Doc Severinsen was a snitch.
After a night off, Johnny Carson was back in his Tonight Show chair, and it didn’t take him long to notice something was off. A cigarette box that had been a mainstay on his desk for years was broken. “What the hell happened to this?” Carson asked the bandleader. “You know how long I’ve had this cigarette box? I brought this out from New York. What on earth?”
“Rickles!” came the shouts from offstage, either from the audience, stagehands or both. “Don Rickles,” Doc clarified in case Carson thought some other Rickles was the perpetrator.
Carson wasn’t happy. “What the hell did he do with it?” he wondered. “The wood is broken! That’s an heirloom!”
It was an easy explanation. He was screwing around with guest host Bob Newhart, banging Johnny’s desk and accidentally busting Carson’s box.
This indignity would not stand.
After a night off, Johnny Carson was back in his Tonight Show chair, and it didn’t take him long to notice something was off. A cigarette box that had been a mainstay on his desk for years was broken. “What the hell happened to this?” Carson asked the bandleader. “You know how long I’ve had this cigarette box? I brought this out from New York. What on earth?”
“Rickles!” came the shouts from offstage, either from the audience, stagehands or both. “Don Rickles,” Doc clarified in case Carson thought some other Rickles was the perpetrator.
Carson wasn’t happy. “What the hell did he do with it?” he wondered. “The wood is broken! That’s an heirloom!”
It was an easy explanation. He was screwing around with guest host Bob Newhart, banging Johnny’s desk and accidentally busting Carson’s box.
This indignity would not stand.
- 10/15/2024
- Cracked
Patt Shea, the Norman Lear regular who co-wrote the 1979 series finale of All in the Family and co-created and worked on two spinoffs of the fabled sitcom, Archie Bunker’s Place and Gloria, has died. She was 93.
Shea died April 12 of natural causes on her birthday at her home in Sherman Oaks, her son Michael Shea, a director and assistant director, told The Hollywood Reporter. The family chose to wait until this week to publicly announce her death.
“Patt Shea was a trailblazer in comedy writing,” Michael noted. “Her success as a writer in groundbreaking sitcoms was only matched by her generosity and compassion for people.”
Jack Shea, her husband of 59 years, died in 2013. He directed dozens of episodes of such Lear-connected sitcoms as The Jeffersons, Silver Spoons and Sanford and Son and served as president of the DGA from 1997-2002, part of a half-century of dedicated service to the guild.
Shea died April 12 of natural causes on her birthday at her home in Sherman Oaks, her son Michael Shea, a director and assistant director, told The Hollywood Reporter. The family chose to wait until this week to publicly announce her death.
“Patt Shea was a trailblazer in comedy writing,” Michael noted. “Her success as a writer in groundbreaking sitcoms was only matched by her generosity and compassion for people.”
Jack Shea, her husband of 59 years, died in 2013. He directed dozens of episodes of such Lear-connected sitcoms as The Jeffersons, Silver Spoons and Sanford and Son and served as president of the DGA from 1997-2002, part of a half-century of dedicated service to the guild.
- 8/17/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
August 9
Q: On this day exactly 50 years ago, August 9 1974, Richard Nixon became the first and only President to resign his office. Nixon also significantly brought Best Actor nominations to two actors who played him on screen. Who are they?
A: Anthony Hopkins was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for 1995’s Nixon. Frank Langella was nominated in the same category for 2008’s Frost/Nixon. Langella had previously won a Tony Award for the play on which that movie was based. Only one actor has ever won a Best Actor Oscar for playing a real life U.S. President. Daniel Day Lewis took his third Lead Actor Academy Award in 2012’s Lincoln. Raymond Massey was also previously nominated as Lincoln for Best Actor in 1940’s Abe Lincoln In Illinois. Nixon and Lincoln are the only real life U.S. Presidents to be responsible for multiple Oscar nominations for those who played them.
Q: On this day exactly 50 years ago, August 9 1974, Richard Nixon became the first and only President to resign his office. Nixon also significantly brought Best Actor nominations to two actors who played him on screen. Who are they?
