Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with 香蕉视频直播淎ll in the Family香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淢aude,香蕉视频直播� propelling political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of sitcoms, has died. He was 101.

Lear died Tuesday night in his sleep, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said Lara Bergthold, a spokesperson for his family.

A liberal activist, Lear fashioned bold and controversial comedies that were embraced by viewers who had to watch the evening news to find out what was going on in the world. His shows helped define prime time comedy in the 1970s, launched the careers of Rob Reiner and Valerie Bertinelli and made middle-aged superstars of Carroll O香蕉视频直播機onnor, Bea Arthur and Redd Foxx.

香蕉视频直播淎ll in the Family香蕉视频直播� was immersed in the headlines of the day, while also drawing upon Lear香蕉视频直播檚 childhood memories of his tempestuous father. Racism, feminism, and the Vietnam War were flashpoints as blue collar conservative Archie Bunker, played by O香蕉视频直播機onnor, clashed with liberal son-in-law Mike Stivic (Reiner). Jean Stapleton co-starred as Archie香蕉视频直播檚 befuddled but good-hearted wife, Edith, and Sally Struthers played the Bunkers香蕉视频直播� daughter, Gloria, who defended her husband in arguments with Archie.

Lear香蕉视频直播檚 work transformed television at a time when old-fashioned programs as 香蕉视频直播淗ere香蕉视频直播檚 Lucy,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淚ronside香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淕unsmoke香蕉视频直播� still dominated. CBS, Lear香蕉视频直播檚 primary network, would soon enact its 香蕉视频直播渞ural purge香蕉视频直播� and cancel such standbys as 香蕉视频直播淭he Beverly Hillbillies香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淕reen Acres.香蕉视频直播� The groundbreaking sitcom 香蕉视频直播淭he Mary Tyler Moore Show,香蕉视频直播� about a single career woman in Minneapolis, debuted on CBS in Sept. 1970, just months before 香蕉视频直播淎ll in the Family香蕉视频直播� started.

But ABC passed on 香蕉视频直播淎ll in the Family香蕉视频直播� twice and CBS was initially reluctant to take on the daring series, Lear would say. When the network finally aired 香蕉视频直播淎ll in the Family,香蕉视频直播� it began with a disclaimer: 香蕉视频直播淭he program you are about to see is 香蕉视频直播楢ll in the Family.香蕉视频直播� It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter we hope to show, in a mature fashion, just how absurd they are.香蕉视频直播�

By the end of 1971, 香蕉视频直播淎ll In the Family香蕉视频直播� was No. 1 in the ratings and Archie Bunker was a pop culture fixture, with President Richard Nixon among his fans. Some of his putdowns became catchphrases. He called his son-in-law 香蕉视频直播淢eathead香蕉视频直播� and his wife 香蕉视频直播淒ingbat,香蕉视频直播� and would also snap at anyone who dared occupy his faded orange-yellow wing chair. It was the centerpiece of the Bunkers rowhouse in the New York City borough of Queens and eventually an artifact in the Smithsonian香蕉视频直播檚 National Museum of American History.

Even the show香蕉视频直播檚 opening segment was innovative: Instead of an off-screen theme song, Archie and Edith are seated at the piano in their living room, belting out a nostalgic number, 香蕉视频直播淭hose Were the Days,香蕉视频直播� with Edith screeching off-key and Archie crooning such lines 香蕉视频直播淒idn香蕉视频直播檛 need no welfare state香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淕irls were girls and men were men.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淎ll in the Family,香蕉视频直播� based on the British sitcom, 香蕉视频直播淭il Death Us Do Part,香蕉视频直播� was the No. 1-rated series for an unprecedented five years in a row and earned four Emmy Awards as best comedy series, finally eclipsed by five-time winner 香蕉视频直播淔rasier香蕉视频直播� in 1998.

