Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Norman Lear

Discover the career path of Norman Lear, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Norman Lear was a highly influential American television writer and producer renowned for creating groundbreaking sitcoms during the 1970s. His most notable works include "All in the Family," "Maude," "Sanford and Son," "One Day at a Time," "The Jeffersons," and "Good Times." Lear's shows were revolutionary for their time, fearlessly addressing complex social and political issues within the comedic format, thereby sparking national conversations and shaping American pop culture. He produced, wrote, created, or developed over 100 shows.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

September 1942: Enlists in the United States Army Air Forces

In September 1942, Norman Lear enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces.

1942: Drops out of Emerson College

In 1942, Norman Lear dropped out of Emerson College in Boston to join the United States Army Air Forces.

1945: Discharged from the Army Air Forces

In 1945, Norman Lear was discharged from the Army Air Forces after serving in World War II.

1950: First Appearance on the Colgate Comedy Hour

In 1950, Norman Lear worked with Ed Simmons as a writer hired by Jerry Lewis three weeks before Martin and Lewis made their first appearance on the Colgate Comedy Hour.

1953: Guaranteed Record-Breaking Salary

In 1953, Norman Lear and Ed Simmons were guaranteed a record-breaking $52,000 each to write for five additional Martin and Lewis appearances on the Colgate Comedy Hour that year.

1954: Writer for Honestly, Celeste!

In 1954, Norman Lear was enlisted as a writer to salvage the new CBS sitcom Honestly, Celeste!, but the program was canceled after eight episodes.

1956: Opening Monologs for The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show

From 1956 to 1961, Norman Lear wrote some of the opening monologs for The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show.

1958: Tandem Productions Founded

In 1958, The Lear/Yorkin company was known as Tandem Productions.

1959: Creates The Deputy

In 1959, Norman Lear created his first television series, a half-hour western for Revue Studios called The Deputy, starring Henry Fonda.

1961: End of The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show

From 1956 to 1961, Norman Lear wrote some of the opening monologs for The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show which ended in 1961.

1964: Barry Goldwater Appeared on Special

In March 1982, Norman Lear produced an ABC television special titled I Love Liberty, in which conservative icon and the 1964 U.S. presidential election's Republican nominee Barry Goldwater appeared.

1967: Writes and Produces Divorce American Style

In 1967, Norman Lear wrote and produced the film Divorce American Style, starring Dick Van Dyke.

1968: "Justice for All" Pilot

In 1968, Norman Lear taped the pilot episode "Justice for All" for a sitcom about a blue-collar American family, but ABC rejected the show.

1969: "Those Were the Days" Pilot

In 1969, Norman Lear taped a second pilot episode "Those Were the Days" for a sitcom about a blue-collar American family, but ABC rejected the show.

January 12, 1971: All in the Family Premieres

On January 12, 1971, All in the Family premiered on CBS to disappointing ratings, but it later became a hit and won several Emmy Awards that year.

1971: All in the Family Premieres

In 1971, Norman Lear created and produced All in the Family, which ran until 1979 and introduced political and social themes to the sitcom format.

1972: Maude and Sanford and Son Debut

In 1972, Norman Lear created and produced both Maude and Sanford and Son, two very popular sitcoms that ran until 1978 and 1977, respectively.

1974: T.A.T. Communications Founded

In 1974, Norman Lear and talent agent Jerry Perenchio founded T.A.T. Communications.

1974: Good Times Premieres

In 1974, Norman Lear created and produced Good Times, a sitcom that ran until 1979.

1975: Yorkin Splits with Lear

In 1975, Bud Yorkin split with Norman Lear and started a production company with writers and producers Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein.

1975: Formed the Energy Action Committee

In 1975, Norman Lear and the Malibu Mafia formed the Energy Action Committee to oppose Big Oil's influence in Washington.

1975: One Day at a Time and The Jeffersons Premiere

In 1975, Norman Lear created and produced One Day at a Time and The Jeffersons, two sitcoms that ran until 1984 and 1985, respectively.

January 1976: Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Syndication

In January 1976, Norman Lear placed the TV series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman into first-run syndication with 128 stations after it was turned down by the networks as "too controversial".

1976: All in the Family Ranking Falls

In the 1976-1977 television season, All in the Family's ranking fell to No. 12, after being in the top ten for five years.

1977: All That Glitters Syndication

In 1977, Norman Lear added another program, All That Glitters, into first-run syndication along with Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

1977: All in the Family Ranking Falls

In the 1976-1977 television season, All in the Family's ranking fell to No. 12, after being in the top ten for five years.

