By 1988, primetime soaps like Dallas and Knots Landing had been drawing large, loyal audiences for a decade. So, it’s not surprising that CBS turned to David Jacobs, the mastermind of those two hits, for a sudsy spin on the Western genre. The result was Guns of Paradise, a unique hybrid of Old West action, family drama, and will they/won’t they romance — seen weekdays at 4p ET and weekends at 3p ET on getTV!

When a new sitcom debuted on CBS on Tuesday, January 12, 1971, it was accompanied by the following disclaimer: “The program you are about to see is All In The Family. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show – in a mature fashion – just how absurd they are.”

“CBS was nervous about it,” co-star Rob Reiner told PBS American Masters in 2016. “[They were] saying, essentially, ‘We don’t have anything to do with this show.’”

Playing a television character beloved by generations of viewers is a rare achievement. Doing it twice makes you an icon. Carroll O’Connor did just that: first, as loveable loudmouth Archie Bunker on All In The Family and then as Mississippi police chief Bill Gillespie on In The Heat Of The Night.  

“The program you are about to see is All in the Family. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show—in a mature fashion—just how absurd they are.”

Nearly half a century after its creation, All In The Family remains one of the most influential and enduring sitcoms in TV history. For nine seasons, the Norman Lear comedy tickled funny bones and busted taboos with topics never before discussed in primetime. It was the top-rated TV show for five years, scored 22 Emmy Awards, and is #9 on Rolling Stone’s list of Greatest TV Shows.