Even if you don’t know the name Norman Lear, there’s no doubt the content he created touched upon your life.
Lear had a hand in well over 100 different television shows as a writer, producer, creator, and developer. His career began in the fifties, but he really hit the big time in the seventies with hits like All in the Family and The Jeffersons. While many of his shows were spin-offs or remakes of British sitcoms, he always put his unique spin on things, as well as what appears to have been a bit of stardust, such was his success.
Lear passed away surrounded by friends and family on Dec. 5 , 2023, but his legacy will endure for generations to come. If you’re interested to learn more about this titan who was well regarded as a compassionate, stand-up kind of guy in an industry known for egos and bullying, then read for our pick of the 10 best movies and TV shows produced by Norman Lear.
The Princess Bride
Reddit’s favorite film is a wonderfully inventive and hilarious watch. Based on a novel of the same name, The Princess Bride stars Cary Elwes as Westley, a farmhand who goes on a mission to rescue his one true love, Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright, in an early yet incredible performance). It also provided us with one of the most quoted lines on the internet via Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya, a Spanish fencing master.
Lear was more of a funder than a producer on this cult classic, but his fingerprints are still all over it, and he was involved in a recent roundtable read the cast put on to raise funds for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Kathy Bates stars in this 1991 drama comedy as Evelyn Couch, a bored housewife who befriends an elderly nursing home resident named Ninny (played by the famed Jessica Tandy). The pair soon become friends as Ninny tells Evelyn numerous stories about her life and family, helping Evelyn to grow her confidence and break out of the monotony of her life. The narrative switches between different years, but it’s a tight, wonderful film that will make you laugh just as much as it makes you cry. So, a classic Lear production in that sense, and a sparkling performance by Bates to rival Misery.
All in the Family
This hit show that shot Lear into prominence as a developer and producer might have been based on the British sitcom Til Death Us Do Part, but it was his magical touch that made it the sensation that it became. All in the Family, which tells the tale of the working class Bunker family, ran for 9 glorious seasons and was groundbreaking for the way it touched on topics like racism, sexual assault, and the Vietnam War.
Set in Queens, it’s widely considered to be one of the best shows of all time, and Lear was especially (and rightfully) proud of it. Lear’s own family experiences are infused into many of the episodes, and even though he had plenty of success after this, All in the Family always remained one of his favorites. It was also filmed in front of a live audience, and famously eschewed canned laugh tracks.
The Jeffersons
After years of being the Bunkers’ neighbours, the Jefferson family got their own highly successful spin-off series, also developed and produced by Lear. The show follows the titular middle class Black family after their move from Queens to Manhattan thanks to their dry-cleaning business taking off, and ended up being nominated for an astounding 14 Emmys, showcasing just how popular it was among critics and audiences alike. Like the series it was spun off from, The Jeffersons wasn’t afraid to tackle tough topics, and did so with the characteristic Lear combination of humor and heart.
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
Lear was known for producing content that was both groundbreaking yet mass-market friendly, and this satirical soap opera about the eponymous Ohio housewife is one of his most unique and ahead of its time shows. Mary Hartman Mary Hartman was a deft look into how consumerism was damaging the life of the average American housewife, and saw Mary (a brilliant Louise Lasser) numbly deal with bizarre, often violent situations, like the murder of a neighboring family. The social commentary was incredibly incisive, and the way Lear’s production satirised soaps would later influence the David Lynch series Twin Peaks.
Maude
Another All in the Family spin-off, Maude focused on Edith Bunker’s outspoken liberal, feminist cousin Maude Findlay, who appeared twice in the original series. Bea Arthur gives a powerhouse performance, and famously was the only actor on-screen for an entire episode (“The Analyst,” also sometimes known as “Maude Bears Her Soul”). The show and its cast was nominated for numerous Emmys and Golden Globes, and even today the humor is pretty relevant and on point.
Good Times
As you can tell from this article, Lear loved a spin-off, and Good Times is a double-spin, having been created to tell the story of Maude Findlay’s one-time maid, Florida Evans, and her family. Whereas The Jeffersons focused on a middle class Black family, the Evans’ live in the projects in Chicago, and the series reflects the difficulties they face. As always for a Lear production, Good Times doesn’t shy away from tough social issues, but it’s mostly a feelgood comedy.
One Day at a Time
This iconic show was remade in 2017 (and then cancelled) by Netflix with a Latin American spin (which Lear was an executive producer on), but the original remains one of the most popular shows with his name attached to it. One Day at a Time follows single mom Ann (Bonnie Franklin) as she tries to raise her teen daughters, and later live her own life as they fly the nest. There were nine successful seasons of the show, and to this day it remains one of the most beloved series’ in U.S television history.
Cold Turkey
Lear wrote, directed, and produced this black comedy satire that lampooned the tobacco industry and the American obsession with money. The plot follows the residents of the small town of Eagle Rock as they try to claim a $25 million prize offered by a tobacco company to any town that can give up cigarettes for 30 days. Bizarre, hilarious, and cutting in all the right ways, this is a great watch.
Sanford and Son
If there’s anything Lear loved as much as spin-offs, it was remaking British shows, and this remake of Steptoe and Son was one of his best. The show about the cranky, bigoted dad and his calm, peacekeeping son was groundbreaking for its portrayal of Black Americans, but was also just a great watch, full of brilliant gags and wonderful performances. One of Lear’s finest, for sure.