A: Anthony Hopkins was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for 1995’s Nixon. Frank Langella was nominated in the same category for 2008’s Frost/Nixon. Langella had previously won a Tony Award for the play on which that movie was based. Only one actor has ever won a Best Actor Oscar for playing a real life U.S. President. Daniel Day Lewis took his third Lead Actor Academy Award in 2012’s Lincoln. Raymond Massey was also previously nominated as Lincoln for Best Actor in 1940’s Abe Lincoln In Illinois. Nixon and Lincoln are the only real life U.S. Presidents to be responsible for multiple Oscar nominations for those who played them.
- 8/9/2024
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
One of Rob Reiner’s greatest filmmaking credits is the classic mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. But he became the maker of an actual documentary – not a faux one – with Albert Brooks: Defending My Life. This morning (while working on the sequel to Spinal Tap in New Orleans) he learned he’s become an Emmy nominee for the HBO film about his lifelong buddy, Brooks.
“It’s a total surprise,” he said of the Emmy recognition for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and for his direction of the film. “Especially because I’ve never made a real documentary. The only one I made was a fake one – Spinal Tap. It’s so funny to get recognized in this way.”
Related: Emmy Nominations Analysis: Fresh Blood Livens Up The Race For TV Gold
Rob Reiner speaks at the HBO Documentary Films screening of ‘Albert Brooks: Defending My Life’ at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
“It’s a total surprise,” he said of the Emmy recognition for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and for his direction of the film. “Especially because I’ve never made a real documentary. The only one I made was a fake one – Spinal Tap. It’s so funny to get recognized in this way.”
Related: Emmy Nominations Analysis: Fresh Blood Livens Up The Race For TV Gold
Rob Reiner speaks at the HBO Documentary Films screening of ‘Albert Brooks: Defending My Life’ at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
- 7/17/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2024, Donald Glover earned his fifth acting Emmy nomination for his dramatic star turn on “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Since most of his earlier bids came for his work on the comedy series “Atlanta,” he was welcomed into a group of 17 other actors with lead or supporting bids for both program genres. Scroll through our photo gallery to find out who preceded him in joining this club.
To date, the only actors who have won Emmys as both comedy and drama series regulars are Ed Asner (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”; “Lou Grant”), Carroll O’Connor (“All in the Family”; “In the Heat of the Night”), Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”; “The West Wing”), and John Lithgow (“3rd Rock from the Sun”; “The Crown”). Another five men on this roster only won for their dramatic roles, while three more only succeeded on their comedy bids.
Every actor included in this gallery was nominated...
To date, the only actors who have won Emmys as both comedy and drama series regulars are Ed Asner (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”; “Lou Grant”), Carroll O’Connor (“All in the Family”; “In the Heat of the Night”), Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”; “The West Wing”), and John Lithgow (“3rd Rock from the Sun”; “The Crown”). Another five men on this roster only won for their dramatic roles, while three more only succeeded on their comedy bids.
Every actor included in this gallery was nominated...
- 7/15/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
In 2024, Donald Glover earned his fifth acting Emmy nomination for his dramatic star turn on “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Since most of his earlier bids came for his work on the comedy series “Atlanta,” he was welcomed into a group of 17 other actors with lead or supporting bids for both program genres. Scroll through our photo gallery to find out who preceded him in joining this club.
To date, the only actors who have won Emmys as both comedy and drama series regulars are Ed Asner (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”; “Lou Grant”), Carroll O’Connor (“All in the Family”; “In the Heat of the Night”), Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”; “The West Wing”), and John Lithgow (“3rd Rock from the Sun”; “The Crown”). Another five men on this roster only won for their dramatic roles, while three more only succeeded on their comedy bids.
Every actor included in this gallery was nominated...
To date, the only actors who have won Emmys as both comedy and drama series regulars are Ed Asner (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”; “Lou Grant”), Carroll O’Connor (“All in the Family”; “In the Heat of the Night”), Alan Alda (“M*A*S*H”; “The West Wing”), and John Lithgow (“3rd Rock from the Sun”; “The Crown”). Another five men on this roster only won for their dramatic roles, while three more only succeeded on their comedy bids.
Every actor included in this gallery was nominated...
- 7/15/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
One needn't recount the premise of "Gilligan's Island." One only needs to listen to the theme song.
