Norman Lear

Norman Lear, born in 1922, American television producer and screenwriter, noted for raising the standard of situation-comedy, or sitcom, television programs during the 1970s by dealing openly with social and political issues. He was the most successful television producer of that decade, and seven of his series ran concurrently for a time.

Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Lear attended Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, for two years. He then left for military service in World War II (1939-1945). While working in public relations in New York City, he wrote material for several comedians on a freelance basis. He moved to Hollywood, California, in the early 1950s. A stint as writer and coproducer for “The Martha Raye Show” (1954-1956) for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) launched his television career. Teamed with American director and producer Bud Yorkin in the 1960s, Lear produced numerous television specials and movies. His career escalated when he purchased the format rights (the right to use another program's content) to the unconventional British sitcom “Till Death Us Do Part” and used it as the model for his television series “All In the Family” (1971-1979).

“All In the Family,” which popularized the bigoted character Archie Bunker and built humor around the conflict between political conservatives and liberals, marked a new, more adult approach to television. A string of hit sitcoms followed in rapid succession, all of which dealt with contemporary social issues and scorned sexual taboos. They included “Sanford and Son” (1972-1977), “Maude” (1972-1978), “Good Times” (1974-1979), “The Jeffersons” (1975-1985), and “One Day At a Time” (1975-1984). Lear's late-night soap-opera parody “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” (1976-1977) developed a cult following in the mid-1970s. He blended the genres of sitcom and television talk show with his production of “Fernwood 2-Night” (1977-1978) and “The Baxters” (1979-1981).

In the early 1980s Lear interrupted his career to pursue his interests in business and liberal political causes. He returned sporadically to television production in the 1980s but achieved little success. Lear has been honored by virtually every American broadcast industry organization. Among numerous other awards, he won four Emmy Awards (for outstanding new comedy series in 1971, and for outstanding comedy series in 1971, 1972, and 1973) and a Peabody Award (1977). In 1984 he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.