Norman Lear was a giant of the entertainment industry who revolutionised the medium of television. As the creator, producer and writer of groundbreaking programs like All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude, Lear explored complex and poignant issues with humour and heart.
Lear pioneered a new era of candour in television, in which audiences saw the truth of their reality reflected onscreen — from the everyday toilet flush to major sociopolitical issues of the day. Lear also expanded the scope of television narratives by including feminist characters, divorced women and wealthy as well as working-class Black families. Never shying away from important topics like politics, abortion, race and poverty, he found a way to bring viewers together through comedy.
‘He changed situation comedy in the best way possible,’ the late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said in an on-air tribute after Lear’s death in December 2023. ‘He taught us so much about so many serious things, always making us laugh while he did it. Everyone who works in, and even watches, television owes him a great debt.’
