Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with 害羞草研究所淎ll in the Family害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淢aude,害羞草研究所� propelling political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of sitcoms, has died. He was 101.

Lear died Tuesday night in his sleep, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said Lara Bergthold, a spokesperson for his family.

A liberal activist, Lear fashioned bold and controversial comedies that were embraced by viewers who had to watch the evening news to find out what was going on in the world. His shows helped define prime time comedy in the 1970s, launched the careers of Rob Reiner and Valerie Bertinelli and made middle-aged superstars of Carroll O害羞草研究所機onnor, Bea Arthur and Redd Foxx.

害羞草研究所淎ll in the Family害羞草研究所� was immersed in the headlines of the day, while also drawing upon Lear害羞草研究所檚 childhood memories of his tempestuous father. Racism, feminism, and the Vietnam War were flashpoints as blue collar conservative Archie Bunker, played by O害羞草研究所機onnor, clashed with liberal son-in-law Mike Stivic (Reiner). Jean Stapleton co-starred as Archie害羞草研究所檚 befuddled but good-hearted wife, Edith, and Sally Struthers played the Bunkers害羞草研究所� daughter, Gloria, who defended her husband in arguments with Archie.

Lear害羞草研究所檚 work transformed television at a time when old-fashioned programs as 害羞草研究所淗ere害羞草研究所檚 Lucy,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚ronside害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淕unsmoke害羞草研究所� still dominated. CBS, Lear害羞草研究所檚 primary network, would soon enact its 害羞草研究所渞ural purge害羞草研究所� and cancel such standbys as 害羞草研究所淭he Beverly Hillbillies害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淕reen Acres.害羞草研究所� The groundbreaking sitcom 害羞草研究所淭he Mary Tyler Moore Show,害羞草研究所� about a single career woman in Minneapolis, debuted on CBS in Sept. 1970, just months before 害羞草研究所淎ll in the Family害羞草研究所� started.

But ABC passed on 害羞草研究所淎ll in the Family害羞草研究所� twice and CBS was initially reluctant to take on the daring series, Lear would say. When the network finally aired 害羞草研究所淎ll in the Family,害羞草研究所� it began with a disclaimer: 害羞草研究所淭he program you are about to see is 害羞草研究所楢ll in the Family.害羞草研究所� It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter we hope to show, in a mature fashion, just how absurd they are.害羞草研究所�

By the end of 1971, 害羞草研究所淎ll In the Family害羞草研究所� was No. 1 in the ratings and Archie Bunker was a pop culture fixture, with President Richard Nixon among his fans. Some of his putdowns became catchphrases. He called his son-in-law 害羞草研究所淢eathead害羞草研究所� and his wife 害羞草研究所淒ingbat,害羞草研究所� and would also snap at anyone who dared occupy his faded orange-yellow wing chair. It was the centerpiece of the Bunkers rowhouse in the New York City borough of Queens and eventually an artifact in the Smithsonian害羞草研究所檚 National Museum of American History.

Even the show害羞草研究所檚 opening segment was innovative: Instead of an off-screen theme song, Archie and Edith are seated at the piano in their living room, belting out a nostalgic number, 害羞草研究所淭hose Were the Days,害羞草研究所� with Edith screeching off-key and Archie crooning such lines 害羞草研究所淒idn害羞草研究所檛 need no welfare state害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淕irls were girls and men were men.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淎ll in the Family,害羞草研究所� based on the British sitcom, 害羞草研究所淭il Death Us Do Part,害羞草研究所� was the No. 1-rated series for an unprecedented five years in a row and earned four Emmy Awards as best comedy series, finally eclipsed by five-time winner 害羞草研究所淔rasier害羞草研究所� in 1998.

