Norman Lear, television producer for “All in the Family,” dies at 101

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Norman Lear, a producing giant who reshaped the television landscape in the late '70s and beyond, has passed away at the age of 101.

Lear created a variety of groundbreaking shows like "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," and "Sanford and Sons."

Because of Norman Lear, the small screen grew. Its boundaries swelled to share new stories and project new voices.

"I have never been in a situation in my life, no matter how tragic, where I didn't see comedy," Lear spoke.

Building the foundation

Born in 1922, Lear served during World War II before settling down in Los Angeles, where he wrote for comedy shows. Most notably, "The Colgate Comedy Hour" starring Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin.

From there, he turned to producing movies, earning an Oscar nomination in 1968 for "Divorce American Style."

It wasn't until the 1970s that lear began to build the foundation for his TV empire with "All in the Family."

The groundbreaking show used humor to tackle serious topics, like race and sexuality, and was so controversial, the episodes started with a disclaimer.

Fearless

When it came to social issues, Lear was fearless.

"Maude," one of the shows Lear created and produced, addressed abortion, months before the Supreme Court's decision in "Roe v. Wade."

He also developed the first primetime shows, depicting life for African-American families.

"Good Times" was among the first primetime shows depicting life for African-American families. It focused on a poor family living in a housing project, but drew criticism from viewers, and even cast members, who felt it perpetuated stereotypes.

Lear then created "The Jeffersons," which centered on a successful black couple residing in a luxury apartment building.

At one point, Lear had six of the top 10 shows on the air.

Walking away from TV

But in the 1980's, he walked away from TV to focus on political activism.

A vocal opponent of the religious right, Lear created a non-profit called "People for the American Way."

"Don't tell us we're bad Christians or good Christians depending on political points of view. That isn't the American way," Lear expressed.

Married three times, Lear had six kids. The youngest, twins, were born when he was in his 70s.

Never slowing down

Age never slowed him down.

At 94, Lear launched a podcast called "All of the above," and rebooted one of his classic series, "One day at a time." This time, with a Cuban-American family.

"Norman Lear has held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it," said former President Bill Clinton.

A man who entertained viewers, and challenged them, changing television for the better.