Norman Lear Summary

Lear, Norman (1922—) Perhaps the most significant of several producers who reshaped American television in the 1970s, Norman Lear brought his particular genius to the situation comedy genre. In... Read more

While much of television's history is filled with banality, writer/producer Norman Lear (born 1922) is credited with enlarging the scope of the medium. With such groundbreaking television series as Al... Read more

Critical Essay by Bosley Crowther [The satire, "Divorce American Style," screenplay by Norman Lear] is not as funny or trenchant as it tries very hard to be. Indeed, it is rather depress... Read more

Critical Essay by John J. O'connor Although perhaps only temporarily, the Lear product has become noticeably strained. A good deal of the humor has settled into a monotonous groove of hostility... Read more

Critical Essay by John J. O'connor There is hardly anything new about satirizing talk shows. In some cases, the form almost satirizes itself, and it has long been the butt of comedy routines, f... Read more

Critical Essay by Michael Novak [The] fact that Norman Lear's "All That Glitters" didn't strike gold doesn't mean that it didn't have importance for our cultu... Read more