CBS, the broadcast home of the majority of Norman Lear’s iconic sitcoms, has announced the one-hour special, Norman Lear: A Life On Television. It airs Friday, December 8 at 8 p.m. ET and will be streamed on Paramount+. The legendary writer and producer died Tuesday at the age of 101.
The logline: Presented by Entertainment Tonight, Norman Lear: A Life On Television features new interviews with stars of the long-running comedies Lear created, including Jimmie Walker from Good Times and Mackenzie Phillips from One Day at a Time, in addition to never-before-seen interviews from the ET vault. Also included with this new footage is the conversation that Lear had with ET host Kevin Frazier when he celebrated his 100th birthday.
In addition to Good Times and One Day at a Time, Lear’s hit roster of comedies on CBS were All in the Family, Maude and The Jeffersons. Maude and The Jeffersons were spun-off from All in the Family, while the origins of Good Times stemmed from Maude. At the time of these five hits, Norman Lear’s Sanford and Son was running on NBC.
“Norman Lear’s profound influence on television will never be forgotten. He was a creative icon whose comedic and courageous perspective on the America he loved had an immeasurable impact on our network, our viewers and television overall,” said CBS in a statement. “His funny, realistic and fearless approach to storytelling rang true in his sharp writing and rich characters. He redefined the sitcom by introducing topics that had previously been avoided, including race, poverty and sexism. And he did it all with wit and heart, making it relatable to millions of Americans.”
“Norman’s broad impact on our industry is surpassed only by his personal influence on the lives of the innumerable people he touched at every level of our business. He also remained a passionate advocate for equality and justice throughout his remarkable life,” continued CBS. “We extend our deepest condolences to Norman’s beloved family. His legacy will forever touch the medium we all love.”