Carroll O'Connor was creating for ABC called "Justice For All", with O'Connor playing Archie Justice, a lovable yet controversial bigot. After three pilots done between 1968 and 1970, a network change to CBS, and the last name of the character changed to Bunker, the new sitcom was renamed "All in the Family". The show was based on the BBC's "Till Death Us Do Part", with Bunker based on Alf Garnett, albeit somewhat less abrasive than the original. O'Connor's Queens background and New York accent is said to have influenced Lear to set the show in Queens. Wanting a well-known actor to play
Melinda O. Fee Melinda O. Fee Melinda O. Fee (born October 7, 1942 as Melinda Evelyn Fee) is an American actress who has starred in films and on television. Her mother was actress Astrid Allwyn, her father was Charles O. Fee (the second husband of Astrid Allwyn). Her younger sister, Vicki Fee, is also an actress. Her first starring role was on the television series "Love of Life". Most of Fee's other television roles were on soap operas like "Guiding Light" as Charlotte Waring Fletcher Bauer from 1971–1973, "Days of Our Lives" as Mary Anderson from 1981–1982, and "Santa Barbara" as Olivia Welles