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Norman Milton Lear
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Norman Milton Lear (July 27, 1922 – December 5, 2023) was a legendary American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude. As a political activist, he founded the advocacy organization People for the American Way in 1981 and has supported First Amendment rights and progressive causes. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Enie/Jeanette (Sokolovsky) and Hyman "Herman" Lear, a traveling salesman. His grandparents were all Russian Jewish immigrants. Jeanette was the inspiration for the character Edith Bunker, and Herman for Archie Bunker. Lear won a one year-scholarship to Emerson College. He dropped out when news about Pearl Harbor struck, and decided to enroll in the United States Army. He was nineteen. In the army, Norman was a radio operator. He was discharged in 1945. Norman landed a press agent job but was not being paid well so decided to pursue another career. In 1954, he was a writer for the CBS sitcom, Honestly, Celeste! Lear then became the producer of NBC's The Martha Raye Show. In 1959, he created his first TV series with Roland Kibbee, The Deputy, on NBC, starring Henry Fonda. In 1967 his comedic writing career began. He wrote and produced the 1967 film, Divorce American Style, and directed the film, Cold Turkey, starring Dick Van Dyke. All In The Family came about when Lear read a British column on the show "Til Death Do Us Part", about a father and a son-in-law who fought about everything politically. He immediately knew it was just like him and his father. Lear tried to sell the "blue" collar sitcom to ABC, and two pilots were filmed and rejected. A third pilot was filmed, and CBS picked up the show. It premiered on January 12, 1971. When it was first aired, a big warning appeared on the screen stating none of the content being presented should be taken seriously and should only be seen for the purpose of hilarity. Next came Sanford And Son, along with creator Bud Yorkin, in 1972. It was inspired by British sitcom Steptoe and Son. In All In The Family, a guest-star named Bea Arthur appeared in an episode and in 1972 the first spin-off was formed called Maude, starring Arthur. A memorable episode from Maude which struck a degree of controversy was the abortion episode. A spin-off from Maude, Good Times, with the maid character played by Esther Rolle, premiered in 1974, dealing with issues like poverty, crime, welfare and life in low-income African-American housing areas. This wasn't the only sitcom to depict life for African-Americans: in 1975 The Jeffersons, another spin-off from All In The Family, followed. All In The Family received multiple Emmy awards. Good Times ran for five seasons till 1979, with multiple Golden Globe nominations. Maude ran for six seasons, till 1978, receiving multiple Emmy and Golden Globe wins and nominations. Sanford and Son ended in 1977 with a Golden Globe win and several Emmy nominations. All In The Family ended in 1979, after nine seasons. Next came another spin-off of the show called Archie Bunker's Place, with Caroll O'Connor and Danielle Brisebois. Archie Bunker's Place ended in 1983, and was his last successful television show. Lear made a comeback in 1990 with several short-lived shows, including Sunday Dinner and 704 Hauser.
Info
- wc Gender: Male
- calendar_month Birth Date: 1922-07-27
- event Death Date 2023-12-05
- school Known for: Production
- star Popularity: 3.7
- info Birth Place New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- visibility Views: 7 views
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star User Ratings:
image Images
smart_display Movies and TV shows by Norman Lear
6.2
Cold Turkey
1971-02-19
7.5
Dean Martin: King of Cool
2021-11-14
7.5
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes
2021-12-07
7
Pablo
2012-10-17
6.7
The Super Bob Einstein Movie
2021-12-28
7.1
Casting By
2012-11-01
7.2
Lucy and Desi
2022-01-21
6.8
Being Mary Tyler Moore
2023-03-13
0
The Television Revolution Begins: "All in the Family" Is On the Air
2009-06-09
0
Those Were the Days: The Birth of "All in the Family"
2009-06-09
0
Funny Is Money
1999-10-01
5
Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption
2013-11-10
0
Viewer Direction Advised
2018-11-14
7
Robert Scheer: Above the Fold
2019-01-28
6.3
A Different Approach
1978-01-01
6.4
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin
2005-08-19
0
Gratitude Revealed
2022-09-16
7.7
The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee
2017-12-04
8
Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
2022-09-22
0
Norman Lear: A Life on Television
2023-12-08
10
A Case for Kindness
2022-10-19
7
"Sr."
