Goodby-
Originally Norman Lear had planned for the show to end after season eight with the episode finale of All in the Family: The Stivics Go West. They even hosted a goodbye party after filming that episode, moreover they even had a People Magazine cover to help commemorate the finale. However Carroll O’Connor and CBS didn’t want the show to end! So they pulled a few strings, held a few talks, and Jean Stapleton returned, while Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers didn’t.
Goodby-
Arc
There was a story arc, which revolved about Gloria’s pregnancy and the birth of Joey, that was meant to air in season five. However after one of Carroll O’Connor’s contract disputes, new scripts had to be written in order to explain Archie’s unexpected and very sudden absence. Oh well, could be worse.
Arc