Hits continued for Lear and then-partner Bud Yorkin, including 害羞草研究所淢aude害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭he Jeffersons,害羞草研究所� both spinoffs from 害羞草研究所淎ll in the Family害羞草研究所� and both the same winning combination of one-liners and social conflict. In a 1972 two-part episode of 害羞草研究所淢aude,害羞草研究所� the title character (played by Arthur) became the first on television to have an abortion, drawing a surge of protests along with the show害羞草研究所檚 high ratings. Nixon himself objected to an 害羞草研究所淎ll in the Family害羞草研究所� episode about a close friend of Archie害羞草研究所檚 who turns out to be gay, privately fuming to White House aides that the show 害羞草研究所済lorified害羞草研究所� same-sex relationships.

害羞草研究所淐ontroversy suggests people are thinking about something. But there害羞草研究所檇 better be laughing first and foremost or it害羞草研究所檚 a dog,害羞草研究所� Lear said in a 1994 interview with The Associated Press.

Lear and Yorkin also created 害羞草研究所淕ood Times,害羞草研究所� about a working class Black family in Chicago; 害羞草研究所淪anford & Son,害羞草研究所� a showcase for Foxx as junkyard dealer Fred Sanford; and 害羞草研究所淥ne Day at a Time,害羞草研究所� starring Bonnie Franklin as a single mother and Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips as her daughters. In the 1974-75 season, Lear and Yorkin produced five of the top 10 shows.

The late Paddy Chayefsky, a leading writer of television害羞草研究所檚 early 害羞草研究所済olden age,害羞草研究所� once said that Lear 害羞草研究所渢ook television away from dopey wives and dumb fathers, from the pimps, hookers, hustlers, private eyes, junkies, cowboys and rustlers that constituted television chaos, and in their place he put the American people.害羞草研究所�

Lear害羞草研究所檚 business success enabled him to express his ardent political beliefs beyond the small screen. In 2000, he and a partner bought a copy of the Declaration of Independence for $8.14 million and sent it on a cross-country tour.

He was an active donor to Democratic candidates and founded the nonprofit liberal advocacy group People for the American Way in 1980, he said, because people such as evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson were 害羞草研究所渁busing religion.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 started to say, This is not my America. You don害羞草研究所檛 mix politics and religion this way,害羞草研究所� Lear said in a 1992 interview with Commonweal magazine.

The nonprofit害羞草研究所檚 president, Svante Myrick, said 害羞草研究所渨e are heartbroken害羞草研究所� by Lear害羞草研究所檚 death. 害羞草研究所淲e extend our deepest sympathies to Norman害羞草研究所檚 wife Lyn and their entire family, and to the many people who害羞草研究所�, like us,害羞草研究所� loved Norman.害羞草研究所�

With this wry smile and impish boat hat, the youthful Lear created television well into his 90s, rebooting 害羞草研究所淥ne Day at a Time害羞草研究所� for Netflix in 2017 and exploring income inequality for the documentary series 害羞草研究所淎merica Divided害羞草研究所� in 2016. Documentarians featured him in 2016害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淣orman Lear: Just Another Version of You,害羞草研究所� and 2017害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淚f You害羞草研究所檙e Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast,害羞草研究所� a look at active nonagenarians such as Lear and Rob Reiner害羞草研究所檚 father, Carl Reiner.

In 1984, he was lauded as the 害羞草研究所渋nnovative writer who brought realism to television害羞草研究所� when he became one of the first seven people inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences害羞草研究所� Hall of Fame. He later received a National Medal of Arts and was honored at the Kennedy Center. In 2020, he won an Emmy as executive producer of 害羞草研究所淟ive In Front of a Studio Audience: 害羞草研究所楢ll In the Family害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所楪ood Times害羞草研究所�.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Lear beat the tough TV odds to an astounding degree: At least one of his shows placed in prime-time害羞草研究所檚 top 10 for 11 consecutive years (1971-82). But Lear had flops as well.

