Lear, Norman 1922–

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Lear, Norman 1922–

PERSONAL

Full name, Norman Milton Lear; born July 27, 1922, in New Haven, CT; son of Herman (in sales) and Jeanette (maiden name, Seicol) Lear; married second wife, Frances A. Loeb (an entrepreneur), December 7, 1956 (divorced, 1986); married Lyn Davis, 1987; children: (first marriage) Ellen Lear Reiss; (second marriage) Kate B. Lear LaPook, Maggie B.; (third marriage) Benjamin Davis, Brianna Elizabeth and Madelaine Rose (twins). Education: Attended Emerson College, 1940–42.

Addresses: Office—Act III Productions, 100 North Crescent Dr., Suite 250, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Career: Producer, director, writer, and actor. Worked in public relations, 1945–49; freelance comedy writer, 1950–59; Tandem Productions, founder (with Alan "Bud" Yorkin), 1959; T.A.T. Communications (also known as Embassy Communications), founder, producer, production supervisor, and television series developer, beginning 1974; Act III Productions, Beverly Hills, CA, founder, 1987, partner, 1987–; Crescent, principal; Concord Records, chair; Stax Records, owner; also owner or past owner of movie theatres. Museum of Television and Radio, trustee emeritus; Business Enterprise Trust, founder, 1989. American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, cofounder and president, beginning 1973; People for the American Way, founder, 1980, and member of the board of directors; also board member of Constitutional Rights Foundation, Helsinki Watch, Los Angeles Urban League, Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and National Women's Political Caucus. Once worked as furniture salesman and as a sidewalk photographer specializing in baby pictures. Military service: U.S. Army Air Force, radio operator, 1942–45; became technical sergeant; served in European theatre; received Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters.

Member: Writers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America, Producers Guild of America, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Screen Producers Guild (member of executive board, 1968), Caucus of Producers, Writers, and Directors, Environmental Media Association (cofounder, 1989).

Awards, Honors: Named one of top ten motion picture producers of the year, Motion Picture Exhibitors, 1963, 1967, 1968; Golden Laurel Award nomination, outstanding producer, Producers Guild of America, 1967; Academy Award nomination (with Robert Kaufman), best story and screenplay written directly for the screen, and Screen Award nomination, best written American comedy, Writers Guild of America, both 1968, for Divorce American Style; honorary H.H.D., Emerson College, 1968; Emmy Awards, outstanding new series, 1971, and outstanding comedy series (with John Rich), 1971, 1972, 1973, Golden Globe Awards, best comedy or musical television series, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, Emmy Award nominations, outstanding comedy series (with Rich), 1974, and outstanding comedy series (with others), 1976, and George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award, Henry W. Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Georgia, 1978, all for All in the Family; Emmy Award nominations, outstanding writing achievement in comedy, 1971, for "Meet the Bunkers," and 1972 (with Burt Styler), for "The Saga of Cousin Oscar," both All in the Family; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding single dramatic or comedy program, 1972, for "Sammy's Visit," All in the Family; named showman of the year, Publicists Guild, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, and Association of Business Managers, 1972; named broadcaster of the year, International Radio and Television Society, 1973; named man of the year, Hollywood chapter, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, 1973; Emmy Award nominations (with Rod Parker), outstanding comedy series and outstanding new series, 1973, for Maude; Humanitarian Award, National Conference of Christians and Jews (now National Conference for Community and Justice), 1976; Emmy Award nominations, outstanding individual achievement and outstanding comedy series (with others), both 1976, for Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman; Mark Twain Award, International Platform Association, 1977; Valentine Davies Award, Writers Guild of America, 1977; William O. Douglas Public Counsel Award, 1981; First Amendment Lectureship Award, Ford Hall Forum, 1981; Gold Medal, International Radio and Television Society, 1981; Emmy Award nomination (with others) and Television Award (with others), Writers Guild of America, both outstanding writing in a variety or music program, 1982, for I Love Liberty; Distinguished American Award, 1984; inducted into Television Academy Hall of Fame, 1984; Michael Landon Special Award, outstanding contribution to youth through television, Young Artist Awards, 1984; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding drama, 1984, for Heartsounds; Mass Media Award, Institute of Human Relations, American Jewish Committee, 1986; International Award of the Year, National Association of Television Program Executives, 1987; Lifetime Achievement Award, American Comedy Awards, 1987; Lifetime Achievement Award, Casting Society of America, 1991; Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding informational special, 1991, for All in the Family: 20th Anniversary Special; Wise Owl Award (with others), television and theatrical film fiction category, Retirement Research Foundation, 1992, for Fried Green Tomatoes; Laurel Award, television writing achievement, Writers Guild of America, 1993; Lucy Award, Women in Film, 1999; Career Achievement Award, Television Critics Association, 1999; National Medal of the Arts, 1999 (some sources cite 2002); First Freedom National Award, Council for America, 2003; Golden Laurel Award, lifetime achievement in television, Producers Guild of America, 2006; received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame; Norman Lear Center was established at University of Southern California to explore the convergence of entertainment, commerce, and society.

