Archie Bunker Archie Bunker Archibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional character from the 1970s American television sitcom "All in the Family" and its spin-off "Archie Bunker's Place", played by Carroll O'Connor. Bunker, a main character of the series, is a World War II veteran, blue-collar worker, and family man. Described as a "lovable bigot", he was first seen by the American public when "All in the Family" premiered on January 12, 1971, where he was depicted as the head of the Bunker family. In 1979, the show was retooled and renamed "Archie Bunker's Place"; it finally went off the air in 1983.
Teen sitcom format to "The Wonder Years", which ended before "Boy Meets World" debuted in 1993, both of which focused on a boy dealing with the challenges that come with growing into adolescence) and "Family Matters" (which originated as a family sitcom spun off from the family-friendly though adult-centered "Perfect Strangers", but soon shifted more of its focus towards its teenage characters due to the popularity of the character of nerdy high school (and later, college) student Steve Urkel). Over time, the Big Three television networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) began shifting away from family-oriented comedies toward comedy series focused on adults