When Sherwood Schwartz was first casting his sitcom "Gilligan's Island" back in 1964, he knew that finding the right actor to play the Skipper -- Jonas Grumby, the captain of the S.S. Minnow -- was going to be a challenge. He had envisioned the title character as a shrimpy, thin man, and he knew that he wanted Bob Denver, previously the star of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," in the role. To provide a physical contrast, Shwartz wanted the Skipper to be large, imposing, and capable of yelling in rage. But, and this was key, the Skipper also had to be lovable. In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Schwartz was explicit in saying he wanted a teddy bear of a man. Someone who was big and round, but also imminently cuddly.
When Sherwood Schwartz was first casting his sitcom "Gilligan's Island" back in 1964, he knew that finding the right actor to play the Skipper -- Jonas Grumby, the captain of the S.S. Minnow -- was going to be a challenge. He had envisioned the title character as a shrimpy, thin man, and he knew that he wanted Bob Denver, previously the star of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," in the role. To provide a physical contrast, Shwartz wanted the Skipper to be large, imposing, and capable of yelling in rage. But, and this was key, the Skipper also had to be lovable. In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Schwartz was explicit in saying he wanted a teddy bear of a man. Someone who was big and round, but also imminently cuddly.
- 7/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Television has been full of memorable moments over the years, some more so than others.
Yet, there's a difference between just memorable and monumental.
The nine television episodes below made history in various ways and, in some cases, permanently changed the TV landscape.
All in the Family Season 2 Episode 21: Sammy's Visit
The late writer and producer Norman Lear, who passed away in 2023, created several beloved classic sitcoms that pushed the boundaries of American television at the time.
None more so than All in the Family (1971-1979), a show about a bigoted working-class man and his struggles with family and society during the changing 1970s.
Related: Classic TV is the Perfect Binge Watch For So Many Reasons
The show covered many exciting and often controversial topics over its nine seasons.
From draft dodging to sexual assault, the show never avoided complex subjects of the time.
One of the most difficult...
Yet, there's a difference between just memorable and monumental.
The nine television episodes below made history in various ways and, in some cases, permanently changed the TV landscape.
All in the Family Season 2 Episode 21: Sammy's Visit
The late writer and producer Norman Lear, who passed away in 2023, created several beloved classic sitcoms that pushed the boundaries of American television at the time.
None more so than All in the Family (1971-1979), a show about a bigoted working-class man and his struggles with family and society during the changing 1970s.
Related: Classic TV is the Perfect Binge Watch For So Many Reasons
The show covered many exciting and often controversial topics over its nine seasons.
From draft dodging to sexual assault, the show never avoided complex subjects of the time.
One of the most difficult...
- 6/27/2024
- by Jessica Kosinski
- TVfanatic
At 5' 1'' tall, TV legend Sally Struthers is quite petite. Her showrunners took advantage of this, surrounding the diminutive actor with performers that towered above her for comedic effect. Even on the '90s Disney Afternoon cartoon "TaleSpin," Struthers voiced Rebecca Cunningham, a brown bear entrepreneur who was about half the size of her lackadaisical employee, the sloth bear pilot Baloo, yet twice as intimidating. Indeed, what Struthers' characters lacked in stature, they made up for in outsized personality.
On Norman Lear's classic '70s sitcom "All in the Family," Struthers was a whole (meat)head shorter than her onscreen husband, the 6' 2'' Rob Reiner. She also stood well below her costars Carroll O'Connor (5' 11'') and Jean Stapleton (5' 8''). The show got a lot of mileage out of this sight gag, with Reiner's hippie Michael "Mike" Stivic and O'Connor as the right-wing Archie Bunker frequently...
On Norman Lear's classic '70s sitcom "All in the Family," Struthers was a whole (meat)head shorter than her onscreen husband, the 6' 2'' Rob Reiner. She also stood well below her costars Carroll O'Connor (5' 11'') and Jean Stapleton (5' 8''). The show got a lot of mileage out of this sight gag, with Reiner's hippie Michael "Mike" Stivic and O'Connor as the right-wing Archie Bunker frequently...
