Norman Lear

Norman Lear

Born: July 27, 1922
Died: December 5, 2023
in New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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.

Movies for Norman Lear...

Title: Good Times
Character: Self (voice)
Released: April 12, 2024
Type: TV
In this edgy, irreverent reimagining of the TV classic, a new generation of the Evans family keeps their heads above water in a Chicago housing project.
bee
Norman Lear: A Life on Television
Title: Norman Lear: A Life on Television
Released: December 8, 2023
Type: Movie
An ET special that features new interviews with stars of the long-running comedies Lear created and never-before-seen interviews from the ET vault. This one-hour special features new interviews with stars of the long-running comedies Lear created, including Jimmie Walker and Mackenzie Phillips. Also included with this new footage and interviews is an in-depth sit-down interview with Lear that ET host Kevin Frazier conducted when Lear celebrated his 100th birthday, in which he reflected on his lengthy, groundbreaking career.
bee
Being Mary Tyler Moore
Title: Being Mary Tyler Moore
Character: Self (voice)
Released: March 13, 2023
Type: Movie
With unprecedented access to the Mary Tyler Moore Estate, friends, family, and colleagues, Being Mary Tyler Moore constructs an intimate mosaic of Mary's sixty-year career in show business.
bee
Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
Title: Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter
Character: Self
Released: September 22, 2022
Type: Movie
The one-night-only celebration honoring the life and legacy of the famed producer features intimate conversations, special performances and surprise reunions that pay homage to the man behind some of television’s greatest stories in celebration of his 100th birthday.
bee
Gratitude Revealed
Title: Gratitude Revealed
Character: Himself
Released: September 16, 2022
Type: Movie
An epic journey forty years in the making, acclaimed filmmaker, Louie Schwartzberg, the director of Fantastic Fungi, takes us on a transformational, cinematic experience of how to live a more meaningful life full of Gratitude through his intimate conversations with everyday people, thought leaders, and personalities such as Norman Lear, Jack Kornfield, Luisah Teish, Alex Grey and other luminaries.
bee
Sr.
Title: Sr.
Character: Self
Released: September 2, 2022
Type: Movie
A portrait of the life and career of Robert Downey Sr. (1936-2021), the visionary and fearless US filmmaker — father of actor Robert Downey Jr. — who in the sixties and seventies laid the foundations for countercultural comedy.
bee
Title: Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution
Released: June 29, 2022
Type: TV
The two-part documentary event “Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution” explores the progression of Black comedy and the comedians who have used pointed humor to expose, challenge and ridicule society’s injustices and to articulate the Black experience in America. The series examines Black comedy through a unique lens, tracing the evolution and social awakening of the courageous comedians who dared to push against the constraints of their time and spoke truth to power.
bee
Title: JANET JACKSON.
Character: Self
Released: January 28, 2022
Type: TV
The documentary takes viewers through Janet Jackson's life and career, contain never-before-seen footage, and feature home videos from the legendary artist. Jackson discusses her controversial 2004 Super Bowl halftime show performance with Justin Timberlake, her father Joe Jackson, the death of her brother Michael Jackson, and more.
bee
Lucy and Desi
Title: Lucy and Desi
Character: Self
Released: January 21, 2022
Type: Movie
Explore the unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment history. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz risked everything to be together.
bee
The Super Bob Einstein Movie
Title: The Super Bob Einstein Movie
Character: Self
Released: December 28, 2021
Type: Movie
This documentary explores Bob Einstein’s unlikely discovery and enduring career, sharing the many evolving layers of his comedy from the people that knew him best.
bee
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes
Title: Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes
Character: Self - Host
Released: December 7, 2021
Type: Movie
The live special event features reenactments of episodes from “The Facts of Life” and “Diff’rent Strokes”.
bee
Adventures In Christmasing
Title: Adventures In Christmasing
Character: Himself
Released: November 29, 2021
Type: Movie
Parker Baldwin finds her Christmas plans upended when her network persuades her to spend three days in the wild with survivalist Finn Holt for a holiday television event.
bee
Dean Martin: King of Cool
Title: Dean Martin: King of Cool
Character: Self
Released: November 14, 2021
Type: Movie
Dean Martin had a laid-back charm that made him successful in everything from big-screen comedies to television variety shows to live acts in Las Vegas. Filmmaker Tom Donahue explores Martin’s varied career, including his complicated relationships with Jerry Lewis, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, and others. We hear from admirers such as critic Gerald Early, actor Jon Hamm, and Hip-Hop artist RZA who testify to Martin’s enduring mystique.
bee
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
Title: Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
Character: Self
Released: June 18, 2021
Type: Movie
Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become one of a select group who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. Over a seventy year career, she has paved the way for Hispanic-American performers by refusing to be pigeonholed into one-dimensional stereotypes.
