All in the Family and 7 spin-offs, in chronological order

All in the family is one of the most iconic sitcoms of the 1970s, and was so popular that it spawned a grand total of 7 spinoffs, flavoring the on-screen lives of many minor and supporting characters with their own shows. Produced by Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, the working-class sitcom was set in Queens, New York and was based on a British sitcom called Till death do us part. All in the family is famous for its prejudiced patriarch, Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), who was used as a vehicle for commentary on social issues in the 1970s.

The Bunkers and their neighbors, the Jeffersons, have developed relationships with other characters throughout. All in the familyMany of those got spin-offs of their own. With the series’ cultural relevance and fandom, it’s no surprise All in the family, The JeffersonsAnd Good times They were also revived for a live performance special in 2019. Looking back on decades past, it’s remarkable how seven shows followed All in the family and belong to his universe.

All in the Family (1971-1979)

The groundbreaking sitcom that started it all

All in the family Primarily takes place at the Bunker residence on 704 Hauser Street. Archie and Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) share their home with their daughter, Gloria (Sally Struthers), and her husband, Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner). Archie and Mike are always at odds because Archie is politically conservative and Mike is usually portrayed as a liberal.

Another sparring partner for Archie is neighbor George Jefferson, and the two criticize each other’s race. Archie’s greatness was never meant to be accepted. Rather, the entire sitcom was meant to “throw a humorous spotlight” on human “weaknesses, prejudices and concerns,” as A disclaimer before the first episode said.

All in the family featured 205 episodes over its nine seasons on CBS. It had such a cultural impact that it was referenced for decades in multiple other shows, including The Simpsons And that 70s show, And Archie and Edith’s chairs are now on display at the Smithsonian. The show also won multiple Golden Globes and Primetime Emmys during its original run, including the Globe for Best Television Show – Musical/Comedy for 3 years in a row between 1972 and 1974.

Maud (1972-1978)

The hit spinoff starring Beau Arthur

The first All in the family Spinoff was almost as popular as the original show, in no small part to the legendary Beau Arthur in the titular lead role. The show is, of course, fashion, which ran for 141 episodes over six seasons between 1972 and 1978. Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur) first appeared as Edith Bunker’s cousin in a 1971 All in the family Episode called “Cousin Maud’s Visit.” Maud comes to the Bunker home to help when the family is hit with the flu. Maude becomes yet another person for Archie to disagree with politically.

After a 1972 backdoor pilot on All in the familyMaud got a show of her own. Like its predecessor, Mod He dealt with some serious issues during his day. Mod was almost as critically acclaimed as the original show too. It was nominated for multiple awards, including Emmys and Golden Globes, as evidenced by the fact that in 1973, the only reason Mod Didn’t win Best TV Show – Musical/Comedy at the Globes because All in the family Hit it.

Good Times (1979-1974)

The spinoff of a spinoff

One of the main topics of All in the family was race relations, as was exemplified by the relationship between Archie and his neighbor George Jefferson. The second spinoff of All in the family was Good timesAnd it did even more to bring the lived experience of black Americans into households in 1970s America. (Although, technically, it was a spinoff of mod).

Florida Evans (Esther Roll) was Maude Findlay’s maid in Tuckahoe, New York, and Good times Moved to develop Florida’s life with her family in Chicago. They live in a public housing project and struggle to get by on time.

While Florida’s husband on Mod was a firefighter named Henry (John Amos), her husband on Good times Is Jacob, a hard worker often taking on multiple jobs to support the family. Amos continued in the role of Jacob until the character’s death. Florida and James have three children: JJ, Michael and Thelma. Another interesting connection from the sitcom universe is that Mike Evans (who played Lionel Jefferson on All in the family And The Jeffersons) created Good times With Eric Monte. Just like fashion, Good times Lasted for 6 seasons, although it had slightly fewer episodes at 131.

The Jeffersons (1975-1985)

The Bunker’s neighbors move to New York for their own show

While Good times was a spinoff of fashion, It has use these All in the family universe to shed light on the Black American experience at a time when it is almost controversial to do so. the next spinach, the jeffersons, has the same, although was drawn directly from letters in All in the family (And is arguably much more successful than good time). The parenting show would have been completely different without the Jefferson family in the neighborhood, so it’s no surprise that they’re getting their own spinoff.

Although Archie and George (Sherman Hemsley) argue a lot, Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford) is a dear friend of Edith Bunker, and it is difficult for the two to say goodbye when the Jeffersons move away. George owns a profitable dry-cleaning chain, so he and the family move to a nice apartment on the Upper East Side of New York City in a backdoor pilot on All in the family. In their own show, the Jeffersons interact with new friends and neighbors while living a new lifestyle.

The Jeffersons was one of the longest-running broadcast sitcoms, lasting an impressive 11 seasons consisting of 253 episodes. It is one of the few All in the family spinoffs that is arguably more successful than the original show, and has an equally impressive cultural legacy. Unfortunately, this did not translate to awards success in quite the same way, although it could be argued that this was also due to prejudices at the time – prejudices that The Jeffersons Was actively trying to combat.

