© Copyright Harutyunyan 2024

sunfilm-logo
Home/Norman Lear
Norman Lear‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1922-07-27

Popularity

star6.1

Norman Lear

New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Norman Lear

New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1922-07-27

Popularity

star6.1

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.

Movie Credits

Cold Turkey

Cold Turkey‌
star6.2
calendar 1971

Dean Martin: King of Cool

Dean Martin: King of Cool‌
star7.5
calendar 2021

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes‌
star7.3
calendar 2021

Pablo

Pablo‌
star6.7
calendar 2012

The Super Bob Einstein Movie

The Super Bob Einstein Movie‌
star6.7
calendar 2021

Casting By

Casting By‌
star7.1
calendar 2012

Lucy and Desi

Lucy and Desi‌
star7.1
calendar 2022

Being Mary Tyler Moore

Being Mary Tyler Moore‌
star6.9
calendar 2023

The Television Revolution Begins: "All in the Family" Is On the Air

The Television Revolution Begins: "All in the Family" Is On the Air‌
star0.0
calendar 2009

Those Were the Days: The Birth of "All in the Family"

Those Were the Days: The Birth of "All in the Family"‌
star0.0
calendar 2009

Funny Is Money

Funny Is Money‌
star0.0
calendar 1999

Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption

Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption‌
star5.0
calendar 2013

Viewer Direction Advised

Viewer Direction Advised‌
star0.0
calendar 2018

Robert Scheer: Above the Fold

Robert Scheer: Above the Fold‌
star7.0
calendar 2019

A Different Approach

A Different Approach‌
star6.3
calendar 1978

A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin

A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin‌
star6.5
calendar 2005

Gratitude Revealed

Gratitude Revealed‌
star0.0
calendar 2022

The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee

The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee‌
star7.9
calendar 2017

Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter

Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter‌
star8.0
calendar 2022

Norman Lear: A Life on Television

Norman Lear: A Life on Television‌
star0.0
calendar 2023

A Case For Kindness

A Case For Kindness‌
star0.0
calendar

"Sr."

"Sr."‌
star7.2
calendar 2022

Come Blow Your Horn

Come Blow Your Horn‌
star4.8
calendar 1963

Adventures In Christmasing

Adventures In Christmasing‌
star6.7
calendar 2021

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You‌
star7.0
calendar 2016

The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series

The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series‌
star9.4
calendar 2003

If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast

If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast‌
star7.1
calendar 2017

Color Adjustment

Color Adjustment‌
star6.9
calendar 1992

Perfect Moment

Perfect Moment‌
star0.0
calendar 1997

The Brothers Warner

The Brothers Warner‌
star6.6
calendar 2008

I Want My MTV

I Want My MTV‌
star7.5
calendar 2019

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"‌
star6.5
calendar 2019

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"‌
star6.0
calendar 2019

Find Your Groove

Find Your Groove‌
star10.0
calendar 2020

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It‌
star7.4
calendar 2021

Tv Credits

Jack & Bobby

Jack & Bobby‌
star6.8
calendar 2004

South Park

South Park‌
star8.4
calendar 1997

E! True Hollywood Story

E! True Hollywood Story‌
star8.1
calendar 1996

Finding Your Roots

Finding Your Roots‌
star6.3
calendar 2012

Iconoclasts

Iconoclasts‌
star6.0
calendar 2005

TV Revolution

TV Revolution‌
star0.0
calendar 2004

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live‌
star6.9
calendar 1975

The Daily Show

The Daily Show‌
star6.3
calendar 1996

Intimate Portrait

Intimate Portrait‌
star4.5
calendar 1993

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers‌
star5.4
calendar 2014

StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson

StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson‌
star6.9
calendar 2015

Dinah!

Dinah!‌
star6.0
calendar 1974

America Divided

America Divided‌
star5.2
calendar 2016

JANET JACKSON.

JANET JACKSON.‌
star8.0
calendar 2022

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson‌
star7.4
calendar 1962

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show‌
star4.8
calendar 1961

Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution

Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution‌
star6.0
calendar 2022

To Tell the Truth

To Tell the Truth‌
star6.0
calendar 2016

Good Times

Good Times‌
star6.3
calendar 2024

Stars in the House

Stars in the House‌
star0.0
calendar 2020

The Dick Cavett Show

The Dick Cavett Show‌
star6.6
calendar 1968

The Simpsons

The Simpsons‌
star8.0
calendar 1989

Visible: Out on Television

Visible: Out on Television‌
star6.9
calendar 2020