Renowned television producer Norman Lear, died this Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 101. The information was confirmed on his official website and it was detailed that the death was due to natural causes. In the statement, Lear's team highlighted his work and recalled his contribution to productions in the country. A private service will be held for immediate family members.
"Legendary television creator, writer, film producer, and political activist Norman Lear died after a lifetime of laughter surrounded by family on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at his home in Los Angeles of natural causes," they wrote in the obituary published on his official website.
Lear was recognized for his popular shows like All in the Family and The Jeffersons. His work came into its own when he started a groundbreaking series of shows in the 1970s that dominated the ratings and sparked national conversations.
"Lear’s shows reflected an inclusive vision of America that included Black and Latino characters and diverse families dealing with everyday problems as well as broader topics like racism, feminism, and sexuality. Still active half a century later, Lear became the oldest recipient of an Emmy Award in 2019, and then broke his own record in 2020," his team recalled.
Lear’s patriotism, devotion to family, and commitment to the values of freedom and pluralism were throughlines to his creative, activist, and philanthropic work. Lear himself was widely known to interrupt any meeting (including a live interview on CNN) to take a phone call from his family.
"It changed the way we look at society"
In that sense, Lear's impact on American culture was recognized with the National Medal of Arts in 1999. "Norman Lear has held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it," said then-President Bill Clinton when presenting the medal.
Additionally, Lear was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1984, alongside Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Paddy Chayefsky, Edward R. Murrow, William S. Paley and David Sarnoff.
This year, Lear executive produced a reimagined, animated film, good times, and an original drama based on the memoirs, The Pink Marine, both for Netflix, as well as an original half-hour comedy with Laverne Cox and George Wallace called Clean Slate, and a continuation of the beloved series Who's The Boss, which reunites original cast members Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano.
