Rating: 
Summary: The Bunkers Are Back For Season Three On DVD!
Review: "All In The Family" Season 3 comes to DVD with the introduction of this handsome 3-Disc set from Columbia/Tri-Star Home Entertainment.
This boxed set gives us all 24 episodes of the show's third season (which was its second FULL season, following the 13-episode half-campaign from Season One). Episode numbers 38 through 61 are here, divided among the three single-sided discs, and shown in their original video and audio presentation. Video ratio is Full-Frame (1.33:1); while the audio comes via Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono tracks (in English only). No subtitles here though, which is odd since Seasons 1 and 2 included them.
Picture quality, generally-speaking, seems OK here. Far from perfect; but OK. These shows, like the first two seasons of the series as well, were shot on "Tape", and not film. And from past DVD releases of "taped" programs, this usually means a generally less-appealing and lower-quality transfer to the digital format.
Fans should be pleased by Columbia's addition of a "Play All" feature that has been incorporated into this 3rd-season DVD package. The first two seasons didn't have this helpful "marathon" option. Good to see they've added it for this release.
Special Features are totally absent here (except for some ads for other Columbia DVD products).
But, thank goodness, this third-season set DOES include chapter stops for all episodes. The first two seasonal sets of AITF didn't have any chapter breaks, which isn't a good thing, IMO. I prefer at least a minimal number of chapter breaks on DVD products, even for a half-hour sitcom.
Especially important, in my opinion, is the inclusion of a "break" immediately following a TV program's opening titles. Such breaks *are* included in this DVD set. A chapter break of this nature is all the more important to have on these "All In The Family" episodes, due to the rather "grating" nature of Archie and Edith's opening-song rendition. After hearing Edith belt this out for the umpteenth time, in that fingernails-on-a-chalkboard way she had, I find it useful to bypass the credits most of the time. (Nothing personal against Jean Stapleton, you understand. She was marvelous as Edith Bunker. But, let's face it, she's no Judy Garland.) LOL. :)
Season Three offers up some pretty humorous programs with Archie & Edith & Company, such as: "The Bunkers And The Swingers", "Edith's Winning Ticket", "Archie And The Editorial", "Edith Flips Her Wig", and the two-parter "Mike And Gloria's Wedding". All episodes are shown in full, uncut form -- each lasting between 25 and 26 minutes (approximately).
Packaging for this set blends nicely with the first two "All In The Family" sets. The three discs are housed in a multi-panel fold-out case, which then slides into an outer cardboard slipcover. (Although, IMO, the innards of the box slide out from the wrong end of the outer slipcase, but that's a minor quibble.)
There are two subtle packaging changes/improvements on this boxed set that I really like. One being the fact that the discs can be removed from their plastic trays/hubs quite easily (which is unlike some other multi-disc DVD releases, where it's almost necessary to bend discs to their breaking point before the things can be removed from their Digipack homes).
But this AITF third-season packaging seems to be more user-friendly with regard to removing the discs from the case. Perhaps this is a sign that the DVD makers (from various companies) are really listening to consumer feedback with regard to complaints and concerns people have expressed about previously-released boxed sets where the discs were just "too tight" and difficult to remove. I commend Columbia/Tri-Star for this better packaging design.
The other small change in the packaging that I think is a good idea is the location of the "booklet pocket". This set has the booklet "right up front" (so to speak). When you first open the inner case, the multi-page booklet is right there (without having to unfold the whole case). It's easier to get at.
This is another solid season of one of the best comedy series ever to come to American television. Make room on the shelf for this DVD collection -- right next to "All In The Family" Seasons One and Two.
Rating:
Summary: The 3rd Season is finally here! Thanks Columbia Tri-Star!
