Norman Lear, legendary TV producer of 'All in the Family,' 'The Jeffersons,' dies at 101
Norman Lear, who made a profound impact on television with his shows like "All in the Family," "Maude" and "The Jeffersons," has died. He was 101.
The legendary TV producer died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles of natural causes, his rep Matthew Lawrence confirmed Wednesday. A private service for immediate family will be held.
The entertainment industry is prone to hyperbole, but it's no exaggeration to say that the writer/producer had a huge influence on television and social attitudes with a series of entertaining, challenging and controversial TV series starting in the early 1970s.
After a decade of silly TV shows about hillbilly millionaires and island castaways, Lear and his producing partner, Bud Yorkin, slapped viewers in the face with the bracing, serious CBS comedy "All in the Family" (1971-79), an adaptation of a British series that immersed itself in the grit of racial prejudice, sexism, social inequality and the Vietnam War – while introducing the toilet flush to series TV – at a time when networks thought viewers were looking to escape the real world.
Instead of fleeing, they embraced "Family" and its lead character, bigoted Queens working stiff Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor). The series became TV's top-rated show for five seasons and spun off groundbreaking popular hits "Maude" (1972-78), "The Jeffersons" (1975-1985) and "Good Times" (1974-79).
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Lear's "One Day at a Time," a comedy about a divorced Indianapolis woman and her daughters, had a successful run from 1975 to 1985 and was reimagined in 2017 as the story of a Cuban-American woman and her family in Los Angeles, with Lear as an executive producer and more critical acclaim.
"All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" got the contemporary treatment starting in 2019 when Lear – instantly recognizable in his trademark pork-pie hat – and Jimmy Kimmel, one of his most famous fans, gathered a cast of celebrated actors for several restagings of classic show scripts.
Even before the specials aired, piling up big ratings and critical praise, the World War II veteran had little patience for those who questioned whether his controversial '70s comedies would be too hot for today's viewers.
“You're wrong. … There may be some segments of the culture that will have a different reaction than we experienced in the ‘70s, but that wants to be discussed also. Let’s learn more about them,” he told USA TODAY.
One of the reasons for the specials was to make sure Lear's works aren't forgotten by younger generations, Kimmel told USA TODAY.
"They’re important shows, just as important as anything in our culture. I think television is seen as less than that sometimes, but to me and my family, these are shows we love and learned from,” he said.
In recent years, Lear worked with younger producers he admired for their willingness to take creative risks, including Jerrod Carmichael ("The Carmichael Show") and Trey Parker and Matt Stone ("South Park").
Lear's revolutionary '70s shows, starting with "All in the Family," are his most noteworthy accomplishments, but he had plenty of other memorable moments during a jaw-dropping, seven-decade career that included four individual Emmys ("All in the Family" won 22 overall), two Peabody Awards, the Golden Globes' Carol Burnett Award, the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors.
Lear was born July 27, 1922, to Jeanette and Herman Lear in New Haven, Connecticut. Before "Family" turned him into a household name, he wrote for "The Colgate Comedy Hour" and TV shows starring Martha Raye, George Gobel and Tennessee Ernie Ford in the 1950s. He delved into film writing screenplays for "The Night They Raided Minsky's" (1968), "Come Blow Your Horn" (1963) and "Cold Turkey" (1971), which he also directed.
During the '70s, Lear also produced Redd Foxx's NBC hit "Sanford and Son" and the syndicated soap parody and cult classic "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," starring Louise Lasser.
Lear's political interests – and passions – went beyond the small screen. In 1981, he formed the progressive organization People for the American Way in defense of separating church and state and as an answer to rising right-wing religious groups.
Lear, who called himself "a bleeding-heart conservative" regarding his support for the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, paid more than $8 million for a copy of the Declaration of Independence and displayed it on tour in the early 2000s to give Americans the chance to see the words that helped create their democratic birthright.
Ever outspoken, Lear announced he would boycott a traditional White House reception ahead of the 2017 Kennedy Honors ceremony – it was later canceled – because of his opposition to President Donald Trump and his policies.
"He's made me feel it's not my White House," he explained to USA TODAY. "But I've gotten over that. It is my White House. It oughtn't to be his."
Lear was never content to rest his laurels atop a mountain of hit shows and awards. While in his 90s, he published a memoir, 2014's "Even This I Get to Experience"; started a podcast; and was host of "America Divided," a documentary series that explored political and social issues during the 2016 presidential campaign. He also saw his "One Day" revival rescued by cable's Pop TV after it was canceled by Netflix, then get canceled again.
However audience attitudes change, Lear maintained a confidence that there would always be material for good comedy that can get serious, as he told USA TODAY in 2017: "The foolishness of the human condition is a constant. It doesn’t go away.”
Lear is survived by his wife, Lyn Lear, whom he married in 1987. They share three children: Benjamin, Brianna and Madeline. He also has children from previous marriages: Kate and Maggie, with former spouse Frances Lear; and his oldest child, Ellen, with his first wife, Charlotte.
