Television legend Norman Lear has passed away at the age of 101, leaving behind a gigantic legacy.
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Lear’s family took to his Instagram account on Wednesday to announce that he had passed away on Dec. 5.
It is with profound sadness and love that we announce the passing of Norman Lear, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Norman passed away peacefully on December 5, 2023, surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end.
Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But it was people—those he just met and those he knew for decades—who kept his mind and heart forever young.
As we celebrate his legacy and reflect on the next chapter of life without him, we would like to thank everyone for all the love and support.
If you watched television in the 1970s, and even into the 80s, the odds were considerable that you were watching a Norman Lear series. He was responsible for series such as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, and many more.
Lear’s series were known for not only being sitcoms, but for including commentary of the world around him. From Archie Bunker’s unabashed bigotry to Maude dealing with the first mention of abortion on television, the various series covered an enermous range of topics.
Speaking to the success of his projects, Lear said in his memoir. “The audiences themselves taught me that you can get some wonderful laughs on the surface of anything with funny performers and good jokes, but if you want them laughing from the belly, you stand a better chance of achieving it if you get them caring first. The humor in life doesn’t stop when we are in tears, any more than it stops being serious where we are laughing. So we were in the game to elicit both.”
Lear went on to win six Emmy awards across his career, and to set records for number one television series.
