While the show itself was based on the British sitcom Till Death Do Us Part, All in the Family was seen as an unprecedented piece of entertainment, even while it was airing. Like everything that is the first of its kind, those involved in the creation were uncertain of its reception from the audience.
Even Sally Struthers, who was an integral part of the show’s cast for many seasons, was unsure of how successful the series would be once it actually aired. In fact, in an interview with The Dispatch, she said that initially, she didn’t have especially high hopes for All in the Family.
“When we first went on, we thought we were going to be taken off the air,” Struthers said. “We knew the show was going to infuriate some people, and make some people reel in disgust. Once the first one aired we thought it was going to be our swan song. Little did we know that within a year we’d be number one .”
In an interview with The Akron Beacon Journal, Struthers said, “I’m very proud of the work we did on that show. I always felt it was a blend of adult comedy without being silly. In the history of television, we were the first family portrayed who seemed to be absolutely real…I do think it held a mirror up to America, and those who wanted to take a look, did.”
Through all of this, Struthers was able to stay humble. “With all I’ve been through, I don’t think of myself as a big star or anything. To me, I’m still little Sally Ann Struthers from Portland, Oregon.”
