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REVOLUTIONARY SHOWS OF YORE RETURN AS CLASSICS

By Virginia Mann, Record Television Critic Date: 02-15-1991,
Friday Section: LIFESTYLE / PREVIEWS Edition:
All Editions -- Four Star B, Three Star P, Two Star, One Star

It makes a thirtysomething viewer feel old to realize that favorite programs from childhood and adolescence are now considered vintage television.

That aside, the trio of tributes offered as part of CBS' Classic Weekend -- to "All in the Family," "The Ed Sullivan Show," and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," -- go down ever so easily.  Two of them air this weekend, the third, "Mary Tyler Moore: The 20th Anniversary Show" will be on 9:30 p.m. Monday.

First up, at 8 Saturday night, is the very enjoyable "All in the Family 20th Anniversary Special." The host of this 90-minute special is Norman Lear, who developed the controversial series, credited with revolutionizing television when it debuted Jan. 12, 1971. 

Lear walks through the original set, pausing from time to time to introduce clips from the show, as well as reminiscences from average viewers and the show's stars -- Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker), Jean Stapleton (Edith Bunker), Sally Struthers, and Rob Reiner (Gloria and Mike Stivic).  There's a great selection of clips from the show's nine-year run. For example, there's that moment when Archie first proclaimed his son-in-law a "Meathead" ("dead from the neck up"), and the terrific scene where Sammy Davis Jr. comes to the Bunker house to retrieve a briefcase he left in Archie's cab. Beforehand, Archie had warned Edith not to say anything about Davis' glass eye. But it was Archie who wound up slipping. As he was pouring coffee, he asked, "Do you take milk and sugar in your eye, Mr. Davis?"

Many clips, of course, remind us just how bigoted Archie was. (Included in this category is an explanation of why he wanted to hire a Jewish lawyer.) At the beginning of the special, we see the disclaimer that preceded the first six episodes, explaining that the show might be offensive.

And though we remember it mostly as a comedy with terrific actors, "All in the Family" had its share of poignant moments.

Shown, for example, is the scene in which Edith tells Gloria she has a lump in her breast; where Archie learns that Gloria, his beloved "little girl," had had a miscarriage; and where Archie and Edith bid goodbye to Mike, Gloria, and little Joey, who were moving to California. Despite all their scrapping, Archie and the Meathead really did love each other.

Viewers' recollections are less interesting. In putting together these segments, researchers poured through 30,000 letters sent while the series was on the air. David S. Jackson, the special's writer and director, then spoke with more than 100 of the letter-writers, before dispatching a film crew to interview 30 people across America. Few provide memorable insights.

The cast interviews are more interesting, though not so revealing as a press session last month with Lear and Reiner.

In describing the show's impact on his life, Reiner recalled that last year, when he went to London for the premiere of his hit film, "When Harry Met Sally," he was in a royal reception line when someone called out, "Hey, Meathead!"

Said Reiner, "No matter what I do, I'll be thought of as Meathead. You know, I could win the Nobel Prize, and it will say, "Meatheat Wins Nobel."

Another treat is "The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show" (9 p.m. Sunday), which CBS rightly considers to be the centerpiece of the weekend's festivities.

The fast-moving, fascinating compilation is from the variety show that "owned Sunday night for 23 seasons," from 1948 to 1971. Sprinkled throughout are remisicences from performers such as Alan King, Carol Lawrence, Jackie Mason, Michelle Phillips, Joan Rivers, and Carol Burnett, the host of the two-hour special.

The clips Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Beachboys, The Doors, the Mamas and the Papas, Janis Joplin, the Jackson 5, Judy Garland, Jimmy Durante, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Ethel Merman, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Flip Wilson, George Carlin, Richard Pryor.

And, of course, there's that oft-played footage of The Beatles, making their debut on American TV. According to the narration, Sullivan happened to be going through London's Heathrow Airport when it was clotted with screaming Beatles fans. He booked the group for his variety show without having heard a note of their music. His real talent, we're told, was being able to recognize talent.

Jackie Mason rehashes the story of his famous row with Sullivan, who accused the comedian -- unfairly, it would seem, from the clips -- of making an obscene gesture on the air.

Ray Manzarek of The Doors describes how CBS censors asked the group to change one word in their song, "Light My Fire." (It was "higher" in the line "girl, we couldn't get much higher.") The Doors agreed, but on the air, they sang the line as written -- and the group was banned from future Sullivan programs.

In the same interesting section on censorship, we also see Mick Jagger complying with a Standards and Practices request that he change the song, "Let's Spend the Night Together," to "Let's Spend Some Time Together."

Andrew Solt, the special's executive producer and director, and writer Peter Elbling deserve much credit for this delightful special. It really is classic television.  Set your VCRs.

Illustrations/Photos: PHOTO - "All in the Family" cast: Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers, standing, and Jean Stapleton and Carroll O'Connor.