2022-09-02
4.8
Come Blow Your Horn
1963-06-05
6.7
Adventures In Christmasing
2021-11-29
7
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
2016-01-21
9.4
The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series
2003-01-01
7.1
If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast
2017-05-19
6.9
Color Adjustment
1992-01-29
0
Perfect Moment
1997-03-21
6.6
The Brothers Warner
2008-10-16
7.5
I Want My MTV
2019-05-01
6.5
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
2019-05-22
6.1
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
2019-12-18
10
Find Your Groove
2020-03-24
7.4
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
2021-06-18
9
All in the Family: 20th Anniversary Special
1991-02-16
6.3
A Virtual Princess Bride Reunion
2020-09-13
6.7
Jack & Bobby
2004-09-12
8.4
South Park
1997-08-13
8
E! True Hollywood Story
1996-08-21
6.2
Finding Your Roots
2012-03-24
6
Iconoclasts
2005-11-17
0
TV Revolution
2004-05-23
7
Saturday Night Live
1975-10-11
6.3
The Daily Show
1996-07-22
4.5
Intimate Portrait
1993-11-14
5.4
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014-02-25
6.8
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
2015-04-20
6.5
Dinah!
1974-10-21
5.2
America Divided
2016-10-29
7.5
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962-10-01
5.1
The Mike Douglas Show
1961-12-11
6
Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution
2022-06-29
6
To Tell the Truth
2016-06-14
6.8
Good Times
2024-04-12
0
Stars in the House
2020-03-16
6.7
The Dick Cavett Show
1968-06-06
8
The Simpsons
1989-12-17
7.1
Visible: Out on Television
2020-02-14
7.9
JANET JACKSON.
2022-01-28
movie_edit Directing
7.9
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song
2007-09-14
7.9
Come Blow Your Horn
1963-06-05
7.9
I Carry You with Me
2021-06-25
7.9
Cold Turkey
1971-02-19
7.9
Cold Turkey
1971-02-19
7.9
The Night They Raided Minsky's
1968-12-22
7.9
Heartsounds
1984-09-30
7.9
Never Too Late
1965-11-04
7.9
Way Past Cool
2000-01-01
7.9
Divorce American Style
1967-06-21
7.9
Come Blow Your Horn
1963-06-05
7.9
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes
2021-12-07
7.9
Fried Green Tomatoes
1991-12-27
7.9
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
2019-05-22
7.9
The Night They Raided Minsky's
1968-12-22
7.9
The Thief Who Came to Dinner
1973-03-01
7.9
Playing For Change 3 - Songs Around The World
2014-04-17
7.9
Start the Revolution Without Me
1970-02-04
7.9
Cold Turkey
1971-02-19
7.9
I Got A Monster
2023-03-10
7.9
Duino
2024-04-16
7.9
The Princess Bride
1987-09-25
7.9
I Love Liberty
1982-03-21
7.9
I Love Liberty
1982-03-21
7.9
Scared Stiff
1953-04-27
7.9
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
2019-12-18
7.9
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
2019-12-18
7.9
Divorce American Style
1967-06-21
7.9
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
2021-06-18
7.9
All in the Family: 20th Anniversary Special
1991-02-16
7.9
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
1976-01-05
7.9
Good Times
1974-02-08
7.9
a.k.a. Pablo
1984-03-06
7.9
a.k.a. Pablo
1984-03-06
7.9
Hanging In
1979-08-09
7.9
Hot l Baltimore
1975-01-24
7.9
The Nancy Walker Show
1976-09-30
7.9
All in the Family
1971-01-12
7.9
All in the Family
1971-01-12
7.9
All in the Family
1971-01-12
7.9
All in the Family
1971-01-12
7.9
The Powers That Be
1992-03-07
7.9
The Powers That Be
1992-03-07
7.9
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950-09-10
7.9
A Year at the Top
1977-08-05
7.9
Sunday Dinner
1991-06-02
7.9
Sunday Dinner
1991-06-02
7.9
Maude
1972-09-12
7.9
One Day at a Time
1975-12-16
7.9
704 Hauser
1994-04-11
7.9
704 Hauser
1994-04-11
7.9
Sanford and Son
1972-01-14
7.9
Channel Umptee-3
1997-10-25
7.9
Palmerstown, U.S.A.
1980-03-20
7.9
One Day at a Time
2017-01-06
7.9
Good Times
2024-04-12
7.9
The Corps
7.9
The Deputy
1959-09-12
7.9
Chappelle's Show
2003-01-22
7.9
Clean Slate
2025-02-06
7.9
Fernwood 2 Night
1977-07-04
7.9
The Facts of Life
1979-08-24
7.9
America 2-Night
1978-04-10
7.9
All in the Family
1971-01-12
7.9
The Jeffersons
1975-01-18
7.9
Maude
1972-09-12
7.9
Sanford and Son
1972-01-14
7.9
All's Fair
1976-09-20
7.9
Archie Bunker's Place
1979-09-23
7.9
704 Hauser
1994-04-11
7.9
a.k.a. Pablo
1984-03-06
7.9
The Nancy Walker Show
1976-09-30
7.9
All That Glitters
1977-04-18
7.9
Mr. Dugan
7.9
The Deputy
1959-09-12
7.9
Apple Pie
1978-09-23
7.9
Those Were the Days
7.9
Justice for All
7.9
Sunday Dinner
1991-06-02
7.9
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
1976-01-05