bee
Find Your Groove
Title: Find Your Groove
Character: Self
Released: March 24, 2020
Type: Movie
In this uplifitng documentary, stars and musicians from across the industry speak to the power and importance of music in society. Here we examine how close we came to not having many of the incredible artists who we cherish today had it not been for arts programs. Music has the power to inspire and change world, and that starts with our supporting young talent.
bee
Title: Stars in the House
Character: Self
Released: March 16, 2020
Type: TV
In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic and theatres across the world closing their curtains indefinitely, SiriusXM host Seth Rudetsky and his husband, producer James Wesley have created Stars in the House, a daily live streamed series to support The Actors Fund and its services.
bee
Title: Visible: Out On Television
Character: Self
Released: February 14, 2020
Type: TV
Explore the history of the LGBTQ movement through the lens of TV in this five-part docuseries. Combining archival footage with new interviews, it looks at homophobia, invisibility, the evolution of LGBTQ characters, and coming out in the TV industry.
bee
Live in Front of a Studio Audience:
Title: Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
Character: Himself - Co-Host
Released: December 18, 2019
Type: Movie
Live performances of classic holiday-themed episodes from Norman Lear's hit shows "All in the Family" and "Good Times."
bee
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's
Title: Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
Character: Himself (host)
Released: May 22, 2019
Type: Movie
Celebrities re-create an original episode each from "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons."
bee
I Want My MTV
Title: I Want My MTV
Character: Self
Released: May 1, 2019
Type: Movie
The film is about the formation of a music channel that has shaped modern pop culture. On August 1, 1981, the life of a whole generation of Americans changed forever - on this day MTV began its broadcasting day, making VJ a new teen hero and creating a canon of music video as a vivid artistic statement.
bee
Robert Scheer: Above the Fold
Title: Robert Scheer: Above the Fold
Character: Self
Released: January 28, 2019
Type: Movie
A documentary on the six-decades long career of a muckraking journalist, who was involved with the radical 196os magazine Ramparts, with the Los Angeles Times newspaper, and later with the Internet website Truthdig.
bee
Viewer Direction Advised
Title: Viewer Direction Advised
Character: Self
Released: November 14, 2018
Type: Movie
Twenty-one year old Ben is on a journey - to follow his TV-obsessed dad and explore how television consumption has evolved from one generation to the next.
bee
The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee
Title: The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee
Character: Self
Released: December 4, 2017
Type: Movie
An intimate portrait of Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee, tracing his remarkable ascent from a young Boston boy stricken with polio to the one of the most pioneering and consequential journalistic figures of the 20th century.
bee
If You're Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast
Title: If You're Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast
Character: Self
Released: June 5, 2017
Type: Movie
Irrepressible writer-comedian Carl Reiner, who shows no signs of slowing down at 94, tracks down celebrated nonagenarians, and a few others over 100, to show how the twilight years can truly be the happiest and most rewarding. Among those who share their insights into what it takes to be vital and productive in older age are Mel Brooks, Dick Van Dyke, Kirk Douglas, Norman Lear, Betty White and Tony Bennett.
bee
Title: America Divided
Character: Self
Released: October 29, 2016
Type: TV
In the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, America Divided, this docu-series features narratives around inequality in education, housing, healthcare, labor, criminal justice and the political system. The show follows high-profile correspondents as they explore aspects of inequality related to their own biographies.
bee
Title: To Tell the Truth
Character: Self - Panelist
Released: June 14, 2016
Type: TV
A modern reimagination of the classic game show. In each round, a celebrity panel will be presented with three people who all claim to be the same person with the same incredible talent, job or achievement. One is sworn to tell the truth while the others are not.
bee
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Title: Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Character: Self
Released: January 21, 2016
Type: Movie
Arguably the most influential creator, writer, and producer in the history of television, Norman Lear brought primetime into step with the times. Using comedy and indelible characters, his legendary 1970s shows such as All In the Family, Maude, Good Times, and The Jeffersons, boldly cracked open dialogue and shifted the national consciousness, injecting enlightened humanism into sociopolitical debates on race, class, creed, and feminism.
bee
Title: StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Character: Self
Released: April 20, 2015
Type: TV
Host Neil deGrasse Tyson brings together celebrities, scientists and comedians to explore a variety of cosmic topics and collide pop culture with science in a way that late-night television has never seen before. Weekly topics range from popular science fiction, space travel, extraterrestrial life, the Big Bang, to the future of Earth and the environment. Tyson is an astrophysicist with a gifted ability to connect with everyone, inspiring us all to to "keep looking up."