Hits continued for Lear and then-partner Bud Yorkin, including 香蕉视频直播淢aude香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淭he Jeffersons,香蕉视频直播� both spinoffs from 香蕉视频直播淎ll in the Family香蕉视频直播� and both the same winning combination of one-liners and social conflict. In a 1972 two-part episode of 香蕉视频直播淢aude,香蕉视频直播� the title character (played by Arthur) became the first on television to have an abortion, drawing a surge of protests along with the show香蕉视频直播檚 high ratings. Nixon himself objected to an 香蕉视频直播淎ll in the Family香蕉视频直播� episode about a close friend of Archie香蕉视频直播檚 who turns out to be gay, privately fuming to White House aides that the show 香蕉视频直播済lorified香蕉视频直播� same-sex relationships.

香蕉视频直播淐ontroversy suggests people are thinking about something. But there香蕉视频直播檇 better be laughing first and foremost or it香蕉视频直播檚 a dog,香蕉视频直播� Lear said in a 1994 interview with The Associated Press.

Lear and Yorkin also created 香蕉视频直播淕ood Times,香蕉视频直播� about a working class Black family in Chicago; 香蕉视频直播淪anford & Son,香蕉视频直播� a showcase for Foxx as junkyard dealer Fred Sanford; and 香蕉视频直播淥ne Day at a Time,香蕉视频直播� starring Bonnie Franklin as a single mother and Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips as her daughters. In the 1974-75 season, Lear and Yorkin produced five of the top 10 shows.

The late Paddy Chayefsky, a leading writer of television香蕉视频直播檚 early 香蕉视频直播済olden age,香蕉视频直播� once said that Lear 香蕉视频直播渢ook television away from dopey wives and dumb fathers, from the pimps, hookers, hustlers, private eyes, junkies, cowboys and rustlers that constituted television chaos, and in their place he put the American people.香蕉视频直播�

Lear香蕉视频直播檚 business success enabled him to express his ardent political beliefs beyond the small screen. In 2000, he and a partner bought a copy of the Declaration of Independence for $8.14 million and sent it on a cross-country tour.

He was an active donor to Democratic candidates and founded the nonprofit liberal advocacy group People for the American Way in 1980, he said, because people such as evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were 香蕉视频直播渁busing religion.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚 started to say, This is not my America. You don香蕉视频直播檛 mix politics and religion this way,香蕉视频直播� Lear said in a 1992 interview with Commonweal magazine.

The nonprofit香蕉视频直播檚 president, Svante Myrick, said 香蕉视频直播渨e are heartbroken香蕉视频直播� by Lear香蕉视频直播檚 death. 香蕉视频直播淲e extend our deepest sympathies to Norman香蕉视频直播檚 wife Lyn and their entire family, and to the many people who香蕉视频直播�, like us,香蕉视频直播� loved Norman.香蕉视频直播�

With this wry smile and impish boat hat, the youthful Lear created television well into his 90s, rebooting 香蕉视频直播淥ne Day at a Time香蕉视频直播� for Netflix in 2017 and exploring income inequality for the documentary series 香蕉视频直播淎merica Divided香蕉视频直播� in 2016. Documentarians featured him in 2016香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淣orman Lear: Just Another Version of You,香蕉视频直播� and 2017香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淚f You香蕉视频直播檙e Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast,香蕉视频直播� a look at active nonagenarians such as Lear and Rob Reiner香蕉视频直播檚 father, Carl Reiner.

In 1984, he was lauded as the 香蕉视频直播渋nnovative writer who brought realism to television香蕉视频直播� when he became one of the first seven people inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences香蕉视频直播� Hall of Fame. He later received a National Medal of Arts and was honored at the Kennedy Center. In 2020, he won an Emmy as executive producer of 香蕉视频直播淟ive In Front of a Studio Audience: 香蕉视频直播楢ll In the Family香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播楪ood Times香蕉视频直播�.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈��

Lear beat the tough TV odds to an astounding degree: At least one of his shows placed in prime-time香蕉视频直播檚 top 10 for 11 consecutive years (1971-82). But Lear had flops as well.