- 6/16/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
They lined up early on Sunday morning – many adorned in 1950s-style garb – to take in a screening and panel event of the acclaimed eight-part Apple TV+ limited series “Lessons in Chemistry.” The streamer was promoting the Emmy Awards candidacy at the TV Academy’s Wolf Theater in North Hollywood. A capacity crowd of 600 people took in an episode before witnessing a panel talk moderated by Jessica Radloff of Glamour magazine and populated by star Brie Larson (a 2016 Oscar winner for “Room” and a Golden Globe and SAG Award nominee for “Lessons”); co-stars Lewis Pullman and Aja Naomi King; executive producer/showrunner Lee Eisenberg (a seven-time Emmy nominee); and director Sarah Adina Smith (a DGA Award winner for the series earlier this year).
SEEEmmy race update: ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ catching up to ‘Fargo’
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Bonnie Garmus (a co-exec producer on the series...
SEEEmmy race update: ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ catching up to ‘Fargo’
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Bonnie Garmus (a co-exec producer on the series...
- 6/10/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Who is the best male TV star of all time? Our photo gallery above takes on the tough task of ranking the 50 greatest actors and performers. Agree or disagree with our choices?
With over 70 years of television to consider, we had to provide ourselves with a few rules to help simplify things. One of those was that every man in our gallery must have been an ongoing leading star at some point, preferably more often than not. That’s why you will not see such classic supporting actors as Art Carney, Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Peter Dinklage and more. We also do not include any news/sports anchors or journalists such as Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, Peter Jennings, Howard Cosell since they are not performers.
In order to place them in the rankings, we were looking at a combination of quality (top rated shows with the public or critics...
With over 70 years of television to consider, we had to provide ourselves with a few rules to help simplify things. One of those was that every man in our gallery must have been an ongoing leading star at some point, preferably more often than not. That’s why you will not see such classic supporting actors as Art Carney, Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Peter Dinklage and more. We also do not include any news/sports anchors or journalists such as Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, Peter Jennings, Howard Cosell since they are not performers.
In order to place them in the rankings, we were looking at a combination of quality (top rated shows with the public or critics...
- 6/4/2024
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Janis Paige, who racked up more than 100 film, TV and stage credits over six decades including The Pajama Game, Silk Stockings and Santa Barbara, died June 2 at her home in Los Angeles. She was 101.
Her friend Stuart Lambert told The Associated Press about Paige’s death.
During her long career, Paige toured with Bob Hope and danced onscreen with Fred Astaire, along with originating the Babe Williams role in The Pajama Game on Broadway in 1954. That same year she headlined It’s Always Jan, a CBS sitcom about the problems of single-parenthood during which she usually sang a song. It lasted a single season.
Born Donna Mae Tjaden on September 16, 1922, in Tacoma, Wa, she began singing in talent shows at a tender age and moved to Los Angeles after graduating high school.
Paige made her Broadway debut in 1951 opposite Jackie Cooper in the mystery comedy Remains to Be Seen but...
Her friend Stuart Lambert told The Associated Press about Paige’s death.
During her long career, Paige toured with Bob Hope and danced onscreen with Fred Astaire, along with originating the Babe Williams role in The Pajama Game on Broadway in 1954. That same year she headlined It’s Always Jan, a CBS sitcom about the problems of single-parenthood during which she usually sang a song. It lasted a single season.
Born Donna Mae Tjaden on September 16, 1922, in Tacoma, Wa, she began singing in talent shows at a tender age and moved to Los Angeles after graduating high school.
Paige made her Broadway debut in 1951 opposite Jackie Cooper in the mystery comedy Remains to Be Seen but...
- 6/3/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Janis Paige, the ebullient redhead who starred in the original Broadway production of The Pajama Game and in such Hollywood musicals as Silk Stockings and Romance on the High Seas, has died. She was 101.
Paige, who was discovered in the 1940s while performing at the legendary Hollywood Canteen, died Sunday of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, her friend Stuart Lampert announced.
Paige starred on her own network sitcom, playing a widowed nightclub singer struggling to raise her 10-year-old daughter, on the 1955-56 CBS series It’s Always Jan, and she had recurring roles as Dick van Patten’s free-spirited sister on ABC’s Eight Is Enough and as a hospital administrator on CBS’ Trapper John, M.D.
