The enduring appeal of one of television's best and most controversial programs comes through loud (literally) and clear on All in the Family: The Complete Third Season, some 10 hours of compelling, entertaining viewing that serve as a timely reminder that even as TV in the new millennium has seemingly become more diverse and inclusive, with its many gay-themed shows and, gasp, proliferation of all manner of minorities, it has lost the kind of bite that the beloved (well, by some folks, anyway) bigot Archie Bunker used to bring to the small screen.

All 24 episodes (there is no bonus material or extra features) from the '72-'73 season of executive producer Norman Lear's sitcom are contained here, and those unfamiliar with the show may well find them a bit startling. The language is part of it; Archie's frequent use of terms like "gook" and "fag" would never pass muster in these politically correct times. Yet even more striking is All in the Family's subject matter. Again and again, serious themes like politics (the '72 presidential race, pitting Richard Nixon against George McGovern, is mentioned frequently), racism ("Archie in the Hospital" is just one episode dealing with that issue), the death penalty and violence in the name of religion ("Archie Is Branded"), sexual assault ("Gloria, the Victim"), and gun control ("Archie and the Editorial") are handled with remarkable frankness. At the center of it all, of course, is Carroll O'Connor's Archie, who remains belligerent, boorish, and downright mean to the bitter end. Whether he's bribing an IRS agent, cheating an insurance company, or just being pig-headed in general, Archie is utterly unrepentant; basically, he never does the right thing, a trait that's somehow both irritating and refreshing.

All in the Family is hardly perfect; the dysfunctional family's ceaseless squabbling and shouting--usually involving Archie and liberal son-in-law Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner), although wife Edith (the brilliant Jean Stapleton) and daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) aren't immune--eventually becomes tiresome and shrill. But for the most part, the show's acting, writing (which manages to be very funny as well as incisive), and point of view make this set a must-have. --Sam Graham

Season 3
38. 3-1 301 16-Sep-1972 Archie and the Editorial
39. 3-2 302 23-Sep-1972 Archie's Fraud
40. 3-3 304 30-Sep-1972 The Threat
41. 3-4 303 07-Oct-1972 Gloria and the Riddle
42. 3-5 305 14-Oct-1972 Lionel Steps Out
43. 3-6 308 21-Oct-1972 Edith Flips Her Wig
44. 3-7 306 28-Oct-1972 The Bunkers and the Swingers
45. 3-8 310 04-Nov-1972 Mike Comes Into Money
46. 3-9 311 11-Nov-1972 Flashback: Mike and Gloria's Wedding (1)
47. 3-10 312 18-Nov-1972 Flashback: Mike and Gloria's Wedding (2)
48. 3-11 309 23-Dec-1972 The Locket
49. 3-12 307 02-Dec-1972 Mike's Appendix
50. 3-13 313 09-Dec-1972 Edith's Winning Ticket
51. 3-14 315 16-Dec-1972 Archie and the Bowling Team
52. 3-15 316 06-Jan-1973 Archie in the Hospital (aka Archie Goes to the Hospital)
53. 3-16 317 20-Jan-1973 Oh Say Can You See
54. 3-17 318 27-Jan-1973 Archie Goes Too Far
55. 3-18 319 10-Feb-1973 Class Reunion
56. 3-19 320 17-Feb-1973 Hot Watch
57. 3-20 314 24-Feb-1973 Archie is Branded
58. 3-21 321 03-Mar-1973 Everybody Tells the Truth
59. 3-22 322 10-Mar-1973 Archie Learns His Lesson
60. 3-23 323 17-Mar-1973 Gloria, the Victim
61. 3-24 324 24-Mar-1973 The Battle of the Month