CREDITS

Television Work; Series:

Coproducer and director, The Martha Raye Show, NBC, 1954–56.

Creator, The Deputy, 1959.

Creator and executive producer, The Andy Williams Show (also known as The Andy Williams Series), NBC, 1965.

Creator and executive producer, All in the Family (also known as Those Were the Days), CBS, 1971–79.

Cocreator and co-executive producer, Sanford and Son, NBC, 1972–77.

Creator and co-executive producer, Maude, CBS, 1972–78.

Executive producer, Good Times, CBS, 1974–79.

Creator, The Jeffersons, CBS, 1975–85.

Coproducer, Hot L Baltimore, ABC, 1975.

Executive producer, One Day at a Time, CBS, 1975–84.

Cocreator and executive producer, The Nancy Walker Show, ABC, 1976–77.

Creator, All's Fair, CBS, 1976–77.

Creator and executive producer, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, syndicated, 1976–77.

Cocreator and producer, All that Glitters, syndicated, 1977.

Executive producer, A Year at the Top, CBS, 1977.

Creator, Fernwood 2-Night, syndicated, 1977.

Executive producer, Forever Fernwood, syndicated, 1977–78.

Creator, Apple Pie, ABC, 1978.

Executive producer, Hanging In, CBS, 1979.

Creator and executive producer, The Baxters, syndicated, 1979.

Cocreator and co-executive producer, Palmerstown, U.S.A. (also known as Palmerstown), CBS, 1980–81.

Creator and executive producer, a.k.a. Pablo, ABC, 1984.

Creator and executive producer, Sunday Dinner, CBS, 1991.

Executive producer, The Powers that Be, NBC, 1992–93.

Creator and executive producer, 704 Hauser Street (also known as 704 Hauser), CBS, 1993.

Executive producer, Channel Umptee-3, The WB, 1997.

Television Work; Specials:

Producer, "Love Is a Lion's Roar," General Electric Theatre (also known as G.E. Theatre), CBS, 1961.

Coproducer, The Danny Kaye Show, CBS, 1961.

Coproducer, Henry Fonda and the Family, CBS, 1962.

Coproducer, The Andy Williams Special, NBC, 1962.

Producer, The TV Guide Awards Show, 1962.

Producer, Robert Young and the Family, 1970.

Creator and co-executive producer, I Love Liberty, ABC, 1982.

Executive producer, Good Evening, He Lied, 1984.

Executive producer, All in the Family 20th Anniversary Special, CBS, 1991.

Co-executive producer, "Declaration of Independence," Independence Day 2001, ABC, 2003.

Also cocreator and coproducer of Another Evening with Fred Astaire, An Evening with Carol Channing, and The Many Sides of Don Rickles.

Television Director; Episodic:

"And Justice for All," All in the Family, CBS, 1968.

"Those Were the Days," All in the Family, CBS, 1969.

"The Love Child: Part 1," The Powers that Be, NBC, 1992.

Premiere episode, 704 Hauser Street (also known as 704 Hauser), CBS, 1993.

Television Work; Pilots:

Producer, "Band of Gold," General Electric Theatre (also known as G.E. Theatre), CBS, 1961.

Co-executive producer, King of the Road, CBS, 1978.

Executive producer, A Dog's Life, NBC, 1979.

Co-executive producer, P.O.P., NBC, 1984.

Television Work; Movies:

Executive producer, Heartsounds, ABC, 1984.

Television Work; Other:

Producer, The Thief Who Came to Dinner, 1973.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Bob Hope's World of Comedy, NBC, 1976.

The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, CBS, 1978.

The American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1987.

Hollywood's Favorite Heavy: Businessmen on Prime-time TV, PBS, 1987.

The Television Academy Hall of Fame, Fox, 1987.

Fifty Years of Television: A Golden Celebration, CBS, 1989.

The Fourth "R", CBS, 1990.

Living in America, VH1, 1991.

Host, All in the Family 20th Anniversary Special, CBS, 1991.

The Meaning of Life, CBS, 1991.

Himself, Color Adjustment (also known as Color Adjustment: Blacks in Prime Time), PBS, 1992.

Laughing Matters (also known as Funny Business), Showtime, 1993.

The 9th Annual Television Academy Hall of Fame, The Disney Channel, 1993.

The Gospel According to Jesus, Cinemax, 1995.

Gail Sheehy's New Passages, ABC, 1996.

Corwin, PBS, 1996.

CBS: The First 50 Years, CBS, 1998.

League of Legends, 1998.

Intimate Portrait: Valerie Bertinelli, Lifetime, 1998.

Mackenzie Phillips: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 1998.

Intimate Portrait: Betty Friedan, Lifetime, 1999.