The actress also turned in two memorable guest-starring stints in 1976, playing an attractive diner waitress named Denise who tempts Archie (Carroll O’Connor) to cheat on Edith (Jean Stapleton) on All in the Family...
Paige, who was discovered in the 1940s while performing at the legendary Hollywood Canteen, died Sunday of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, her friend Stuart Lampert announced.
Paige starred on her own network sitcom, playing a widowed nightclub singer struggling to raise her 10-year-old daughter, on the 1955-56 CBS series It’s Always Jan, and she had recurring roles as Dick van Patten’s free-spirited sister on ABC’s Eight Is Enough and as a hospital administrator on CBS’ Trapper John, M.D.
The actress also turned in two memorable guest-starring stints in 1976, playing an attractive diner waitress named Denise who tempts Archie (Carroll O’Connor) to cheat on Edith (Jean Stapleton) on All in the Family...
- 6/3/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Before she was one of America's most famous sitcom daughters, actor Sally Struthers made her primetime debut dancing on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," the variety show that's now best-remembered for featuring performances from some of the best musical acts of the '70s. The gig wasn't the flashiest thing in show biz, but it was enough to get Struthers on the radar of Norman Lear, the up and coming writer-producer who would soon take the nation by storm with "All in the Family."
In a retrospective interview with Closer Weekly in 2021, Struthers spoke about the fortuitous circumstances that eventually led to her casting in "All in the Family." As with many big breaks, it came hot on the heels of a rejection that stung. "I had just come off 'The Tim Conway Comedy Hour.' I should have been on all 13 weeks of it, but after the fifth show,...
In a retrospective interview with Closer Weekly in 2021, Struthers spoke about the fortuitous circumstances that eventually led to her casting in "All in the Family." As with many big breaks, it came hot on the heels of a rejection that stung. "I had just come off 'The Tim Conway Comedy Hour.' I should have been on all 13 weeks of it, but after the fifth show,...
- 6/2/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
"Gilmore Girls" is known as one of the most rewatchable comfort shows of the aughts. It's beloved for its mile-a-minute dialogue, surreally perfect small-town setting, and a warm central relationship that's held together via the power of mom-daughter love and a shared fondness for junk food and pop culture. It's that last part that makes one of the show's own pop culture connections especially ironic: Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) love classic TV, but they're blissfully unaware that they're living with two stars of one of the most talked-about early sitcoms.
The pair live next door to a woman named Babette, a true eccentric who's as adorable as she is overbearing. Babette often says whatever comes to mind in her signature raspy voice, and she brings a sort of benevolent chaos to the series that counters some of Stars Hollows' more genuinely annoying characters. In a bit of great casting,...
The pair live next door to a woman named Babette, a true eccentric who's as adorable as she is overbearing. Babette often says whatever comes to mind in her signature raspy voice, and she brings a sort of benevolent chaos to the series that counters some of Stars Hollows' more genuinely annoying characters. In a bit of great casting,...
- 5/27/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Third time may not always be the charm, but it was for "All in the Family." Following a pair of failed pilots, Norman Lear's pioneering sitcom hit the airwaves on January 12, 1971. Fittingly titled "Meet the Bunkers," the show's first episode is a pretty typical outing for Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) and his kin. It's basically plotless; Archie and his son-in-law Michael/Mike (Rob Reiner) squabble over religion and politics like it's their personal hobby; Archie's daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) is equally irritated and on the verge of tears as she tries to keep the peace between the stubborn men in her life; Archie is deservedly (and hilariously) made to look like a clown for his bigotry; and the whole thing wraps up with some unguarded earnestness, illustrating why his loved ones even put up with Archie in the first place.
Like any TV pilot, the characters aren't done cooking yet.
Like any TV pilot, the characters aren't done cooking yet.
- 5/18/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
There would be no "All in the Family" without the late Carroll O'Connor. The actor spent nine seasons endearing audiences to his character Archie Bunker, a middle-aged, blue-collared, conservative working stiff who wouldn't think twice about referring to someone by a derogatory term. Year in and year out, viewers delighted in watching Archie make his liberal, self-righteous son-in-law Mike's (Rob Reiner), aka "The Meathead," blood boil. (Just listen to that live studio audience cackling at Archie's unbothered response here.) Even if you disagreed with just about every single thing that came out of Archie's mouth (which you absolutely should), O'Connor had a way of winning you over.
