My 10 favourite episodes of Archie Bunker's Place

Following up on my blog on All in the Family, I thought I would count down my 10 favourite episodes of Archie Bunker’s Place. This series continued the adventures of Archie Bunker, from 1979 until its cancellation in 1983. In this series, Archie and Edith raise their step-niece Stephanie Mills (Brisebois) after her father abandons her. Most of the action, however, revolves around Archie’s bar and grill, where he forms an unlikely partnership with Jewish liberal Murray Klein, played by Martin Balsam.

Carroll O’Connor and Danielle Brisebois were its two main stars, along with a rotating supporting cast that included Balsam, Anne Meara, Denise Miller and Barry Gordon. Jean Stapleton plays Edith Bunker during its first season before moving on to other TV and film projects.

Though Archie Bunker’s Place may not be as remembered as its predecessor, it is entertaining and has its own set of charms worth recommending. Reruns have been airing all year on DejaView in Canada.

Here are my top 10 favourite episodes:

10. "Three Women" (1983, Season 4)

Archie takes Stephanie to visit her grandmother (Celeste Holm) and her catty housekeeper (played wonderfully by Night Court’s Selma Diamond). However, Archie is forced to stay when his truck breaks down. The visit goes sour when Stephanie gets upset at her grandmother for refusing to talk about her late mother. I like this one because it ties up loose ends on Stephanie’s past.

9. "The Return of Sammy" (1980, Season 1)

A fun reunion occurs when Archie meets up with Sammy Davis Jr. again, this time at the restaurant owned by Archie and Murray. Sammy arrives upon learning that Archie is raising Stephanie, whose mother was Jewish. Archie saves Sammy’s life when he chokes on a plate of ribs at the restaurant. Much of the story has clever references to Sammy’s previous visit in the classic All in the Family episode, “Sammy’s Visit.”

8. "Tough Love" (1981, Season 2)

Veronica Rooney (Meara), Archie’s cook, hits rock bottom when her frequent drinking starts to take its toll. Archie and Murray advise her to get help, but her drinking habit gets in the way and she almost loses her job. Archie is the one to apply tough love on her, creating intensity near the end. Veronica’s drinking problem is implied in other episodes, but this is the first of two where her alcoholism is dealt with head-on.

7. "Death of a Lodger" (1982, Season 3)

Don Rickles guest stars as a boarder for Archie’s pal Barney (Allan Melvin) when he has trouble paying the bills. The arrangement doesn’t work out however, and before Barney can convince him to leave, he dies. Rickles basically plays his comedic alter ego by supplying his trademark comic insults and put-downs.

6. "The Incident" (1980, Season 2)

During Archie’s first Christmas without Edith, his newly-hired housekeeper Ellen Canby (Barbara Meek) is verbally harassed at the supermarket for being a black woman. Archie, in a rare show of liberalism, punches the man, a lodge brother. Archie is then threatened with expulsion from the lodge. Archie demonstrates, through this incident, that he respects Ellen and the help she gives to him and Stephanie.

5. "Reggie-3, Archie-0" (1982, Season 3)

Baseball star Reggie Jackson threatens to sue Archie when one of Archie’s staff accidentally damages his limo. Archie, who does not have insurance, spends much of the time trying to persuade Jackson to let him off easy. I sense that Reggie, like Sammy, was also a fan of All in the Family.

4 & 3. (tie) "Thanksgiving Reunion, Parts 1 & 2" (1979, Season 1)

Archie and Edith welcome their daughter Gloria, son-in-law Mike and grandson Joey back for a Thanksgiving reunion. Calamity ensues when Mike tells Archie that he was fired from his job in California for streaking in protest over the building of a nuclear power plant. This is the last time we see O’Connor and Stapleton act alongside their All in the Family co-stars Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers. It’s also the last time Reiner would play the Meathead.

2 & 1. (tie) "Archie Alone, Parts 1 & 2" (1980, Season 2)

This may be the most important episode of Archie Bunker’s Place, and also the saddest. The story begins a month after Edith dies of a stroke in her sleep. Archie’s decision to carry on living as though nothing happened hurts his relations with Stephanie, and with his colleagues at the bar. The most emotional moment is at the end, when Archie breaks down and admits he needs help adjusting to life without his beloved ‘dingbat.’ Edith was written out at the start of season two because Stapleton felt the character had reached its potential. Producer and show creator Norman Lear took the news hard. When Stapleton reminded him that Edith was a fictional character and not a real person, he said, “Not to me she isn’t.” O’Connor won Emmy and Peabody awards for this episode.