I remember the first time I ever saw a Norman Lear sitcom. I watched an episode of All in the Family as a teenager on a rerun in the 90s. I had never seen anything like this show before. I was instantly hooked. Than I found myself seeking out other comedies like this. The Jeffersons, Maude, Sanford and Son, Good Times and One Day At A Time. Now what all these classic TV shows had in common they were all produced by Norman Lear.
Norman Lear was born on July 27th 1922. That means that the day of this post Norman Lear is celebrating his 100th birthday. In a world where living a long life is not the normal thing, this is an amazing feat.
So today I want to pay tribute to my favorite TV producer of all time. Even though I wasn't alive during the initial run of this classic TV shows. I am thankful to my parents who brought me up on classic TV and I was able to experience Norman Lear.
One thing that Norman Lear always did with this shows was push the envelope and never shy away from social issues. What with Roe v Wade such a hot topic in America, Norman Lear is not slowing down in producing yet.
He has been recreating classic episode of his shows with new actors playing iconic roles. All for the TV specials, "Live In Front of a Studio Audience". Now reports say the next planned special is to be the 2 Part episode of Maude entitled "Maude's Dilemma" in which Maude finds out she is pregnant at 47 and must decide whether to have the baby or an abortion.
Now in this article I am not discussing that hot topic issue. This is not the place to do that, this is a place for entertainment. And today I am just here to celebrate a man that was not afraid to start conversations on issues that needed to be discussed.
I still watch episodes of these classic shows every single week of my life. I'll break out a DVD and enjoy the comedy and drama. Norman Lear really knew how to mix comedy and the dramatic, so that you were laughing one minute and sheading a tear the next. That is a hard thing to do!
So on his 100th Birthday even though he probably won't see this article. I want to wish Norman Lear a very Happy 100th Birthday. Thank you for the entertainment we supplied through the years and the laughter I shared with my family and continue to share ever to this day.
May you live many more years.
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