the standards for the quality of production on TV programming, especially sitcoms...a level that few have attained since.

"Till Death Do Us Part" I also thought it might be interesting to hear from our friends across the pond about this BBC sitcom that was the model for "All in the Family"...comparisons; was it as huge a sensation in Britain as "All in the Family" was here; etc.??