Review: After rumour that Columbia Tri-Star had pulled the plug on future DVD releases of this classic series, I was ecstatic when I discovered a July 20, 2004 release date for season 3. All in the Family was the first sitcom to use humour to expose societal shortcomings. AIF makes us laugh, but as the series progresses we are not laughing so much at the Bunker family, but at the narrow-mindedness of some of the groups of people from our generation and many from generations before us. It is special, especially for those of us 30 and above who better understand the show's humour as it relates to political and social change. I do believe the show first and foremost helps us to laugh away our everyday stresses, but there is no doubt Mr. Lear's underlying theme was exposing intolerance. No other sitcom has impacted American culture in such a way, with maybe the exception of M*A*S*H*. Today's sitcoms don't hold a torch to shows like AIF. Thank you Columbia Tri-Star for realizing this and for treating this ground-breaking show with the respect it deserves by continuing with releases on DVD. I look forward to owning every season and watching the entire series from beginning to end.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant TV Season 3
Review: All in the Family is a show that would be enjoyed by most people. However, for people who truly understand and appreciate what this show was trying to do, it is must have television. I am a history teacher and I have used some of these episodes to illustrate to my students some of the political, religious, social issues of the 1970's. A lot of the humorous dialogue has to be explained because if you are under thirty years old, it just doesn't translate as well or is just isn't as funny as it would be to someone who lived during this era in America. The great thing about this series is that it is hilarious but at the same time there is a very sad undertone to the series. It's hard to explain but All in the Family has a soul that I just don't sense in modern comedies like "Friends" or "Everybody loves Raymond". Those shows are funny but very Hollywood. Watching All in the Family makes you feel like you are eavesdropping on the life of a real family. Sadly, no show will ever be as controversial today because conservatives, especially religious conservatives, would threaten to boycott any of the shows sponsors. Could you imagine a character like "Mike" (critical of the religion, government, war, the police, the pledge of allegiance / God Bless America, race relations, etc.) existing in today's post 9/11 world. We have gone from a show like this that makes you laugh, cry, and most importantly think to reality comedies like "Simple life" and "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance". Now that I think about it, I recommend you buy two copies just in case one scratches you don't want to be stuck watching lost episodes of "Fear Factor".
Rating: 
Summary: Always worthwhile for AITF fans
Review: I am a diehard AITF fan since it first aired so I don't care about extras or digital remasterings.
What is being shown on the DVD includes the footage that hasn't been aired in thirty years because it was trimmed out so they could show more commercials in syndicated reruns.
This series was a seminal piece of television history. In the current political climate of hypersensitivity and political correctness a series like this could never be produced and it is a sad commentary on how low American culture has declined.
I don't know what is holding up the DVD releases but I would snap up the entire series plus ABP in a boxed set in a second and I wish that is how they would just release this series.
Rating: 
Summary: What a Shame
Review: I love AITF. Always have. And was very excited about the fact that 'it' was going to be available on DVD. It was - as most of us know - a 'landmark' TV show. It changed TV. But what a shame. The picture quality of the DVD is absolutely horrible. NO better - in fact - than the VHS tapes I have of the show. [that I taped myself] And what excuse is there for no 'extras'? Compared to other 'complete seasons' - like the 'Mary Tyler Moore Show' or 'Here's Lucy' [among others] the AITF is a disgrace. Even the box it comes in is done on the cheap. Without question - AITF should have been [at least] digitally remastered. 'All in the Family' is a 5-star show. 'The complete third season' is a 2-star effort. [at best] I have no idea what the first and second season are like - but I already feel as though I've been robbed - and am not about to make that mistake again.
Rating:
Summary: Always Funny
Review: I love this show and am so glad to have the first three seasons on DVD, It is a classic and funny every time I watch it. I continually watch all three sessons and remember that at first I was one of those who thought it was in bad taste but caught it in the summer reruns and fell in love with it. The price is great for all episodes. It beats trying to tape when it is on here and there. This is a winner!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Finally! Season 3 is coming soon!
Review: Like the second, the third season of AITF is one of the best. I doubt there will be any special interviews, segments, or even scene selections, but I still think this season is long overdue. The 'swastika' and 'swingers' episode is reason enough to buy this collection. I wish there was a politically charged, wonderfully written and acted sitcom on TV today. With the public so divided on political issues these days, the opportunity to have another AITF would be a delight. A must have--as halarious and thought-provoking today as it was 30 years ago.
Rating:
Summary: A long time in coming, but well worth the wait ...