Shows including 害羞草研究所淗ot L Baltimore,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淧almerstown害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渁.k.a. Pablo,害羞草研究所� a rare Hispanic series, drew critical favor but couldn害羞草研究所檛 find an audience; others, such as 害羞草研究所淎ll That Glitters害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭he Nancy Walker Show,害羞草研究所� earned neither. He also faced resistance from cast members, including 害羞草研究所淕ood Times害羞草研究所� stars John Amos and Esther Rolle, who often objected to the scripts as racially insensitive, and endured a mid-season walkout by Foxx, who missed eight episodes in 1973-74 because of a contract dispute.

In the 1990s, the comedy 害羞草研究所�704 Hauser,害羞草研究所� which returned to the Bunker house with a new family, and the political satire 害羞草研究所淭he Powers that Be害羞草研究所� were both short-lived.

Lear害羞草研究所檚 business moves, meanwhile, were almost consistently fruitful.

Lear started T.A.T. Communications in 1974 to be 害羞草研究所渟ole creative captain of his ship,害羞草研究所� his former business partner Jerry Perenchio told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. The company became a major TV producer with shows including 害羞草研究所淥ne Day at a Time害羞草研究所� and the soap-opera spoof 害羞草研究所淢ary Hartman Mary Hartman,害羞草研究所� which Lear distributed himself after it was rejected by the networks.

In 1982, Lear and Perenchio bought Avco-Embassy Pictures and formed Embassy Communications as T.A.T.害羞草研究所檚 successor, becoming successfully involved in movies, home video, pay TV and cable ownership. In 1985, Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy to Coca-Cola for $485 million. They had sold their cable holdings the year before, reportedly for a hefty profit.

By 1986, Lear was on Forbes magazine害羞草研究所檚 list of the 400 richest people in America, with an estimated net worth of $225 million. He didn害羞草研究所檛 make the cut the next year after a $112 million divorce settlement for his second wife, Frances. They had been married 29 years and had two daughters.

He married his third wife, psychologist Lyn Davis, in 1987 and the couple had three children. (Frances Lear, who went on to found the now-defunct Lear害羞草研究所檚 magazine with her settlement, died in 1996 at age 73.)

Lear was born in New Haven, Conn. on July 27, 1922, to Herman Lear, a securities broker who served time in prison for selling fake bonds, and Jeanette, a homemaker who helped inspire Edith Bunker. Norman Lear would remember family life as a kind of sitcom, full of quirks and grudges, 害羞草研究所渁 group of people living at the ends of their nerves and the tops of their lungs,害羞草研究所� he explained during a 2004 appearance at the John F. Kennedy Presidential LIbrary in Boston.

His political activism had deep roots. In a 1984 interview with The New York Times, Lear recalled how, at age 10, he would mail letters for his Russian immigrant grandfather, Shia Seicol, which began 害羞草研究所淢y dearest darling Mr. President,害羞草研究所� to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Sometimes a reply came.

害羞草研究所淭hat my grandfather mattered made me feel every citizen mattered,害羞草研究所� said Lear, who at 15 was sending his own messages to Congress via Western Union.

He dropped out of Emerson College 1942 to enlist in the Air Force, was awarded a Decorated Air Medal, and then worked in public relations.

Lear began writing in the early 1950s on shows including 害羞草研究所淭he Colgate Comedy Hour害羞草研究所� and working for such comedians as Martha Raye and George Gobel. In 1959, he and Yorkin founded Tandem Productions, which produced films including 害羞草研究所淐ome Blow Your Horn,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淪tart the Revolution Without Me害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淒ivorce American Style.害羞草研究所� Lear also directed the 1971 satire 害羞草研究所淐old Turkey,害羞草研究所� starring Dick Van Dyke about a small town that takes on a tobacco company害羞草研究所檚 offer of $25 million to quit smoking for 30 days.

In his later years, Lear joined with Warren Buffett and James E. Burke to establish The Business Enterprise Trust, honoring businesses that take a long-term view of their effect on the country. He also founded the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California害羞草研究所檚 Annenberg School for Communication, exploring entertainment, commerce and society. In 2014, he published the memoir 害羞草研究所淓ven This I Get to Experience.害羞草研究所�

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