as a result of all in the family, they turned to norman leer. >> there's a person at the door.audit's cousin on all in the family. >> maudy is here. >> and she could take on archie head to head. >> you can either come to the table and eat or you can lie there and feed off your own fat. >> by the time that episode has aired, fred silver man has called and said get that woman her own show. ♪ ♪ and then there's maude ♪ >> it was not your all american family. >> getting senile in your old age. >> thank you, darling. i only hope i live long enough to become a burden to you. >> maudy is strong woman who speaks her mind. she was married to her fourth husband walter, played by bill macy. >> i don't have time to fix you your breakfast. here, have some cold knock burst. >> i love their combative relationship. still if somebody businesses me off, i'll say god will get you for that, arthur. >> god will get you for that, dear. >> maude was the first time we saw such a fiercely independent woman who wasn't afraid to speak her mind at the center of a camly sitcom. >> maude had a made, florida

after abc declined to move forward with the all in the family pilot, norman leer made the decision toyou need a new set of kids. so rob reiner and i were the third set of children for ampy and edith bunker. >> so i made the pilot for the third time, same script. i wouldn't change a word. >> so let's hear it again. huh? what did you mean by "what god?" >> we just don't see any evidence of god, that's all. >> that's right, daddy. >> that's right, daddy. we had a couple of pinkos in this house but i didn't know we had atheists. >> i realized, my god, the ground is shaking under me. >> i'm going to tell you something. >> michael. >> we reach over each other at the table and we have arguments and -- >> because guys like you aren't willing to give the black man and all the other minorities that work hard the american dream. >> that didn't happen before. we got real. political strife, interpersonal issues, generation gaps, and they're dealing with it all in the family. >> i suppose you're going to tell me that the black man has had the same opportunity in this country that you? >> more. he's

norman leer, it truly is just an extraordinary honor to talk to you.t. >> i couldn't appreciate those words or you more. thank you. >> well, thank you. and my -- my best to your wife and your family. thank you so much. be sure to tune in the all new cnn original series "the history of the sitcom." premieres with back-to-back episodes sunday 9:00 p.m. eastern and pacific, only on cnn. really is a legend. >>> when we come back. remembering an american hero. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ hey google, turn up the heat. ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> we want to end tonight and this week by remembering a very special veteran of world war ii. henry was the last known surviving african-american to serve in a combat role on d-day. he was part of the 320th barrage balloon battalion, then the army's only combat team made up of solely african-american soldiers. their mission? to float and then defend huge hydrogen-filled balloons from the beaches of normandy to protect american troops from air assaults. his wife said his optimism had served him well over the years. among the many honors he's received, i

norman leer cast me as her cousin. what does this mean?unk. >> it was risky. >> how was the bus ride? >> i don't know. >> i drove. >> a car? >> no. i e-mail ln. >> when facts of life aired, i was so used to kids bullying me and calling me names, that was in my head when i saw this kid, and the one kid, there were about four of them. are you cousin jerry from facts of life? it was a real incredible feeling to be liked by kids. i mean, you're not going to make fun of me or call me names? wow. >> facts of life was won by a younger demographic. >> eventually those kids would grow up. >> what stories do you tell them? >> 1980s were a radical transformeration. ♪ ♪ sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name ♪ >>> i don't know if i can tell you why cheers was so popular manying the '80s but i know the song was brilliant. ♪ ♪ you want to go where everybody knows your name jend jend. >> as was coming to the end of its run they were trying to think what their next project would be. >> we were a desperate network. i thought my future at

and you realized norman leer is taking us into a new realm of the comedy. >> the blow back from the publicby the excitement and the applause. >> the show was number one for a long time. >> it changed cbs and their brand as a network. as a result of all in the family, they turned to create more shows in the image. >> there is a person at the door. >> played as edith's cousin in "all in the family". >> marty is here. >> and she could take on archie head-to-head. >> now you can either come to the table and eat or you can lie there and feed off your own fat. >> the story goes that by the time that episode had aired fred silverman who was in charge of cbs at the time called norman leer and said get that woman her own show. ♪ ♪ >> that was not your all american family. >> getting senile in your old age. >> thank you, darling. >> i only hope i live long enough to become a burden to you. >> she's an independent strong woman who speaks her mind. she was married to her fourth husband walter played by bill macy. >> i don't have time to fix your breakfast. >> loved their combative relationship. i stil