Norman Lear
Production
Born: July 27, 1922 · New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Died: December 5, 2023 (aged 101)
Highest Rated
Biography
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.
Known for
The Simpsons
1989
The Princess Bride
1987
South Park
1997
Fried Green Tomatoes
1991
Chappelle's Show
2003
Boots
2025
One Day at a Time
2017
All in the Family
1971
The Jeffersons
1975
The Facts of Life
1979
Sanford and Son
1972
Good Times
1974
Photos (1)
Movies (4)
TV Shows (4)
Self / Appearances (56)
The Daily Show
Self · 1 eps
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · 1 eps
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · 1 eps
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · 1 eps
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · 3 eps
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self · 1 eps
Late Night with David Letterman
Self - Guest · 1 eps
Intimate Portrait
Self · 2 eps
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest · 1 eps
Finding Your Roots
Self · 1 eps
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
Self · 1 eps
Dinah!
Self · 2 eps
To Tell the Truth
Self - Panelist · 1 eps
Stars in the House
Self · 1 eps
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Self · 1 eps
Good Times
Self (voice) · 1 eps
JANET JACKSON.
Self · 1 eps
Visible: Out on Television
Self · 5 eps
Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television
Self · 1 eps
America Divided
Self · 8 eps
Being Mary Tyler Moore
Self (voice)
Iconoclasts
Self · 1 eps
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
Self
"Sr."
Self
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes
Self - Host
Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
Self
Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution
Self · 2 eps
Lucy and Desi
Self
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
Self - Co-Host
The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series
Self
Dean Martin: King of Cool
Self
Color Adjustment
Self
Casting By
Self
A Virtual Princess Bride Reunion
Self
The Brothers Warner
Self
I Want My MTV
Self
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Self
Find Your Groove
Self
The Super Bob Einstein Movie
Self
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
Self - host
The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee
Self
Pablo
Self
Funny Is Money
Self
Pioneers in Skirts
self
Traveling Hopefully
Self - Television Producer
Perfect Moment
Self
If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast
Self
Those Were the Days: The Birth of "All in the Family"
Self
Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption
Self
Adventures in Christmasing
Himself
The Television Revolution Begins: "All in the Family" Is On the Air
Self
Robert Scheer: Above the Fold
Self
All in the Family: 20th Anniversary Special
Self - Host
A Case for Kindness
Self
Viewer Direction Advised
Self
Gratitude Revealed
Himself
Upcoming (1)
Directing (4)
Writing (13)
All in the Family
Writer
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Writer
The Deputy
Writer
Chappelle's Show
Writer
704 Hauser
Writer
Sunday Dinner
Writer
Divorce American Style
Screenplay
Cold Turkey
Screenplay
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
Original Series Creator
The Night They Raided Minsky's
Screenplay
I Love Liberty
Writer
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
Writer
Come Blow Your Horn
Screenplay
Producing (38)
One Day at a Time
Producer
All in the Family
Executive Producer
All in the Family
Producer
Sanford and Son
Producer
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
Producer
One Day at a Time
Executive Producer
The Princess Bride
Executive Producer
Good Times
Producer
Maude
Executive Producer
Boots
Executive Producer
Good Times
Executive Producer
Fried Green Tomatoes
Executive Producer
Clean Slate
Executive Producer
Channel Umptee-3
Producer
Palmerstown, U.S.A.
Producer
The Nancy Walker Show
Producer
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
Executive Producer
The Powers That Be
Producer
The Thief Who Came to Dinner
Producer
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes
Executive Producer
Hot l Baltimore
Producer
Before We Forget
Executive Producer
Sunday Dinner
Producer
Divorce American Style
Producer
I Carry You with Me
Executive Producer
Cold Turkey
Producer
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
Executive Producer
The Night They Raided Minsky's
Producer
Start the Revolution Without Me
Executive Producer
Heartsounds
Executive Producer
I Love Liberty
Executive Producer
Never Too Late
Producer
Come Blow Your Horn
Producer
Way Past Cool
Executive Producer
I Got A Monster
Executive Producer
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song
Executive Producer
All in the Family: 20th Anniversary Special
Executive Producer
Playing for Change 3 - Songs Around the World
Executive Producer
Other Crew (18)
The Facts of Life
Creator
All in the Family
Creator
Sanford and Son
Creator
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
Creator
The Jeffersons
Creator
The Deputy
Creator
Archie Bunker's Place
Creator
Maude
Creator
America 2-Night
Creator
All That Glitters
Creator
Fernwood 2 Night
Creator
Channel Umptee-3
Creator
The Nancy Walker Show
Creator
All's Fair
Creator
704 Hauser
Creator
Scared Stiff
Additional Dialogue
Sunday Dinner
Creator
Apple Pie
Creator