1979: Moral Majority Founded

In 1980, Norman Lear founded the organization People for the American Way for the purpose of counteracting the Christian right group Moral Majority which had been founded in 1979.

1980: Founds People for the American Way

In 1980, Norman Lear founded People for the American Way, an advocacy organization to counter the influence of the Christian right in politics.

1981: Founded People for the American Way

In 1981, Norman Lear founded People for the American Way (PFAW), a progressive advocacy organization, in response to the rise of the Christian right. The organization aimed to counter the influence of religion in politics.

1981: The Wave Film Produced

In 1981, TAT produced the influential and award-winning film The Wave about Ron Jones' social experiment.

1981: Host of Quiz Kids Revival

In the fall of 1981, Norman Lear began a 14-month run as the host of a revival of the classic game show Quiz Kids for the CBS Cable Network.

January 1982: Lear and Perenchio Buy Avco Embassy Pictures

In January 1982, Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio bought Avco Embassy Pictures from Avco Financial Corporation. After merging with company with T.A.T. Communications, the Avco was dropped, and the combined entity was renamed as Embassy Communications, Inc.

March 1982: Produces I Love Liberty Television Special

In March 1982, Norman Lear produced an ABC television special titled I Love Liberty, as a counterbalance to groups like the Moral Majority.

June 18, 1985: Embassy Communications Sold

On June 18, 1985, Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio sold Embassy Communications to Columbia Pictures for $485 million of shares of The Coca-Cola Company.

1986: Main Writer for The Martin and Lewis Show

In 1986, Norman Lear acknowledged that he and Ed Simmons were the main writers for The Martin and Lewis Show for three years.

1986: Act III Communications Founded

In 1986, Norman Lear's Act III Communications was founded.

1986: Tandem Productions Abandoned

In 1986, the brand Tandem Productions was abandoned with the cancellation of Diff'rent Strokes, and Embassy ceased to exist as a single entity.

1987: Blocked Robert Bork's Supreme Court Nomination

In 1987, People for the American Way, along with other like-minded groups, successfully blocked Ronald Reagan's nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court.

February 2, 1989: Act III Television Joint Venture

On February 2, 1989, Norman Lear's Act III Communications formed a joint venture with Columbia Pictures Television called Act III Television to produce television series.

1989: Founded the Business Enterprise Trust

In 1989, Norman Lear founded the Business Enterprise Trust, an educational program to spotlight social innovations in American business.

1990: Channels Magazine Closed

In 1990, Channels magazine, which had been purchased by Act III Communications in the late 1980s, closed.

1997: Channel Umptee-3 Series Produced

In 1997, Norman Lear and Jim George produced the Kids' WB series Channel Umptee-3, which was notable for being the first television show to meet the Federal Communications Commission's then-new educational programming requirements.

2000: Endowed the Norman Lear Center

In 2000, Norman Lear provided an endowment for the Norman Lear Center at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, focusing on the convergence of entertainment, commerce, and society.

July 4, 2001: Filmed Declaration of Independence Reading

On July 4, 2001, Norman Lear and Rob Reiner filmed a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, featuring appearances from notable actors.

2003: South Park Appearance

In 2003, Norman Lear appeared on South Park during the "I'm a Little Bit Country" episode, providing the voice of Benjamin Franklin. He also served as a consultant on the episodes and attended a writers' retreat.

2004: Declaration of Independence Road Trip Ended

By the end of 2004, the Declaration of Independence Road Trip, organized by Norman Lear, concluded its travels throughout the United States, visiting various locations including presidential libraries and the 2002 Olympics.

2004: Established Declare Yourself

In 2004, Norman Lear established Declare Yourself, a nonpartisan campaign to encourage young Americans aged 18 to 29 to register and vote.

2014: Publishes Memoir

In 2014, Norman Lear published his memoir, Even This I Get to Experience.

2014: Interview about Bombing Germany

In a 2014 interview, Norman Lear talked about his experience bombing Germany during his time in the United States Army Air Forces.

2015: Lear Hired by Jerry Lewis

In a 2015 interview with Variety, Norman Lear said that Jerry Lewis hired him and Ed Simmons as writers for Martin and Lewis three weeks before the comedy duo made their first appearance on the Colgate Comedy Hour in 1950.

2016: Documentary Released

In 2016, the documentary Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You was released, spotlighting Norman Lear's life and career.

May 1, 2017: All of the Above Podcast

Since May 1, 2017, Norman Lear hosted a podcast, All of the Above with Norman Lear.

July 29, 2019: Rita Moreno Documentary Announced

On July 29, 2019, it was announced that Norman Lear had teamed with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Steven Kunes to make an American Masters documentary about Rita Moreno's life, tentatively titled Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It.