Review: Mainly because this was one of the best seasons of the best (and most controversial) sitcoms ever to hit the air. Each episode was consistent in high quality, with great performances and sometimes daring storylines. But MAN it took awhile - let's hope Season 4 doesn't take this long! =0)Here's Season 3, in a nutshell: 1) Archie and the Editorial - Archie's TV editorial on the negativity of gun control is put to the test when the family is held up, in a restaurant, at gunpoint! 2) Archie's Fraud - Archie is audited by the IRS when he fails to report income earned by driving Munson's cab. 3) The Threat - The babe-a-licious wife of an old army buddy, in town for a visit, unwittingly stirs up Archie's libido, and Edith's suspicions. 4) Gloria and the Riddle - A riddle designed to show how chauvinistic men are is put to the test on the men of the Bunker household. 5) Lionel Steps Out - Archie freaks when he learns Lionel Jefferson is dating his niece, who is staying with the Bunkers on a visit. 6) Edith Flips Her Wig - Edith is arrested for shoplifting. (One of the BEST episodes EVERY, who ISN'T moved when Edith shouts, "I ain't a klepper!"?) 7) The Bunkers and the Swingers - Being a dingbat, Edith doesn't realize what she's doing when she answers a wife-swapping ad in a magazine. (Another one of the season's best, look for Vincent Gardenia - who would come back later in the series as neighbor Frank Lorenzo - as the husband, and Rue McClanahan - who would be Maude's best friend Vivian in "Maude," and of course Blanche Devereaux in "The Golden Girls" - as the wife!) 8) Mike Comes into Money - Anger erupts when Mike donates a $200 inheritance to the McGovern presidential campaign instead of giving it to Archie to put toward room and board. 9) Flashback: Mike and Gloria's Wedding (1) - The family recalls the wedding that almost didn't happen ... 10) Flashback: Mike and Gloria's Wedding (2) - Part Two of the Bunker household's memories of how Mike and Gloria wed. 11) Mike's Appendix - Gloria is angry/insulted when Mike doesn't want a woman surgeon removing his inflamed appendix. 12) Edith's Winning Ticket - A lottery ticket Edith bought for Louise, because she happened to be the one going to the store, wins ... and Archie has to find a way to hang onto the money, and stifle Edith's honest nature. 13) Archie and the Bowling Team - Archie waits news on whether he's won a coveted spot on an elite bowling team. 14) The Locket - Edith's lost heirloom locket rings up dollar signs in Archie's eyes as he heads for the insurance company to make a claim. 15) Archie Goes to the Hospital - Archie, in the hospital for his back, befriends a patient in the next bed that he can't see - and therefore doesn't know is black. 16) Oh Say Can You See - An old friend - who's also a skirt chaser - eases Archie's fears about aging when he sees how silly the guy looks. 17) Archie Goes Too Far - The latest household fight ends when both Gloria and Edith storm out of the house to spend the night elsewhere. 18) Class Reunion - Edith goes to her 30th class reunion, where she meets an old beau. 19) The Hot Watch - Archie buys an expensive watch that's possibly stolen ... then struggles to find a jeweler to repair it when it stops working. 20) Archie is Branded - One of the best ... and most chilling ... episodes begins when the family finds a swastika painted on their front door. 21) Everybody Tell the Truth - Over dinner in a restaurant, Gloria hears 3 different versions of what happened when the refrigerator repairman and his assistant came to call earlier that evening. 22) Archie Learns His Lesson - Archie secretly (Edith is the only one who knows, at first) works to get his high school diploma. 23) Gloria, the Victim - Another controversial, chilling, and completely brilliantly-done episode centers around an attempted rape on Gloria. 24) The Battle of the Month - Already in a bad mood, Gloria blows up at Edith for letting Archie get away with treating her like a doormat. What a fantastic season. The sad thing is, several of these episodes would never make it to the air today (except maybe on cable); they'd be deemed as too controversial, or politically incorrect -- even though we all know Archie Bunkers very much exist, with similar mentalities, to this day. Shows how little we've actually grown. But imagine what it was like in the early 1970's, when this and other TV shows that followed presented controversial subjects in realistic ways! Man, what Norman Lear was able to do then! But "All in the Family" was the first, and arguably the best, of these gutsy sitcoms. If you like the show, this is a golden season to own -- and those of us who collect the series eagerly await season four!
Rating:
Summary: Eddie Ortiz
Review: Nice way to paintbrush us all. I am a Christian conservative and absolutely love All In The Family. One of the best shows ever. I see that the one thing that you've unfortunately learned from this show is intolerance. Hopefully, you don't pass that along to your students.
Rating:
Summary: Super
Review: Nothing beats this show. Archie was recently rated the number 1 television character of all time by Bravo for a reason (Edith was number 12). Highly recommend since the re-runs that are seen on various TV stations are chopped by about 2 1/2 minutes a piece.
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