Checking In (1981)

The short-lived Jeffersons spinoff that didn’t even manage a season

While many of the shows are connected to All in the family was exceptionally good, Check in Only lasts four episodes. The show was a spin-off of The JeffersonsAlthough it manages to capture none of the charm and appeal of its parent show or any of the others All in the family Spinoffs like Mod Or Good times. Low ratings are given as the reason for Check in s cancellation.

as with Mod And Good timesThe main character of the new series was a maid on her previous series. Florence Johnston (Marla Gibbs) worked for the Jefferson family on their show, however Check in Focused on her life as the executive hostess of the St. Frederick Hotel in New York City. Florence Johnson returned to The Jeffersons Still Check in Completed. When Florence returned to her original show, it was announced that the St. Frederick Hotel had burned down.

Archie Bunker’s Place (1979-1983)

The continuity of all in the family

All in the family Took a page from his own book and spawned yet another sitcom after the series ended. Archie Bunker’s place Started with both Archie and Edith, but Jean Stapleton left the show and was killed off shortly after the series began. Unlike the others All in the family strain, Archie Bunker’s place was a direct continuation of the parent show, and was something of a sequel of sorts (although this unfortunately did not make it as popular as all in the family, Or other spinoffs like The Jeffersons And mod).

Even earlier All in the family completed, Stapleton expressed a desire to distance herself from the role of Edith. Edith’s death in the context of the spin-off made Archie a widower, and although he missed Edith terribly, he continued with his pub and focused on caring for Edith’s young relative, Stephanie Mills (Danielle Brisebois). Archie Bunker’s place Archie’s role extended to over twelve years on television.

Gloria (1982-1983)

Another short-lived All in the Family spinoff

Sally Struthers was next to get her own All in the family Spinoff as Gloria Bunker Stivick, Archie and Edith’s daughter. She reprized her role several times on Archie Bunker’s place And then took center stage on GloriaThe latest series to focus on a member of the Bunker family. The series began after a backdoor pilot on Archie Bunker’s place Called “Gloria: The First Day.” Gloria and Mike are no longer together, so Gloria and her son, Joey, leave California and go home to New York. Gloria works as an assistant to two veterinarians.

like Check in, Gloria Has an incredibly short run compared to others All in the family spinoffs, although it was able to reach 21 episodes instead of 4. It also was nowhere near as critically acclaimed as the original show or shows like Mod And The Jeffersons. Notably, one of Struther’s costars on Gloria was Burgess Meredith, better known for playing the Penguin in the 1960s Batman TV series and as Mickey Goldsmith in Rocky.

704 Hauser (1994)

The final spinoff is also one of the least successful

The latest spin-off from the world of Norman Lear shows is 704 house. This location is the only concrete link from All in the family To the series, but it is a strong one despite the fact that 704 house was only on the air for five episodes. The Cumberbatches are a black family who moved into the Bunkers’ old house in Queens. John Amos (who played James Evans on Good times) is the father, Ernie Cumberbatch. In a reversal of All in the familyErnie is liberal while his son is quite conservative.

The series gave John Amos and Norman Lear another chance to work together after tensions on set led to Amos leaving Good times. Amos said this 704 house Was a much better experience behind the scenes than Good times (via EW):

“In Good timesI thought we should have more black writers on staff… I felt I should be more involved in the development of scripts. But we do not have the fights on 704 house. Lear is now more willing to listen. He is confused. We both made fun of each other. We really enjoy working together.”

Lear called these 704 house letters”Responsible“And explains that they know what they are talking about in complaints. Unfortunately, the lack of hostility is not enough to make 704 house a success, and it became one of the least successful spinoffs of All in the family.

Other TV shows that have spawned multiple spin-offs

Television audiences are used to crime procedurals with spin-offs. Law & Order, CSIAnd NCIS All have spinoff shows. Even Criminal Minds Had two spin-off shows, although they were unsuccessful. In most cases, the flagship series outlasts the spin-offsAlthough not always. Crime procedurals aren’t the only shows to have multiple spinoffs.

Genre TV is also known for multiple spin-offs. The Vampire Diaries Had both The originalsAbout the original vampire family, and LegaciesAbout the next generation of supernatural beings. The Walking Dead Has had many spin-offs: Fear The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: The World Beyond, The Walking Dead: Dead CityAnd more. Star Trek And Doctor Who are also known for their many spin-offs. Each of the spin-offs is able to expand the knowledge of the different universes.

Less often do shows like All in the family Get spin-off series. It was much more likely to see crossovers happen between sitcoms or family shows that aired on the same network. All in the family Helped to change that. Happy days Actually has five spin-offs: Laverne & Shirley, Mork and Mindy, Joanie loves Chachi, Blanksy’s BeautiesAnd Out of the blue. Many of these shows even have their own spin-offs. Only the first two were really successful though.

One show that TV fans may not realize has multiple spin-offs is Golden Girls. The Golden Palace Saw three of the characters take over a hotel. empty nest is also technically a spin-off of Golden GirlsAlthough it did not have any of the main show’s characters. The series Nurses Also deviated from this.

Even superhero shows have spin-offs. CW’s Arrow created the Arrowverse. Most of the superhero shows that appeared on the CW following Arrow Spun out of his existing universe. The bottle was a more direct spin-off, while Supergirl was eventually folded into the universe after moving from CBS to the CW. Still those series were Legends of tomorrow, Black lightningAnd BatwomanAlthough the latter two are only revealed to be part of the same universe during a multiversal threat storyline.

Superman & LoisAlthough seemingly set in a different universe than the main one ArrowverseAlso spun out of the points, and became the last Spin-off Standing on the CW.