Perhaps that's why the actor was keen to keep the good times rollin' along, even when everyone else around him was ready to pack it in. While season 8 was clearly intended to serve as the show's swan song, O'Connor succeeded in keeping "All in the Family...
Perhaps that's why the actor was keen to keep the good times rollin' along, even when everyone else around him was ready to pack it in. While season 8 was clearly intended to serve as the show's swan song, O'Connor succeeded in keeping "All in the Family...
- 5/13/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The line between reality and fiction in television hasn't always been obvious to people. Be it "Gilligan's Island" viewers badgering the Coast Guard to rescue the S.S. Minnow's poor shipwrecked crew or grown-up "Sesame Street" fans believing that Sonia Manzano and Emilio Delgado (who played married couple Maria and Luis for four decades) were actually hitched, history is littered with anecdotes of audiences assuming what they're seeing on their TV screen is actually happening. Despite the leaps and gains in the masses' media literacy over time, folks still need help understanding how even docuseries and so-called reality shows can easily manipulate the truth (as creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie satirized with "The Curse").
When Sally Struthers was cast as Gloria Stivic (née Bunker) in "All in the Family," she was, for all intents and purposes, a nobody. Save for her stint on "The Tim Conway Comedy Hour" the...
When Sally Struthers was cast as Gloria Stivic (née Bunker) in "All in the Family," she was, for all intents and purposes, a nobody. Save for her stint on "The Tim Conway Comedy Hour" the...
- 5/5/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Norman Lear knew what he was getting into with "All in the Family." The late TV giant was warned from the outset that Americans would revolt against a sitcom that talked about the hot political topics of the day and didn't try to sugarcoat the country's history of racism and using religion to justify its bigotry and hatreds towards those deemed "the other." Nor, for that matter, did his doubters buy into the concept that audiences wanted to see an honest reflection of how families behave in the comfort of their homes.
Hindsight being 20/20, it's worth noting that Lear's skeptics had valid reasons for believing what they did. Despite being based on the British comedy series "Till Death Us Do Part," there was nothing quite like "All in the Family" on the U.S. airwaves when it premiered in 1971 on CBS. American sitcom dads were upstanding, tolerant members of their...
Hindsight being 20/20, it's worth noting that Lear's skeptics had valid reasons for believing what they did. Despite being based on the British comedy series "Till Death Us Do Part," there was nothing quite like "All in the Family" on the U.S. airwaves when it premiered in 1971 on CBS. American sitcom dads were upstanding, tolerant members of their...
- 5/5/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Audiences loved "All in the Family," Norman Lear's hit sitcom about lovable bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor), his long-suffering wife Edith (Jean Stapleton), their daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers), and Gloria's husband, Michael "Meathead" Stivic (Rob Reiner), all living under the same roof in disharmonyy. I know that when I was a kid, I loved watching "All in the Family" re-runs on Nick at Nite, and the show has a large legacy that endures to this day, thanks to its lengthy run: it lasted for 9 seasons, and then continued on as the spin-off sitcom "Archie Bunker's Place."
But "Archie Bunker's Place" was a different beast altogether, and it happened as the result of one of the cast members deciding to leave the main series. While this could've spelled the end for Archie Bunker, that's not how things shook out. Instead, the story continued, albeit in a different incarnation. But that...
But "Archie Bunker's Place" was a different beast altogether, and it happened as the result of one of the cast members deciding to leave the main series. While this could've spelled the end for Archie Bunker, that's not how things shook out. Instead, the story continued, albeit in a different incarnation. But that...
- 4/26/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Before I knew her as Archie Bunker's little girl Gloria on "All in the Family," I knew Sally Struthers as Rebecca Cunningham on "TaleSpin." A loving single mom and ambitious businesswoman whose outspoken personality belied her petite build, Rebecca -- aka "Becky," "Beckers," and the many other nicknames her responsibility-skirting, party-loving employee Baloo would use to refer to her -- was but one of many reasons to love the "Jungle Book"-inspired animated pulp period adventure series and Disney Afternoon staple. After years of trying (and failing) to keep the peace between her stubbornly conservative dad and her liberal, holier-than-thou husband Michael as Gloria in "All in the Family," Struthers was an expert in the art of sounding flustered, a talent that served her well on "TalepSpin."
