Archie and the Editorial

"Archie and the Editorial"
	Season 3, episode # 1; # 38 overall in series (205 episodes)
	; Archie gives an on-air citizen's rebuttal to a television editorial advocating restrictions on handguns as he later gets into big trouble for it when with Edith, Mike and Gloria at Kelsey's in "Archie and the Editorial", the Season 3 opening episode.
	"All in the Family" episode
Series:	All in the Family
Network/Country:	CBS-TV
Air date	September 16, 1972
Production code	301 (3x01)
Teleplay by:	George Bloom and Don Nicholl
Story by:	George Bloom
Directed by:	Norman Campbell
Guest starring:	Mike Evans; Val Bisoglio; Sorrell Booke; Brendan Dillon; Lynette Mettey; Diane Sommerfield
IMDb:	Archie and the Editorial
	Episode guide
"Maude"; (Season 2 finale)	"Archie's Fraud"
	List of All in the Family episodes ; List of Maude episodes; List of Archie Bunker's Place episodes

Archie and the Editorial is the premiere episode of the Season 3 and the 38th overall episode of All in the Family. The Season 3 episode first aired on CBS-TV on September 16, 1972. Directed by Norman Campbell, the story was written by George Bloom. The original teleplay was co-written by Bloom and Don Nicholl.

"Archie and the Editorial"
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Synopsis[]

Why is gun control so important? It all starts when Archie gives an on-air citizen's rebuttal to a television editorial advocating restrictions on handguns. After enduring Mike's lecture in support of gun control, Archie goes to Kelcy's Bar... where he meets a pair of stickup artists who take his money.

Summary[]

AITF began its third season with this satirical jab at America's "gun culture." Angered at a television editorial advocating gun control, Archie marches down to the TV station demanding that his voice be heard. Astounded at Archie's thick-eared opinions, station manager Mr. Bennett (Sorrell Booke) puts Mr. Bunker on the air to deliver a rambling rebuttal. Archie's 15 minutes of fame attracts the attention of a smooth-talking gentleman (Val Bisoglio) who insists that he agrees with Archie 100 percent -- unfortunately, as Archie realizes that the man that he's "agreed" with is the notorious local gangster Ralph Silvestri, who then robs him at gunpoint!

Cast (in credits order)[]

Main cast[]

Recurring cast/characters[]

Mike Evans as Lionel Jefferson
Brendan Dillon as Tommy Kelsey

Guest starring[]

Sorrell Booke as Lyle Bennett, TV station manager
Lynette Mettey as Lyle Bennett's secretary (uncredited)
Val Bisoglio as Ralph Silvestri
Diane Sommerfield as Judy

Did You Know?[]

Trivia/Notes[]

This was the second season premiere and the show opening is slightly different. In the first season opener, as Jean Stapleton hits her screechy high note, the audience's laughter can be heard under the note. Starting with this episode and for the rest of the season, no audience laughter is heard.

Goofs[]

,Revealing mistakes

Archie told the family that his TV editorial contains the line "car accidents cause more deaths than guns every year", then the hold-up man at Kelcy's quoted Archie as saying "Guns are like free speech" and "Guns are what brings law and order to our cities"; none of which had appeared in the actual editorial.

Scene excerpts[]

Quotes

Gloria: Daddy, how can you be against gun control with all the assassinations? Look at it, the Kennedys and Martin Luther King. And what about the shooting of Governor Wallace?
Archie: I'm saying maybe Governor Wallace wouldn't have gotten shot if he had a rod in his mitt!
Mike: What?
Archie: (speaking to Mike) Because the Governor was there, he coulda shot first!
Mike: Archie, what would he be doing walking around in a crowd with a gun?
Archie: (continuing) What was the other bum doing in the crowd with the gun?
Mike: That's ridiculous, Archie! You're talking about a human being who may be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Archie: Yes, and if that human being had a rod, then the other human being would be in the wheelchair!