Norman Jewison on Comedy in the 20th Century: Funny Is Money, Showtime, 1999.

All in the Family: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2000.

Inside TV Land: The Dick Van Dyke Show, TV Land, 2000.

Intimate Portrait: Rue McClanahan, Lifetime, 2000.

"Ben Stein" (also known as "Ben Stein's Brain"), Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2001.

"Carroll O'Connor: All in a Lifetime," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2001.

TV's Most Censored Moments, Trio and USA Network, 2002.

Inside TV Land: Taboo TV, TV Land, 2002.

Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television, TV Land, 2002.

Intimate Portrait: Linda Gray, Lifetime, 2003.

Intimate Portrait: Bonnie Franklin, Lifetime, 2003.

Intimate Portrait: Bea Arthur, Lifetime, 2003.

Intimate Portrait: Isabel Sanford, Lifetime, 2003.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Himself, The Colgate Comedy Hour (also known as Colgate Summer Comedy Hour, Colgate Variety Hour, and Michael Todd Revue), NBC, 1952.

Host, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night Live '80, SNL, and SNL 25), NBC, 1976.

Guest, Dinah! (also known as Dinah! & Friends), 1977.

Guest, Creativity with Bill Moyers, PBS, 1982.

Interviewee, "Isabel Sanford," This Is Your Life, syndicated, 1984.

The Class of the 20th Century, Arts and Entertainment, 1992.

Himself, "The First Six Years," Everybody Loves Raymond (also known as Raymond), CBS, 2002.

"A Funny Business," Imagine, BBC, 2003.

Voice of Benjamin Franklin, "I'm a Little Bit Country," South Park (animated), Comedy Central, 2003.

The Oprah Winfrey Show (also known as Oprah), syndicated, 2004.

Future Peter Benedict, "Legacy," Jack & Bobby, The WB, 2005.

"All in the Family Episodes," TV Land's Top Ten, TV Land, 2006.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

TV Land Moguls, TV Land, 2004.

The 100 Most Memorable TV Moments, TV Land, 2004.

The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments, TV Land, 2005.

Television Appearances; Series:

Host, Quiz Kids, 1981.

Film Producer:

(With Alan "Bud" Yorkin) Come Blow Your Horn, Paramount, 1963.

Never Too Late, Warner Bros., 1965.

Divorce American Style, Columbia, 1967.

The Night They Raided Minsky's (also known as The Night They Invented Striptease), United Artists, 1968.

(And director) Cold Turkey, United Artists, 1971.

Film Executive Producer:

Start the Revolution without Me (also known as Two Times Two), Warner Bros., 1970.

The Princess Bride (also known as The Bridges' Bride), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1987.

(With others) Fried Green Tomatoes (also known as Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe), Universal, 1991.

(With others) Way Past Cool, SNP Home Entertainment, 2000.

Film Appearances:

(Uncredited) Party guest, Come Blow Your Horn, Paramount, 1963.

A Different Approach, 1978.

A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin, 2005.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

She Turned the World On with Her Smile: The Making of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," 2002.

Audio Recordings:

Norman Lear Takes On the Religious Right, Pacifica Radio Archive, 1983.

WRITINGS

Television Series:

Staff writer, Ford Star Revue, NBC, 1951.

The George Gobel Show, NBC, between 1954 and 1959.

Staff writer, The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, NBC, 1955–57.

Head writer, All in the Family, CBS, 1971–72.

Television Episodes:

The Colgate Comedy Hour (also known as Colgate Summer Comedy Hour, Colgate Variety Hour, and Michael Todd Revue), NBC, 1952.

Premiere episode, The Deputy, 1959.

"And Justice for All," All in the Family, CBS, 1968.

"Those Were the Days," All in the Family, CBS, 1969.

"Stephanie and the Crime Wave," All in the Family, CBS, 1979.

a.k.a. Pablo, ABC, 1984.

Premiere episode, Sunday Dinner, CBS, 1991.

Premiere episode, 704 Hauser Street (also known as 704 Hauser; also based on story by Lear), NBC, 1993.

Also writer for the animated series South Park, Comedy Central.

Television Pilots:

McGurk, 1979.

P.O.P., NBC, 1984.

Television Specials; With Others:

Bobby Darin and Friends, 1961.

The Danny Kaye Show, CBS, 1961.

Henry Fonda and the Family, CBS, 1962.

The Andy Williams Special, NBC, 1962.

I Love Liberty, ABC, 1982.

Screenplays:

(With others) Scared Stiff, Paramount, 1953.

Come Blow Your Horn (based on play by Neil Simon), Paramount, 1963.

Divorce American Style, Columbia, 1967.

(With others) The Night They Raided Minsky's (based on novel by Rowland Barber; also known as The Night They Invented Striptease), United Artists, 1968.

Cold Turkey (also based on story by Lear), United Artists, 1971.