Struthers' distinct, gently raspy vocals would allow her to carve out a career for herself as a voice actor, resulting in roles on...
Struthers' distinct, gently raspy vocals would allow her to carve out a career for herself as a voice actor, resulting in roles on...
- 4/18/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
There's a fine art to ending a great TV series. Agonizing as it was when "The Good Place" and "Succession" recently packed it in after four seasons, it allowed them to go out with an emotional wallop rather than coasting on fumes past their expiration date. Admittedly, with less story-driven shows, it gets trickier. At what point should a comparatively episodic sitcom call it a day? It often comes down to the people involved in making it.
With "All in the Family," the writing was clearly on the wall at the end of season 8. With yet another impressive batch of episodes in the bag (including all-timers like the emotionally explosive "Edith's 50th Birthday"), creator Norman Lear and his team were ready to wind things down. The last two episodes of the season, "The Dinner Guest" and "The Stivics Go West," saw lifelong East Coasters Archie (Carroll O'Connor) and his wife...
With "All in the Family," the writing was clearly on the wall at the end of season 8. With yet another impressive batch of episodes in the bag (including all-timers like the emotionally explosive "Edith's 50th Birthday"), creator Norman Lear and his team were ready to wind things down. The last two episodes of the season, "The Dinner Guest" and "The Stivics Go West," saw lifelong East Coasters Archie (Carroll O'Connor) and his wife...
- 4/8/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Lynn Loring, who appeared as a young actress on Search for Tomorrow, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and The F.B.I. before becoming one of the highest-ranking female executives in Hollywood at the time, has died. She was 80.
Loring died Dec. 23 at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center after a series of chronic illnesses, her son, Chris Thinnes, told The Hollywood Reporter. Her family chose not to make public her death until now.
Loring also acted in a few movies, including Elia Kazan’s Splendor in the Grass (1961), Pressure Point (1962) and, alongside then-husband Roy Thinnes, Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969).
When she was 7, Loring joined the new CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow in September 1951 for the first of its 35 seasons. She would portray Patti Barron, daughter of Mary Stuart’s Joanne Gardner, for a decade until she graduated from the Calhoun School for Girls and entered Barnard College...
Loring died Dec. 23 at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center after a series of chronic illnesses, her son, Chris Thinnes, told The Hollywood Reporter. Her family chose not to make public her death until now.
Loring also acted in a few movies, including Elia Kazan’s Splendor in the Grass (1961), Pressure Point (1962) and, alongside then-husband Roy Thinnes, Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969).
When she was 7, Loring joined the new CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow in September 1951 for the first of its 35 seasons. She would portray Patti Barron, daughter of Mary Stuart’s Joanne Gardner, for a decade until she graduated from the Calhoun School for Girls and entered Barnard College...
- 4/2/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael/Mike "Meathead" Stivic (Rob Reiner) called for a very particular type of performance. Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law on "All in the Family" was the progressive foil to the Bunkers' bigoted paterfamilias, a member of the Baby Boomer counterculture (back when that was a thing) who rallied against the conservative Greatest Generation beliefs championed by Archie. But at the same time, Mike was one of those well-educated liberal white guys who still struggled to recognize his own ingrained prejudices -- particularly when it came to the women in his life -- and was often guilty of being more concerned with feeling morally superior than figuring out how to actually bring about the social change he professed to want.
Reiner would eventually prove himself capable of handling this knot of contradictions, but it took him a couple of tries, much like "All in the Family" itself. As he once recalled...
Reiner would eventually prove himself capable of handling this knot of contradictions, but it took him a couple of tries, much like "All in the Family" itself. As he once recalled...
- 3/31/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Note: this article contains detailed discussions of sexual assault.
