The Trouble with Archie: Locating and Accessing Primary Sources for the Study of the 1970s US Sitcom, All in the Family

Authors

Kathleen Collins, CUNY John Jay CollegeFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 2010

Abstract

The US television sitcom, All in the Family was groundbreaking in its social relevance with regard to contemporary issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation and politics, among others. The interest in All in the Family continues into the 21st century, and television historians and fans continue to seek out elusive historical video of the show. The author addresses the challenges in discovering, locating and accessing primary source visual material for its study and speculates on the future of accessibility of historical broadcasts, the impact on television studies and potential solutions. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.

Comments

This work was originally published in Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies.