Norman Lear

Norman Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American television writer and producer who produced such popular 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son and Maude.

Related Topics:
July 27 - 1922 - American - Television - Producer - 1970s - Sitcoms - All in the Family - Sanford and Son - Maude

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lear was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He attended Emerson College in Boston, but dropped out in 1942 to join the United States Air Force during World War II. He received a decorated Air Medal for his wartime accomplishments before leaving the military in 1945.

Related Topics:
New Haven, Connecticut - Emerson College - Boston - 1942 - United States Air Force - World War II - Air Medal - 1945

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Starting out as a comedy writer, then a film director (he wrote and produced the 1969 film Divorce, American Style and directed the 1971 film Cold Turkey, both starring Dick Van Dyke), Lear tried to sell a concept for a sitcom about a blue-collar American family to ABC. They rejected the show after two pilots were filmed. After a third pilot was shot, CBS picked up the show, known as All in the Family. It premiered January 12, 1971 to disappointing ratings, but it took home several Emmy Awards that year, including Outstanding Comedy Series. The show did very well in summer reruns, and it flourished in the 1971-1972 season, becoming the #1 rated show on TV. The show was based on the British sitcom Til Death Us Do Part, about an irate working-class Tory and his Socialist son-in-law.

Related Topics:
Film - 1969 - Divorce, American Style - 1971 - Cold Turkey - Dick Van Dyke - Blue-collar - ABC - CBS - All in the Family - January 12 - Emmy Awards - British - Til Death Us Do Part - Tory - Socialist

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lear's second big TV hit was Sanford and Son, also based on a British sitcom (Steptoe and Son) about a Cockney junk dealer and his son. Lear changed the setting to Los Angeles and the characters to African-Americans, and the NBC show was an instant hit.

Related Topics:
Sanford and Son - Steptoe and Son - Cockney - Los Angeles - African-Americans - NBC

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

What most of the Lear sitcoms had in common are that they were character-driven, had a flat, theatrical look similar to soap operas, and very often dealt with social or political issues of the day.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lear's longtime producing partner was Bud Yorkin, who served as executive producer of Sanford and Son, split with Lear in 1975. He started a production company with writer/producers Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein, but they had only one show that ran more than a year: What's Happening!!. The Lear/Yorkin company was known as Tandem Productions. Lear and talent agent Jerry Perenchio founded T.A.T. Communications (T.A.T. stood for "Tokas-Adamn-Tokin", which is Yiddish for "Putting one's butt on the line") in 1975, which co-existed with Tandem Productions and was often referred to in periodicals as Tandem/T.A.T. The Lear organization was one of the most successful independent TV producers of the 1970s.

Related Topics:
Bud Yorkin - Saul Turteltaub - Bernie Orenstein - What's Happening!! - Jerry Perenchio - 1975

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lear himself stepped down as production supervisor on his shows in 1978, as there were too many for him to personally supervise while running the business itself.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1982, the company bought out Avco Embassy Pictures from Avco Financial Corporation, and the Avco part of its name was dropped. In 1985, Lear sold all his film and television production holdings to other entities, with Columbia Pictures (then owned by the Coca-Cola Company) acquiring Embassy's television division (which included Embassy's in-house television productions and the television rights to the Embassy theatrical library) for $500 million. He was no longer involved with the productions in any way.

Related Topics:
1982 - Embassy Pictures - 1985 - Columbia Pictures - Coca-Cola

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The brand Tandem Productions was abandoned in 1986 with the cancellation of Diff'rent Strokes, and Embassy ceased to exist as a single entity in late 1987, having been split into different components owned by different entities. The Embassy TV division became ELP Communications in 1988, but shows originally produced by Embassy were now under the Columbia Pictures Television banner from 1988-1994 and the Columbia TriStar Television banner from 1994-1998.

Related Topics:
1986 - Diff'rent Strokes - 1987 - 1988 - Columbia Pictures Television - Columbia TriStar Television

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lear attempted to return to TV production in the 1990s with the shows Sunday Dinner, The Powers that Be, and 704 Hauser, the last one putting a different family in the house from All in the Family. None of the series proved successful.

Related Topics:
1990s - Sunday Dinner - The Powers that Be - 704 Hauser - All in the Family

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lear is unofficially credited with giving Rob Reiner his start as a director by helping the son of Carl Reiner acquire financing for the mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. Throughout the 1980s Lear's Act III Communications, founded in 1986 with Tom McGrath as President, produced several notable films, including Stand by Me, Fried Green Tomatoes, and The Princess Bride.

Related Topics:
Rob Reiner - Carl Reiner - Mockumentary - This is Spinal Tap - Tom McGrath - Stand by Me - Fried Green Tomatoes - The Princess Bride

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~