bee
Title: Late Night with Seth Meyers
Character: Self
Released: February 25, 2014
Type: TV
Seth Meyers, who is "Saturday Night Live’s" longest serving anchor on the show’s wildly popular "Weekend Update," takes over as host of NBC’s "Late Night" — home to A-list celebrity guests, memorable comedy and the best in musical talent. As the Emmy Award-winning head writer for "SNL," Meyers has established a reputation for sharp wit and perfectly timed comedy, and has gained fame for his spot-on jokes and satire. Meyers takes his departure from "SNL" to his new post at "Late Night," as Jimmy Fallon moves to "The Tonight Show".
bee
Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption
Title: Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption
Character: Self
Released: November 10, 2013
Type: Movie
Terrence McNally’s Corpus Christi is a play retelling the Jesus story, with Jesus as a gay man living in the 1950s in Corpus Christi, Texas. This documentary follows the troupe, playwright, and audience around the world on a five-year journey of Terrence McNally’s passion play, where voices of protest and support collide on one of the central issues facing the LGBT community: religion.
bee
Casting By
Title: Casting By
Character: Self
Released: November 1, 2012
Type: Movie
This essential new documentary pays tribute to the legacy of the late, legendary casting director Marion Dougherty and shines a light on one of the most overlooked and least understood crafts in filmmaking.
bee
Pablo
Title: Pablo
Character: Self
Released: October 17, 2012
Type: Movie
Pablo blends documentary and animation elements to tell the saga of "famous unknown" Pablo Ferro, a man with a personal journey that spans from Havana, during the pre-Cuban revolution to his current home, in the garage behind his son's house.
bee
Title: Finding Your Roots
Character: Self
Released: March 24, 2012
Type: TV
Noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has been helping people discover long-lost relatives hidden for generations within the branches of their family trees. Professor Gates utilizes a team of genealogists to reconstruct the paper trail left behind by our ancestors and the world’s leading geneticists to decode our DNA and help us travel thousands of years into the past to discover the origins of our earliest forebears.
bee
The Television Revolution Begins:
Title: The Television Revolution Begins: "All in the Family" Is On the Air
Character: Self
Released: June 9, 2009
Type: Movie
DVD featurette documenting the success of "All in the Family".
bee
Those Were the Days: The Birth of
Title: Those Were the Days: The Birth of "All in the Family"
Character: Self
Released: June 9, 2009
Type: Movie
DVD featurette documenting the beginnings of "All in the Family"
bee
The Brothers Warner
Title: The Brothers Warner
Character: Self - Producer
Released: October 16, 2008
Type: Movie
An intimate portrait and saga of four film pioneers--Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack who rose from immigrant poverty through personal tragedies persevering to create a major studio with a social conscience.
bee
Title: Iconoclasts
Character: Self
Released: November 17, 2005
Type: TV
Iconoclasts is a Sundance Channel show. Each episode pairs two "creative visionaries" who discuss their lives, influences, and art, most of whom are longtime friends with the other person featured in the episode. The series premiered on November 17, 2005, and has had six six-episode seasons.
bee
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin
Title: A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin
Released: August 19, 2005
Type: Movie
On May 8th, 1945, writer, director Norman Corwin broadcast ON A NOTE OF TRIUMPH, an unforgettable homage to the end of war in Europe. This film shines a light on a lost work of genius, and examines it's haunting resonance to today's current events.
bee
Title: Jack & Bobby
Released: September 12, 2004
Type: TV
If "greatness is thrust upon us," as Winston Churchill once said, then it stands to reason that those who are destined for greatness are rarely aware of it. Take Jack and Bobby McCallister for example: two bright young brothers growing up under the watchful eye of their eccentric single mother Grace McCallister. Grace's personality is a force of nature destined to shape both of these young men's lives and secure one a place in the history books - as President of the United States.
bee
Title: TV Revolution
Released: May 23, 2004
Type: TV
By blending history with the portrayal of sex, violence, minorities, women and homosexuality on television, "TV Revolution" touches on some of the greatest and most controversial moments of the small screen.
bee
The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series
Title: The Golden Girls: Lifetime Intimate Portrait Series
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 2003
Type: Movie
Lifetime's "Intimate Portrait" series shines a spotlight on the Golden Girls -- Bea Arthur, Betty White, Estelle Getty and Rue McClanahan -- with a collection of four programs offering an up-close look at the remarkable lives of the hit show's stars. Valerie Harper, John Ritter and Alex Trebek narrate this tribute, with guests including Angela Lansbury, Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner, Rosie O'Donnell and many others.
bee
Funny Is Money
Title: Funny Is Money
Character: Self
Released: October 1, 1999
Type: Movie
Showtime's "In the 20th Century" is a millennium-related strand of feature-length documentaries in which famous directors take on major subjects of their choosing. In the fifth of the six films, "Funny Is Money," filmmaker Norman Jewison delves into the topic of comedy, using the hype surrounding the finale of the wildly successful NBC series "Seinfeld" as his launchpad to explore how the artform has evolved over the past 100 years.
