Maude (1972–1978)
The Gist: A politically charged sitcom, spun off from All in the Family, about an outspoken, fiercely liberal suburban woman, played to perfection by the formidable Bea Arthur.
If Archie Bunker was the loud-mouthed conservative id of the 1970s, Maude Findlay was its articulate, progressive superego. Maude was Edith Bunker’s cousin, and after a memorable guest appearance on All in the Family, producer Norman Lear knew he had another hit on his hands. Living in upscale Tuckahoe, New York, with her fourth husband, Walter (Bill Macy), Maude was a woman who was never afraid to speak her mind—or, more accurately, shout it.
Maude was as topical and controversial as its parent show, if not more so. It tackled everything from mental health and alcoholism to civil rights and politics. Maude’s greatest foil was her next-door neighbor, Arthur Harmon (Conrad Bain), a staunch Republican who delighted in getting under her skin. Their political arguments were the stuff of television legend. But the show’s most famous moment came early in its first season with “Maude’s Dilemma,” a two-part episode in which the 47-year-old Maude discovers she is pregnant and ultimately decides to have an abortion. Airing just months before the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, the episode was groundbreaking, controversial, and cemented the show’s reputation for fearlessness. Broadcast history sources like Encyclopaedia Britannica often cite this episode as a key moment in television’s engagement with social issues.
Why It Mattered: The series gave us one of television’s most iconic female characters. Maude was complex: she was passionate and often overbearing, but also deeply caring and vulnerable. She was an older woman who was politically active, sexually liberated, and professionally ambitious. Bea Arthur’s towering performance won her an Emmy and defined the character as an unforgettable force of nature. The show proved that audiences would embrace a “difficult” but brilliant female protagonist.
Rewatch Cues: Any episode featuring a debate between Maude and Arthur is a must-see. Listen for Maude’s witheringly delivered catchphrase, “God’ll get you for that, Walter.” Beyond the politics, watch the surprisingly tender and realistic relationship between Maude and Walter. They argued passionately but also clearly loved each other, a dynamic that felt more authentic than many of the saccharine sitcom marriages of the era.
