A New Book Honors Television Legend Norman Lear

When Norman Lear — one of the key creators of television in the 20th century — passed away in late 2023 at the age of 101, he left behind a lasting legacy of shows that still resonate a half-century later, Oscar-nominated films and the vital contributions of the pro-Democracy progressive organization he co-founded, People For The American Way.

In "Norman Lear: His Life and Times," author Tripp Whetsell, who teaches a course on Norman Lear and his shows at Emerson College in Boston (which Lear once attended and where you'll find a life-size statue), shares what it was like for Lear growing up poor and estranged from his family as a boy but somehow turning to laughter over sorrow or anger.

And then how he used comedy to make a career out of creating thought-provoking, sometimes incendiary, relatable, funny television that audiences will be watching for decades to come.

What was the lasting effect of essentially being abandoned by his mother as a child and having a small-time crook for a father, especially after his dad was sent to prison for three years (for selling fake bonds)? How was it that he found comfort in comedy and performing, instead of say, alcohol or gambling?

Tripp Whetsell: I think that the effects were lifelong as they would be at any age, but especially when you are only nine years old as Norman was. He found solace in comedy by discovering very early how to find humor in something he called 'the foolishness of the human condition' — meaning that no matter how tragic the circumstances or how big a curve ball life throws at you, you can always find something funny.

Norman first had this epiphany on the night of his father's arrest when his mother was frantically trying to sell all of their furniture — including the red leather easy chair that became the basis of Archie's chair on 'All in the Family' [and ended up in the Smithsonian, along with the chair occupied by Jean Stapleton's Edith Bunker]. An uncle he barely knew came up and said, 'Well, I guess you're the man of the house now, Norman.'

You write about Lear so clearly recalling the anti-Semitic Father Coughlin on the radio in the 1930s, and then when he enlisted in the Army, wanting to kill Germans with his bare hands. Did he grow up strongly Jewish? 

He did have a Bar Mitzvah, and I think observed many of the major Jewish holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Chanukkah and Passover. There was also a traditional shiva at the time of his death. However, I don't think he ever overtly wore his Jewish faith on his sleeve even though he was at heart a very spiritual person when it came to curiosity about all religions. He was also very acutely aware of anti-Semitism in America, including the quota system against Jews that was rampant in many colleges [then].

Lear was beloved by many of the actors who worked on the shows but had a conflict and tension-filled relationship with Carroll O'Connor, who made an indelible impression as Archie Bunker. What had them battling with each other through most of the run? 

Norman [recognized] O'Connor's immense talent as an actor and often said there was no one else who could have played Archie Bunker. What had them at odds the most was the creative direction of 'All in the Family' (AITF), particularly the scripts, which O'Connor almost always took issue with at table reads. Despite their creative differences, Lear and O'Connor had great respect for one another.

Was Lear, who was justifiably criticized for not giving due credit by multiple people over his network career, unfair to O'Connor and other actors in his shows by not giving them any money from merchandise tie-ins and the many spin-offs and limiting their residuals?

While Norman was sometimes criticized for not giving others enough credit, I don't think you can really fault him for not giving people a big enough piece of the action when it came to spin-offs or merchandising because that's how things were done back then.

While reading the book, I happened to catch the 'All in The Family' eighth season two-parter Edith's Crises Of Faith, which she experienced after her trans friend (though the writers didn't use the word at the time) and performer Beverly LaSalle (Lori Shannon) was fatally gay bashed. It was the same season in which the two-parter, Edith's 50th Birthday, aired, when she was almost raped — a first for U.S. television. It is astonishing, given that this was Christmas 1977. Why were these issues a focus, as well as abortion ('Maude') and divorce and sex ('One Day At A Time'), drug use ('Good Times') and so many others for Lear and his team when the networks otherwise avoided them? 

It was remarkable when you think about the breadth and depth of issues that 'All in the Family' and Lear's other shows dealt with; from race and politics to class, sexuality and so many others. When he first created 'All in the Family,' he didn't do so with any sort of an agenda. He was simply trying to make funny shows with identifiable characters dealing with various real-life problems.

Which character (among the shows Lear created or co-created) did he most identify with?

I think Lear had a special place in his heart for all of his characters, although certainly Archie Bunker had a particular potency for him after seeing the British show 'Till Death Us Do Part' on which AITF was based. The protagonist on that show, Alf Garnett, and the political battles he had with the son-in-law character resonated with Lear so much in terms of the ideological differences he had with his own father that it immediately inspired him to acquire the American rights to do a show of his own.

Given that the era just preceding AITF featured such middle-of-the-road comedies like 'Mr. Ed' and 'The Beverly Hillbillies' or long-running programs like 'The Ed Sullivan Show,' what do you think the TV landscape would have looked like in the last decades of the 20th century if Lear hadn't been on the scene? 

I think that the changes that did happen would have happened regardless and Norman Lear would have probably been the first person to tell you that. However, Lear was the person who pushed the boulder over the hill and rightfully gets the credit.

Lear, who co-founded the nonprofit People for the American Way in the late 70s, was, I think it's fair to say, very patriotic, paying $8 million in 2001 for a rare original of the Declaration of Independence so that it could go out on tour and be shared with people. Why did philanthropy, political advocacy and voting become major priorities for him during the second half of his life?

Lear was always extremely patriotic and a fierce advocate of democracy, the protection of free speech and the First Amendment. The catalyst for People For The American Way was his growing concern about the growing influence of the religious right on American politics, particularly zealots like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell who once labeled Lear the "number one enemy of the American Family." To a certain degree, I think he saw that as a badge of honor, as he did being put on Richard Nixon's enemies list, [which] sprung him into action.

What do you think audiences who are just discovering his 70s output now are taking away from the shows?

My students [at Emerson], who are in their early 20s, love the richness of the various characters. Even though some of the issues that Lear's shows dealt with like Watergate and the Vietnam War are obviously dated, many others are just as relevant today, if not more so than they were back in the 1970s. I think younger audiences appreciate the historical perspective.

Lear was prolific but certainly had some failures on his resume. What would be your pick for a gem that people have missed out on? 

Probably "Hot l Baltimore", which was based on a very popular Off-Broadway play by Lanford Wilson and featured TV's first gay couple. It aired briefly on ABC in 1975 and had very strong ensemble cast [James Cromwell, Conchata Ferrell, Richard Masur]. But it was simply too ahead of its time and didn't make it even though future Disney chief Michael Eisner, a young programmer at ABC, was one of its biggest advocates.

If you could reboot one of Lear's shows, which one would you pick?

None. They can't be replicated. Why tinker with perfection?

Shani R. Friedman is a writer and tenant advocate in New York City Housing Court. Her work has appeared in The Los Angeles Review Of Books, Time Out NY, The Forward, TC JewFolk, Huffington Post, Honeysuckle Magazine and other publications. Read More