LEAR, NORMAN 1922-

Television producer

Television Innovator

Before the 1970s American television comedies were mostly formulaic shows that presented a largely idealized portrait of middle-class life. One example is the popular program The Brady Bunchy which ran from 1969 to 1974. Even during the turbulent 1960s, situation comedies failed to reflect what life was like for most American families. During the 1970s, however, many creators in the media sought to introduce a greater degree of relevance into their work. One of the most prominent—and controversial—to do so in television was Norman Lear. His many successes during the 1970s changed the nature of much American television comedy.

Finding a Niche

Lear began his television career in the mid 1950s as a comedy writer. In 1959 he formed a production company, Tandem, with director Bud Yorkin. They produced theater films during the 1960s; achieving little success, they turned their efforts toward television in 1970 with All in the Family, the program with which Lear is most often associated. Lear wrote the script for the pilot episodes, in which he set the pattern for the series (at first called "Those Were the Days") by using references to contemporary issues and previously forbidden language. ABC rejected the pilots in 1969, but in 1970 CBS bought the series as a midseason replacement.

America's Most Likable Bigot

All in the Family premiered in January 1971. Based on the British comedy Till Death Do Us Part, Lear's show went boldly where no U.S. television show had gone before: into a more realistic yet satiric portrait of a working-class family who argued over such contemporary topics as racism, sexism, sexual issues, and pacifism. The nominal head of the family, based on Lear's own father, was world-class bigot Archie Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor). His loudmouthed, ultra-conservative views were countered by his not-too-bright but good-hearted wife Edith (Jean Stapleton); their activist daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers); and Gloria's liberal husband Mike (Rob Reiner). What made these clashes so shocking for many was the language Archie used to express his ideas. For instance, Archie referred to blacks as "jungle bunnies" who lived on welfare and craved fried chicken and ribs. While Lear obviously intended Archie to appear as wrongheaded, with his arguments countered by the rest of his family, many women and minority viewers nonetheless found his declamations offensive. Moreover, while Archie was portrayed as narrow-minded, he was also funny and even likable to many viewers, which some critics believed counteracted the show's liberal intent. At any rate All in the Family got people talking, which is to Lear's credit. The program, though it got off to a slow start, was successful and enjoyed a long run. Struthers and Reiner left in 1978, and Stapleton's character last appeared during the 1979-1980 season, when the show was renamed Archie's Place. The program broadcast its last new episode in 1983. As an ironic touch, Lear's short-lived program 704 Hauser (1994) featured a black character living in Archie's old house.

Good Intentions

The success of All in the Family prompted Lear and Yorkin to create similar shows. These included Sanford and Son (1972-1977), about a cantankerous black junk man and his liberal son, and Maude (1972-1978), a spin-off from All in the Family about Archie's liberal cousin (played by Beatrice Arthur). One episode of the show was particularly controversial: the fortyish Maude announced that she was pregnant and going to have an abortion. Other Lear spin-offs included the black-cast sitcoms The Jeffersons (1975-1985) and Good Times (1974-1979). In 1974 he helped create another production company, TAT, this time with Jerry Perenchio. Through TAT Lear scored another considerable success with Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976-1977), a syndicated send-up of soap operas that starred Louise Lasser as a demented homemaker surrounded by an equally demented set of characters.

Bad Results

While Lear was the most successful television producer of the 1970s, he was by no means immune to failures, which increased in number during the 1980s and early 1990s. His business enterprises of the 1980s also enjoyed mixed results. Lear achieved more success with the organization People for the American Way, which he helped to found in the early 1980s to counter the efforts of the religious Right to influence American media and politics.

Sources:

Richard P. Adler, All in the Family: A Critical Appraisal (New York: Praeger, 1979);

Geoffrey Cowan, See No Evil: The Backstage Battle over Sex and Violence on Television (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1979);

Donna McCrohan, Archie & Edith, Mike & Gloria Revisited: A Retrospective Appreciation of All in the Family (New York: Workman, 1987).