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At first, Norman Lear was against Sammy Davis Jr. appearing in All in the Family
The popular episode that almost never was.
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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