bee
Title: South Park
Released: August 13, 1997
Type: TV
Follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
bee
Perfect Moment
Title: Perfect Moment
Character: Himself
Released: March 21, 1997
Type: Movie
In this documentary, artist-filmmaker Nicholas Hondrogen asks people to describe memorable moments of their lives. Some, such as Norman Lear and Indian activist Russell Means, talk about religion, while composer Philip Glass and film-producer Irwin Winkler discuss the births of their children. Pastor Jess Moody recalls WW II deaths of his friends, and artist Janice Blake remembers being raped.
bee
Title: E! True Hollywood Story
Released: August 21, 1996
Type: TV
E! True Hollywood Story is an American documentary series on E! that deals with famous Hollywood celebrities, movies, TV shows and also well-known public figures. Among the topics covered on the program include salacious re-tellings of Hollywood secrets, show-biz scandals, celebrity murders and mysteries, porn-star biographies, and "where-are-they-now?" investigations of former child stars. It frequently features in-depth interviews, actual courtroom footage, and dramatic reenactments. When aired on the E! network, episodes will be updated to reflect the current life or status of the subject.
bee
Title: The Daily Show
Character: Self
Released: July 22, 1996
Type: TV
The World's Fakest News Team tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and pop culture.
bee
Title: Intimate Portrait
Character: Self
Released: November 14, 1993
Type: TV
Intimate Portrait is a biographical television series on the Lifetime Television cable network focusing on different celebrities, which includes interviews with each subject. Among the people profiled were Grace Kelly, Natalie Wood, Carly Simon, Jackie Kennedy, Katharine Hepburn, Carol Burnett, Tanya Tucker, and Marla Maples.
bee
Color Adjustment
Title: Color Adjustment
Character: Self
Released: January 29, 1992
Type: Movie
From Amos 'n' Andy to Nat King Cole, from Roots to The Cosby Show, black people have played many roles on primetime television. Brilliantly weaving clips from classic TV shows with commentary from TV producers, black actors and scholars, Marlon Riggs blends humor, insight, and thoughtful analysis to explore the evolution of black/white relations as reflected by America's favorite addiction.
bee
Title: The Simpsons
Released: December 17, 1989
Type: TV
Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.
bee
A Different Approach
Title: A Different Approach
Released: January 1, 1978
Type: Movie
An all-star educational film about the positive side of hiring people with disabilities. A board sit and watch the film Michael Keaton's character's assembled to sell companies on hiring the handicapped, which takes "a different approach" by combining several approaches--most of them suggested by Hollywood personalities.
bee
Title: Saturday Night Live
Character: Self - Host
Released: October 11, 1975
Type: TV
A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, and features performances by a musical guest.
bee
Title: Dinah!
Character: Self
Released: October 21, 1974
Type: TV
Dinah's show premiered 9 September 1974 and continued through to 4 September 1981. She started out the 70's with Dinah's Place which usually featured one guest and was more of a home oriented show about cooking, crafts and occasionally music. This format lasted until May of 1974. When the show came back in October of 1974 the format had changed drastically to a variety talk show which was called Dinah. and went on until 1981. This show was also known as "Dinah and Friends" during the summer of 1976.
bee
Cold Turkey
Title: Cold Turkey
Character: Crying Man (uncredited)
Released: February 19, 1971
Type: Movie
Reverend Brooks leads the town in a contest to stop smoking for a month, But some tobacco executives don't want them to win, and try everything they can to make them smoke. If townspeople don't go nuts, from wanting a cigarette, or kill each other from irritation and frustration, they will win a huge prize.
bee
Title: The Dick Cavett Show
Character: Self - Guest
Released: June 6, 1968
Type: TV
The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks.
bee
Come Blow Your Horn
Title: Come Blow Your Horn
Character: Party Guest (uncredited)
Released: June 5, 1963
Type: Movie
The story of a young man's decision to leave the home of his parents for the bachelor pad of his older brother who leads a swinging '60s lifestyle.
bee
Title: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character: Self
Released: October 1, 1962
Type: TV
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
bee
Title: The Mike Douglas Show
Character: Self
Released: December 11, 1961
Type: TV
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
bee
A Case For Kindness
Title: A Case For Kindness
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
A Case For Kindness is a journey to understand the true nature of Kindness, making a case for why it is our best way forward as a society. The film will examine different themes of kindness while exploring various stories, cultures and conversations. We thread the themes of bullying, hate, mental health, racial injustice, food insecurity and climate change. We interview experts, leading authorities and find real life moments to build the case that inspires humanity to adopt Kindness.