It's funny how people see things different ways, because I find the show got a lot better when Larry Gelbart left and when Alan Alda took over. And Winchester is a much better character than Burns in every way. The early characters were, in my opinion, far too one-dimensional.
I do recall one All in the Family episode in particular, it was the Thanksgiving Episode and Meathead’s friend who was a draft dodger who had just returned from Canada had Thanksgiving dinner at the house.
Archie’s reaction when he found out the man was a draft dodger was some of the best damn acting I’ve ever seen. Say what you will, but Caroll O’Connor was a very talented actor.
Maybe that was true when he first started writing. Later, he wrote long, drawn out speeches where he preached enlessly about...nothing.
Many of us stopped watching the show when Rev Hawkeye testified. It was enough to have you root for the North Koreans!