Groundbreaking television writer and producer Norman Lear has died. Lear’s shows dominated television in the 1970s and 80s. They featured diverse casts and stories that crossed generational and socio-economic lines. Even his comedies tackled issues like racism, sexual assault, misogyny, homophobia, and extremism. The World War II veteran founded People for the American Way in 1980, a non-profit organization built to support freedom while fighting authoritarian extremism. Norman Lear was 101.