RIP Norman Lear

[cohenzone]

Producer/ Director Norman Lear has died at 101 years. For anyone too young to know or remember his prime, his TV sit coms, notably in the 1970s, took on big social issues, with All in the Family being the most notable of them, yielding several major spin offs. He spent most of his young life in Connecticut, graduating from my own alma mater, Weaver High in Hartford, but about 25 years before. His home there was about 3 blocks from mine. A true industry leader. RIP.

 

[LETTERL]

Oh my goodness...what a life he led.

All In The Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons...those shows dominated my childhood and we never missed them. They must have moved AITF and The Jeffersons across the network schedule 10 times but we viewed them every week in my house.

 

[Redux]

Everyone knows Norman Lear's immensely popular TV work but he produced and co-wrote a great movie: "Cold Turkey" in 1971 which a total of seven people have actually seen. Well worth a look if you're in the mood for a retrospective which I sometimes am when an artist passes away. May knock down a couple of Mary Hartman episodes as well, another neglected and under-rated gem. He was a lot more than just All in the Family, Maude, etc.

 

[choochoo]

Everyone knows Norman Lear's immensely popular TV work but he produced and co-wrote a great movie: "Cold Turkey" in 1971 which a total of seven people have actually seen. Well worth a look if you're in the mood for a retrospective which I sometimes am when an artist passes away. May knock down a couple of Mary Hartman episodes as well, another neglected and under-rated gem. He was a lot more than just All in the Family, Maude, etc.

I loved mary hartman and watched it religiously.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The genius of Lear is unmatched. He got controversial, edgy shows on TV in an era when most TV was vanilla treacle produced by people like Sherwood Schwartz. His shows were so good that TV executives took a chance, and Lear was smart enough to still play the game and do some of the silly stuff that he had to in order to keep All In the Family and The Jeffersons on the air. It is amazing that he was able to get All In The Family and the Jeffersons on the air after the debacle that was Sanford and Son. S&S was a good show, but Redd Foxx was a nightmare to manage.

Imagine what Lear could have done if he had been in his prime during TV's Golden Age of the 2000's and 2010's.