Norman Lear, the TV producer who brought classic situation comedies of the 1970s and 1980s into homes worldwide, has died. He was 101 years old.
Lear was the mastermind behind shows such as All in the Family, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Sanford and Son, and The Facts of Life.
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He died at his home in Los Angeles of natural causes on Tuesday.
“It is with profound sadness and love that we announce the passing of Norman Lear, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Norman passed away peacefully on December 5, 2023, surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end,” a post on his Instagram page stated. “Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But it was people — those he just met and those he knew for decades — who kept his mind and heart forever young. As we celebrate his legacy and reflect on the next chapter of life without him, we would like to thank everyone for all the love and support.”
Lear not only provided audiences with countless laughs but also did not shy away from bringing shows that discussed controversial topics such as rape, racism, abortion, homosexuality, and the Vietnam War into people’s homes. The shows won numerous awards over the years. In 2017, Lear was honored by the Kennedy Center.
In 2019, Lear brought some of these classic comedies back to television in a special called Live in Front of a Studio Audience, which aired on ABC. The shows used modern-day actors to recreate classic scripts.
“You say we have to be more sensitive today, and I am not sure I agree with that,” he told CBS Sunday Mornings in 2022. “If I were doing it today, I would have a 13-year-old daughter who represented everything I care about and is a pain in the ass talking about it in her brilliance and feelings about America. She would just at 13 know a lot about the foolishness of the human condition and recognize problems that her parents are living with that even they are not facing. She’s not going to get us out of this mess, but she is going to help.”
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“R.i.p. Norman Lear. A master of story telling and a healer through his shows! He is what all of showbiz should be aspiring to. He is the consummate creative producer we have long abandoned in the industry,” actor John Leguizamo wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
R.i.p. Norman Lear. A master of story telling and a healer through his shows! He is what all of showbiz should be aspiring to. He is the consummate creative producer we have long abandoned in the industry. pic.twitter.com/svGWzG1CMj
— John Leguizamo (@JohnLeguizamo) December 6, 2023
“I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family,” filmmaker and producer Rob Reiner wrote on X.
I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) December 6, 2023
Funeral services for Norman Lear will be private, according to a report.
