Norman Lear His life and times

Journalist Whetsell explores the life, work, and enduring impact of the legendary comedy writer and producer Norman Lear, who died in 2023 at 101 after a career spanning seven decades. Born in 1922 to a con man father and a remote mother, Lear obtained a scholarship to Emerson College, but after Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, he enlisted in the army air corps. In the 1950s, Lear turned his ambitions to Hollywood, partnering with his cousin's husband to write for variety shows before teaming up with Bud Yorkin. It was Yorkin who first came across the British comedy that inspired Lear to create the now-classic 1970s comedy, All in the Family, centered around Archie Bunker, a conservative and bigoted working-class man who clashed with his liberal son-in-law and others in his life. Known for his sharp social commentary, Lear left an indelible impression on the landscape of television comedy with shows such as Maude, Sanford and Son, and One Day at a Time (which was rebooted in 2017 to critical acclaim). An extensive and comprehensive look at a comedic legend.

Journalist Whetsell (coauthor of The Improv) paints a lovingly detailed portrait of the late producer of such seminal sitcoms as All in the Family. Born in 1922 New Haven, Conn., to a "cold and indifferent" hypochondriac mother and a traveling salesman father once arrested for selling fake bonds, Norman Lear learned early on to lean on his sense of humor to cope with life's challenges. After writing for 1950s variety shows, he bought the U.S. rights to the British sitcom Till Death Us Do Part in 1968 and retooled it into All in the Family. The show was revolutionary in its depiction of racism and sexism, Whetsell writes, explaining how the sitcom illustrated "the absurdity of inherent prejudice" through its protagonist's ignorance and fought off early critiques--one headline deplored it for using "Bigotry as a Dirty Joke"--to become "the most talked-about program in the country." Whetsell scrupulously catalogues the intimate details of Lear's personal and professional life, including his many "creative battles" with actor Carroll O'Connor, who played Archie Bunker, and multiple marriages. Throughout, Whetsell persuasively argues that Lear helped shift a sitcom landscape full of "white picket fences, cardigan-sweater- and pearl-necklace-wearing parents... and virtually nonexistent problems" into something more reflective of American culture. It's a fitting tribute to a consequential figure in television history. (Nov.)