Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2023 11:54:16 GMT -4
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).
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 restaging's 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.
RIP
