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11 unusual facts about Norman Lear


Don Kirshner

Shaffer and Kirshner worked together on the short-lived situation comedy, A Year at the Top, which Kirshner co-produced with Norman Lear, and in which Shaffer starred.

Electronic Musician

Mix Publications was bought by Act III Communications around 1989, which in the 1990s was bought by Primedia'.

Fantasy Records

In 2004, Fantasy was sold to a consortium led by Norman Lear and merged with Concord Records to create a new company called Concord Music Group.

Geri Jewell

In 1980, she performed at the 2nd Annual Media Access Awards, when she was introduced to Norman Lear by producer, Fern Field.

Greater Tuna

An HBO Special of Greater Tuna, produced by Embassy Television and Norman Lear, was aired in 1984.

Jess Mowry

The film, under the same title, was produced by Redeemable Features in 2000 with director Adam Davidson and executive producers Norman Lear and Miloš Forman.

Johnny Brown

In the introduction, Brown tells of how Norman Lear had considered Brown to play the role of Lamont in Sanford And Son, but was unavailable to do so because of his prior commitment to Laugh-In, leading Lear to give the role to Demond Wilson instead.

Moral Majority

On the ideologically opposed side, Norman Lear’s liberal organization People for the American Way was formed with the specific intention of opposing the platforms of the Moral Majority and other Christian Right organizations.

Nely Galán

Owned by Jerry Perenchio and Norman Lear, the station became the launchpad for what is now the Telemundo Network.

Sam Golzari

He has also worked with Tony Shalhoub on the film AmericanEast, as well as an all-improv mockumentary, Juan Francis: Live, produced by Norman Lear.

Zara Cully

In attendance were the cast and crew of The Jeffersons, including show producer Norman Lear.


Cold turkey

The phrase's use in popular culture includes John Lennon's song "Cold Turkey", about kicking heroin, and Norman Lear's 1971 movie Cold Turkey, about a small town that gives up smoking to win $25,000,000.

Financial Interest and Syndication Rules

Some argue the rules brought about a golden era of independent television production by companies like MTM Enterprises (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) and Norman Lear's Tandem Productions (All in the Family).

GhettoPhysics

The film includes interviews with notable entertainers and thinkers such as Dr. Cornel West, Ice-T, Norman Lear, Cynthia McKinney, KRS-One, John Perkins (author), Byron Katie, Too Short, and William Arntz.

Honestly, Celeste!

Young Norman Lear, later a major television producer, and Larry Gelbart, who subsequently developed M*A*S*H for CBS television, joined the writing staff of Honestly, Celeste! but could not change the ratings.

McGurk: A Dog's Life

McGurk: A Dog's Life was a 1979 NBC television series pilot and the last television concept created by Norman Lear to become a pilot.

Norman Lear Center

The Center is named for benefactor Norman Lear, the social activist and philanthropist, and television producer, and was founded and is directed by Marty Kaplan, associate dean of the USC Annenberg School, who has been a political speechwriter, Hollywood studio executive, and screenwriter-producer.

Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg

She also includes interview statements by non-celebrities, and celebrities, including All Things Considered anchor Susan Stamberg, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, television sitcom producer Norman Lear and Mary Tyler Moore Show actor Ed Asner.