TV Giant Norman Lear Dies at 101 — How to Stream His Groundbreaking Sitcoms
TV Giant Norman Lear Dies at 101 — How to Stream His Groundbreaking Sitcoms
If there were a Mount Rushmore of television, Norman Lear’s face would have to be chiseled into it. The screenwriter and producer worked on more than 100 shows during his legendary life. His hot streak in the 1970s was unparalleled as he launched mega-hits like “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son,” “One Day at a Time,” “The Jeffersons,” and “Good Times.”
Lear’s shows often pushed societal boundaries. They could be blisteringly funny and incredibly moving. Audiences hardly knew what hit them. When renowned bigot Archie Bunker got a kiss on the cheek from Sammy Davis Jr, the live studio audience practically lost its mind.
If you’re not familiar with Lear’s legendary career, this tribute video from his website does a great job highlighting his contributions to television and to United States history.
To celebrate the Lear legend, we’ve compiled a list of his best work and where you can stream it today.
The Best of Norman Lear
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All in the Family
January 12, 1971Archie Bunker, a working class bigot, constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.
- DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment
- $86.99 / month
- Paramount Plus Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
- $12.99 / month
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Sanford and Son
January 14, 1972The misadventures of a cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son.
- DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment
- $86.99 / month
- Peacock Premium Plus
- $13.99 / month
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Good Times
February 8, 1974Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series’ primary executive producer. Good Times is a spin-off of Maude, which is itself a spin-off of All in the Family along with The Jeffersons.
The series is set in Chicago. The first two seasons were taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood. In the fall of 1975, the show moved to Metromedia Square, where Norman Lear’s own production company was housed.
- DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment
- $86.99 / month
- Paramount Plus Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
- $12.99 / month
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The Jeffersons
January 18, 1975Sitcom following a successful African-American couple, George and Louise “Weezyö Jefferson as they “move on up” from working-class Queens to a ritzy Manhattan apartment. A spin-off of All in the Family.
- DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment
- $86.99 / month
- Paramount Plus Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
- $12.99 / month
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One Day at a Time
December 16, 1975The misadventures of a divorced mother, two teenage daughters, and new building superintendent in Indianapolis.
- DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment
- $86.99 / month
- Paramount Plus Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
- $12.99 / month
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One Day at a Time
January 6, 2017In a reimagining of the TV classic, a newly single Latina mother raises her teen daughter and tween son with the “help” of her old-school mom.
Lear’s work even made a dent in the streaming era, as this beloved sitcom got a Netflix reboot.
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Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
January 5, 1976In the fictional town of Fernwood, Ohio, suburban housewife Mary Hartman seeks the kind of domestic perfection promised by Reader’s Digest and TV commercials. Instead she finds herself suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune: mass murders, low-flying airplanes and waxy yellow buildup on her kitchen floor.
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Maude
September 12, 1972Well-educated and upper middle class, Maude Findlay is the archetypal feminist of her generation. She lives in suburban Tuckahoe, New York, with her fourth husband, Walter, their divorced daughter, Carol, and grandson Phillip.
- DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment
- $86.99 / month
- Paramount Plus Paramount+ with SHOWTIME
- $12.99 / month
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I loved Norman Lear with all my heart. He was my second father. Sending my love to Lyn and the whole Lear family.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) December 6, 2023
Goodnight Norman. Love you. Thanks for raising me.
— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) December 6, 2023
One of the all time great Humanists changed the world by being honest about the love, laughter, and troubles we all share. RIP Norman Lear, progressive King. https://t.co/PYcdfMi3oz
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) December 6, 2023
The greatest of the greats. R.I.P. Norman Lear. You were loved.
— Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) December 6, 2023
Anyone who ever had a chance to say something pointed or political in an American television entertainment owes Norman Lear their adoration and awe. He saw what was possible in that vacuous glowing box and, almost singularly, he made it so.
— David Simon (@AoDespair) December 6, 2023
We literally thought he would live forever. Thank you and goodbye to the man who changed television comedy forever. RIP Norman Lear. https://t.co/0gvFnlVHl8
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) December 6, 2023