All In The Family And Its 7 Spin-offs, In Chronological Order
It’s remarkable that seven shows followed All in the Family and belong to its universe. What is the chronological order of these Norman Lear shows?
Many great shows and movies turn 50 years old in 2021, and All in the Family is one of the most iconic. 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 biased patriarch, Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor). Archie was used as a device for commentary on important social issues in the 1970s.
The Bunkers and their neighbors, the Jeffersons, developed relationships with other characters, many of whom got spin-offs of their own. With the series’ cultural relevance and fandom, it’s no surprise All in the Family, TheJeffersons, and Good Times were also revived for a live performance special in 2019. Looking back on past decades, it’s remarkable how seven shows followed All in the Family and belong to its universe.
All In The Family (1971-1979)
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 butting heads since Archie is politically conservative and Mike is usually portrayed as being liberal.
Another sparring partner for Archie is neighbor George Jefferson, and the two criticize one another’s race. Archie’s bigotry was never meant to be accepted; rather, the entire sitcom was meant to “throw a humorous spotlight” on human “frailties, prejudices, and concerns,” as a disclaimer before the first episode said.
Maude (1972-1978)
Maude Findlay (Bea Arthur) first appeared as Edith Bunker’s cousin in a 1971 All in the Family episode called “Cousin Maude’s Visit.” Maude arrives at the Bunker home to help out when the family gets hit with the flu. Maude becomes yet another person for Archie to disagree with politically.
After a 1972 backdoor pilot on All in the Family, Maude got her own show. The successful series runs for six seasons and, like its predecessor, deals with some serious issues during its day.
Good Times (1974-1979)
A sitcom world must be a good one for a spin-off to spawn another spin-off! That’s exactly what happened with Good Times. Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) was Maude Findlay’s maid in Tuckahoe, New York, and Good Times moved on to develop Florida’s life with her family in Chicago. They live in a public housing project and struggle to get by at times.
While Florida’s husband on Maude was a firefighter named Henry (John Amos), her husband on Good Times was James, a hard worker often taking on multiple jobs to support the family. Amos continued in the role of James until the character’s death. Florida and James have three children: J.J., Michael, and Thelma. Another interesting connection of 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.
The Jeffersons (1975-1985)
The Jeffersons is the next spin-off to come directly from All in the Family. In fact, the parent show would have been completely different without the Jefferson family in the neighborhood. Lionel is the first Jefferson to be seen on All in the Family, but his parents became an important part of the show, too.