Shows including 香蕉视频直播淗ot L Baltimore,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淧almerstown香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渁.k.a. Pablo,香蕉视频直播� a rare Hispanic series, drew critical favor but couldn香蕉视频直播檛 find an audience; others, such as 香蕉视频直播淎ll That Glitters香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淭he Nancy Walker Show,香蕉视频直播� earned neither. He also faced resistance from cast members, including 香蕉视频直播淕ood Times香蕉视频直播� stars John Amos and Esther Rolle, who often objected to the scripts as racially insensitive, and endured a mid-season walkout by Foxx, who missed eight episodes in 1973-74 because of a contract dispute.

In the 1990s, the comedy 香蕉视频直播�704 Hauser,香蕉视频直播� which returned to the Bunker house with a new family, and the political satire 香蕉视频直播淭he Powers that Be香蕉视频直播� were both short-lived.

Lear香蕉视频直播檚 business moves, meanwhile, were almost consistently fruitful.

Lear started T.A.T. Communications in 1974 to be 香蕉视频直播渟ole creative captain of his ship,香蕉视频直播� his former business partner Jerry Perenchio told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. The company became a major TV producer with shows including 香蕉视频直播淥ne Day at a Time香蕉视频直播� and the soap-opera spoof 香蕉视频直播淢ary Hartman Mary Hartman,香蕉视频直播� which Lear distributed himself after it was rejected by the networks.

In 1982, Lear and Perenchio bought Avco-Embassy Pictures and formed Embassy Communications as T.A.T.香蕉视频直播檚 successor, becoming successfully involved in movies, home video, pay TV and cable ownership. In 1985, Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy to Coca-Cola for $485 million. They had sold their cable holdings the year before, reportedly for a hefty profit.

By 1986, Lear was on Forbes magazine香蕉视频直播檚 list of the 400 richest people in America, with an estimated net worth of $225 million. He didn香蕉视频直播檛 make the cut the next year after a $112 million divorce settlement for his second wife, Frances. They had been married 29 years and had two daughters.

He married his third wife, psychologist Lyn Davis, in 1987 and the couple had three children. (Frances Lear, who went on to found the now-defunct Lear香蕉视频直播檚 magazine with her settlement, died in 1996 at age 73.)

Lear was born in New Haven, Conn. on July 27, 1922, to Herman Lear, a securities broker who served time in prison for selling fake bonds, and Jeanette, a homemaker who helped inspire Edith Bunker. Norman Lear would remember family life as a kind of sitcom, full of quirks and grudges, 香蕉视频直播渁 group of people living at the ends of their nerves and the tops of their lungs,香蕉视频直播� he explained during a 2004 appearance at the John F. Kennedy Presidential LIbrary in Boston.

His political activism had deep roots. In a 1984 interview with The New York Times, Lear recalled how, at age 10, he would mail letters for his Russian immigrant grandfather, Shia Seicol, which began 香蕉视频直播淢y dearest darling Mr. President,香蕉视频直播� to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Sometimes a reply came.

香蕉视频直播淭hat my grandfather mattered made me feel every citizen mattered,香蕉视频直播� said Lear, who at 15 was sending his own messages to Congress via Western Union.

He dropped out of Emerson College 1942 to enlist in the Air Force, was awarded a Decorated Air Medal, and then worked in public relations.

Lear began writing in the early 1950s on shows including 香蕉视频直播淭he Colgate Comedy Hour香蕉视频直播� and working for such comedians as Martha Raye and George Gobel. In 1959, he and Yorkin founded Tandem Productions, which produced films including 香蕉视频直播淐ome Blow Your Horn,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淪tart the Revolution Without Me香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淒ivorce American Style.香蕉视频直播� Lear also directed the 1971 satire 香蕉视频直播淐old Turkey,香蕉视频直播� starring Dick Van Dyke about a small town that takes on a tobacco company香蕉视频直播檚 offer of $25 million to quit smoking for 30 days.

In his later years, Lear joined with Warren Buffett and James E. Burke to establish The Business Enterprise Trust, honoring businesses that take a long-term view of their effect on the country. He also founded the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California香蕉视频直播檚 Annenberg School for Communication, exploring entertainment, commerce and society. In 2014, he published the memoir 香蕉视频直播淓ven This I Get to Experience.香蕉视频直播�

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