All in the Family was ahead of its time when it first premiered in 1971. However, long-standing fans who still tune in to watch the series today love the show because it was the first of its kind to push boundaries in a television program. But some viewers seem to believe that there will also never be another show like All in the Family again.
Sure, arguments have been made in previous decades that a show like All in the Family deserves a reboot, but no network has ever taken a creator up on it. The closest we’ve come is ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience, where famous actors reunited to recreate episodes of All in the Family.
While some fans saw it as a welcome surprise to see the Bunker family on their screens again, there’s another camp of fans securely in the “Don’t even think about it” category when it comes to an All in the Family reboot. In fact, given the subject matter that the series tackled, there’s even some debate over whether a reboot would get an honest and fair depiction, true to the frankness that made the original series so special.
For those in that camp, you’re in good company. According to an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Carroll O’Connor explained his personal belief that All in the Family could never be made in the present day — with the present day of the interview being 1977 when All in the Family was still on the air. O’Connor said, “I think the people who say you could not start an All in the Family today because of network caution are absolutely right.”
He also explained that not only were television’s standards for new series becoming stricter, but the rules also applied to existing series like All in the Family. O’Connor complained about an influx of censorship from the higher-ups of the series who were attempting to sanitize the show.
