Norman Lear

Production

Norman Lear

Born July 27, 1922 · New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Died December 5, 2023 · aged 101

Norman Milton Lear (July 27, 1922 – December 5, 2023) was a legendary American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude. As a political activist, he founded the advocacy organization People for the American Way in 1981 and has supported First Amendment rights and progressive causes. Born in New Haven, C…

Known For

The Princess BrideThe Princess Bride · 1987
The Princess Bride
★ 7.71987
MovieAdventureFantasy
In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.
Fried Green TomatoesFried Green Tomatoes · 1991
Fried Green Tomatoes
★ 7.71991
MovieDramaComedy
Amidst her own personality crisis, a southern housewife meets an outgoing old woman who tells her the story of Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, two young women who experienced hardships and love in 1920s Whistle Stop, Alabama.
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for ItRita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It · 2021
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
★ 7.42021
MovieDocumentary
Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become one of a select group who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. Over a seventy year career, she has paved the way for Hispanic-American performers by refusing to be pigeonholed into one-dimensional stereotypes.
Cold TurkeyCold Turkey · 1971
Cold Turkey
★ 6.31971
MovieComedy
Reverend Brooks leads his small Iowa town in a contest to stop smoking for a month. But some tobacco executives don't want them to win, and try everything they can to make them smoke. If townspeople don't go nuts from wanting a cigarette, or kill each other from irritation and frustration, they will win a huge prize.
Start the Revolution Without MeStart the Revolution Without Me · 1970
Start the Revolution Without Me
★ 6.11970
MovieComedyHistory
Two sets of identical twins are accidentally switched at birth. One pair, Phillipe and Pierre DeSisi, are aristocratic and haughty, while the other, Charles and Claude Coupé, are poor and dim-witted. On the eve of the French Revolution, both sets find themselves entangled in palace intrigue.
Scared StiffScared Stiff · 1953
Scared Stiff
★ 6.51953
MovieComedyHorror
A nightclub singer and his partner escape mobsters by fleeing to Cuba with a beautiful heiress, who has inherited a haunted castle on an isolated island. The trio hunt for a hidden treasure and encounter a ghost, a zombie, and a mysterious killer...
The Thief Who Came to DinnerThe Thief Who Came to Dinner · 1973
The Thief Who Came to Dinner
★ 7.01973
MovieRomanceComedy
A computer programmer decides to become a thief. And when he starts making waves, an insurance investigator hounds him. He also meets a woman who becomes his accomplice.
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent StrokesLive in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes · 2021
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes
★ 7.42021
MovieComedyTV Movie
The live special event features reenactments of episodes from “The Facts of Life” and “Diff’rent Strokes”.

Filmography

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All That GlittersAll That Glitters · 1977
All That Glitters
★ 8.51977
SeriesDrama
All That Glitters is an American situation comedy television series by producer Norman Lear. It consisted of 65 episodes and aired between April 18 and July 15, 1977 in broadcast syndication. The show, a spoof of the soap opera format, depicted the trials and tribulations of a group of executives at the Globatron corporation. The twist of the series was that it was set within a world of complete role-reversal: Women were the "stronger sex," the executives and breadwinners, while the "weaker sex" – the men – were the secretaries or stay-at-home househusbands. Men were often treated as sex objects. The series features Eileen Brennan, Greg Evigan, Lois Nettleton, Gary Sandy, Tim Thomerson and Jessica Walter. Comic actor and cartoon voice artist Chuck McCann was also a regular. Linda Gray played transgender fashion model Linda Murkland, the first transgender series regular on American television. Before and after its premiere, All That Glitters was negatively received and the series lasted just 13 weeks.

Creator

Fernwood 2 NightFernwood 2 Night · 1977
Fernwood 2 Night
★ 6.41977
SeriesComedyTalk
Fernwood 2 Night was a comedic television program that ran from July 1977 – September 1977. It was created by Norman Lear and produced by Alan Thicke as a spin-off/summer replacement from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. It was a parody talk show, hosted by Barth Gimble and sidekick/announcer Jerry Hubbard, complete with a stage band, Happy Kyne and His Mirthmakers. Barth was the twin brother of Garth Gimble from Mary Hartman. Like Mary Hartman, Fernwood 2 Night was set in the fictional town of Fernwood, Ohio. The show satirized real talk shows as well as the sort of fare one might expect from locally-produced, small-town, midwestern American television programming. Well-known actors usually appeared playing characters or a contrivance had to be written for the celebrity to appear as themselves. After one season of Fernwood, the producers revamped the show the following year as America 2-Night. In this second version, Barth and Jerry's show moved to California and was broadcast nationally on the fictional UBS network, whose slogan was "We put U before the BS". This change allowed the show to now have well-known actors on the show as themselves.

Creator