‘All in the Family’ & ‘The Jeffersons’ Live Cast on Working With Norman Lear (VIDEO)
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ABC is taking viewers down memory lane with live recreations of original episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons Wednesday.
The special, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and television icon Norman Lear, brings together a star-studded cast for the 90-minute primetime event. Several of those actors — Woody Harrelson, Ellie Kemper, Ike Barinholtz, Jamie Foxx, Stephen Tobolowsky, Wanda Sykes, Anthony Anderson, and Marisa Tomei — speak about what Lear and his work meant to comedy and to them as individuals in TV Insider’s exclusive clip below.
“He’s an icon,” Kemper says. “He changed our culture.”
All in the Family aired from 1971 through 1979 and tackled controversial subjects through the highly opinionated Archie Bunker and his working-class family. Its success led to The Jeffersons, which aired from 1975 to 1985. It was one of the longest-running African-American shows on TV and also the first television series to feature an interracial couple. The series helped shift conversations about race and class.
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons, Wednesday, May 22, 8/7c, ABC
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I am amazed and I'm sure Mr. Lear was all chuckles. Back when they did interviews about All in the Family., Norman Lear didn't think that All in the Family would fly today. Surprise surprise.
I just finished reading an article about the tribute and have a few observations..... While Woody Harrelson as Archie might not have been spot on, I'm not sure it was entirely meant to be. Had Woody, or any other actor tried to play it as seriously as Carroll O'Connor portrayed Archie, it might have niggled at nerves and fights might have ensued. Removing Archie's EDGE destressed what might have become a dicey situation.
I mean people are SO PC these days, I got into an argument over a Fraggle Rock song to do with a funeral. "...So forget about your black( funeral wear) 'cause I'm planning to come back..."
Re: Jamie Fox.... for me, his flub wasn't as obvious as his mismatched casting.... George Jefferson was all of 5'4" Jamie is closer to 6' tall. But it's all about the fun of remembering those classic shows and the man who brought them to us. SO, as the end of the day, it was all good. I'm sure Carroll and Jean would have LOVED the tribute and Carroll especially would have been amazed at the very respectful response within the black community, celeb wise. Then again, after being kissed by Sammy Davis Jr. everything else is
an 'Also ran" .
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