At first, Norman Lear was against Sammy Davis Jr. appearing in All in the Family

The popular episode that almost never was.

Sony Pictures Television

On the already well-regarded series All in the Family, the episode "Sammy's Visit" has earned a reputation as one of the most iconic episodes of the entire series.

If you've lived under a rock for the past few decades, here's a quick refresher of the plot: Archie gives a cab ride to famous entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. who forgets his bag and must pick it up at the Bunker home. We won't spoil the whole episode but suffice to say that it goes down in history as one of the best episodes of All in the Family, maybe even in television as a whole.

However, it was an episode that, for a while, seemed like it would never actually materialize. According to Donna McCrohan's book Archie & Edith, Mike & Gloria: The Tumultuous History of All in the Family, while Davis was ready and willing to appear in the show, series creator Norman Lear wasn't keen on bringing celebrities into the show, fearing it might suspend believability to see someone who was actually famous in real life playing a character on a series.

A compromise was finally reached when it was agreed that Davis would appear on All in the Family, but only if he appeared as himself.

"We worked for months and finally came up with a story [by Bill Dana] that could include Sammy and still be realistic," said Lear. "Sammy's appearance will by no means set a new precedent for future shows. He's our first and last big star and he was fantastic."

On his part, Davis was ecstatic at the opportunity, believing the appearance to be a shining moment in an already glittering career. "When Norman called and said I could do the show I was so excited, I was speechless," Davis said. "As the day drew near to report for rehearsals, I got more excited and nervous. I was up at 7:00 A.M for an 11:00 A.M. call. My wife thought I was ill. I'm a late sleeper and not known for being prompt, but on this special occasion, I was fifteen minutes early. It was a thrill which can only be compared to my first big break in show business."

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12 Comments

Wiseguy70005 22 days ago
Two recurring items were introduced for this episode. First, that Archie drove a cab part-time which was mentioned in an earlier episode to set up Sammy's visit in this episode and many times after and led to the introduction of the character of female impersonator Beverly LaSalle for three appearances. Also it is the first appearance of Allan Melvin (who previously appeared as a policeman) as Barney Hefner, a character that would last through Archie Bunker's Place.
Tresix 22 days ago
Thank goodness they relented and let Sammy do the episode. Did you know that Tim Burton originally wanted Davis to play the title role of “Beetlejuice”?! I think that would have been VERY interesting!
AgingDisgracefully 22 days ago
We can't Sammyfest without...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBOvkTbLFP4
Can you dig it?
boomerdragon61 22 days ago
One of the all-time classic TV episodes. All the actors were spot-on in their oerformances. I appreciate the 60s and 70s shows even more today as an adult than I did as a kid.
GaryGoltz 23 days ago
[image=https://weigel-comments.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/aFfrt-1721834645-Norman Lear 12-1-18 2.jpg]
GaryGoltz GaryGoltz 23 days ago
Shot this picture of him when he spoke at a funeral I was at.
sagafrat69 26 days ago
Don't see they could've done the episode with Sammy as a character. Could've been Lionel's friend but that wouldn't make much sense. Him being in Archie's cab made a whole lot of sense. Can't put a price tag on the honor of being in that studio audience when Sam kissed Arch. I probably would've had a heart attack laughing so hard. Glad I wasn't there. Iconic t.v. moment for sure.
LabLove 26 days ago
The episode with Sammy Davis Jr. is one of my faves!
Runeshaper 27 days ago
I'm glad they let Sammy do the show. That was AWESOME!
MrsPhilHarris 28 days ago
METV has no picture today. Just black. Anyone else having this issue?
No, it might be your cable company! I have Frndly, so it's not an issue!
Could be. My husband said it went black last night. It was still black this mornin but it’s back on now.
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