Norman Lear's seminal sitcom "All in the Family" was known for bringing laughs and thought-provoking discussions, but a 1977 episode entitled "Edith's 50th Birthday" was an outlier. Instead of a comedy, the two-parter felt like a horror show, one with a gravely serious topic: rape. In it, family matriarch Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) survives a harrowing, extended assault attempt by a stranger and is forced to muddle through the aftermath of intense trauma. It's a dark point for the series, but it's one that show creator Lear said elicited the strongest live-action response of any moment in the show's nine-season run.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Lear (who died at the age of 101 in 2023) was asked to recall the biggest audience uproar in the show's history. "I never heard a bigger sound on television than when Edith got...
Norman Lear's seminal sitcom "All in the Family" was known for bringing laughs and thought-provoking discussions, but a 1977 episode entitled "Edith's 50th Birthday" was an outlier. Instead of a comedy, the two-parter felt like a horror show, one with a gravely serious topic: rape. In it, family matriarch Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) survives a harrowing, extended assault attempt by a stranger and is forced to muddle through the aftermath of intense trauma. It's a dark point for the series, but it's one that show creator Lear said elicited the strongest live-action response of any moment in the show's nine-season run.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Lear (who died at the age of 101 in 2023) was asked to recall the biggest audience uproar in the show's history. "I never heard a bigger sound on television than when Edith got...
- 3/31/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
In the "All in the Family" episode "Gloria Sings the Blues", Archie (Carroll O'Connor) wakes up Michael (Rob Reiner) so that they may leave for a fishing trip. In his usual cantankerous fashion, Archie berates Michael for sleeping in and begins to explain the importance of leaving on time. Michael idly puts on his shoes ... but something is awry. Archie stops Michael, noticing that he has put a sock and a shoe on his left foot before putting a sock on his right foot. Archie is perturbed. This faux pas will not stand. "Don't you know," he says, "the whole world puts on a sock and a sock and a shoe and a shoe?" Defensively, Michael says "I like to take care of one foot at a time!"
They then have a whole conversation as to whether or not "sock-sock-shoe-shoe" is "correct," or if "sock-shoe-sock-shoe" is correct. It's a nitpicking...
They then have a whole conversation as to whether or not "sock-sock-shoe-shoe" is "correct," or if "sock-shoe-sock-shoe" is correct. It's a nitpicking...
- 3/23/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Eight years before "Saturday Night Live" started stirring up trouble for NBC, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" was the counterculture bane of CBS' programming existence. And unlike the surprisingly game gang at 30 Rockefeller Center, the suits at the Eye (that's the nickname for CBS' logo) could not be mollified by high ratings.
The enmity between CBS and Smothers was forged by a perfect confluence of time and content. When the variety show premiered on February 5, 1967, the United States was waging two very different wars on two geographically inconvenient fronts. The country had just entered its second year of full-on, boots-on-the-ground combat in Vietnam, and though a slim majority still supported the conflict, the nation's youth weren't keen on getting drafted to fight an enemy that didn't pose an immediate physical threat to America. This unease dovetailed with the unrest at home: anti-war protests, the ongoing Civil Rights Movement, and a...
The enmity between CBS and Smothers was forged by a perfect confluence of time and content. When the variety show premiered on February 5, 1967, the United States was waging two very different wars on two geographically inconvenient fronts. The country had just entered its second year of full-on, boots-on-the-ground combat in Vietnam, and though a slim majority still supported the conflict, the nation's youth weren't keen on getting drafted to fight an enemy that didn't pose an immediate physical threat to America. This unease dovetailed with the unrest at home: anti-war protests, the ongoing Civil Rights Movement, and a...
- 3/22/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Seven years ago, Donald Glover won his first two Emmys, Best Comedy Actor and Best Comedy Directing for “Atlanta.” While he missed out on nominations last year for the final season of his FX series — he did receive a writing bid for “Swarm” — Glover is back in the hunt this cycle with “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Inspired by the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie film of the same name, the spy series is competing in drama, which means Glover could become just the second man and third person to win lead Emmys in comedy and drama.
Carroll O’Connor is thus far the only male performer to have achieved this, having pocketed a record-setting four Best Comedy Actor Emmys for “All in the Family” in 1972 and three in a row from 1977-79 before adding a Best Drama Actor statuette for “In the Heat of the Night” in 1989. The only other member...
Carroll O’Connor is thus far the only male performer to have achieved this, having pocketed a record-setting four Best Comedy Actor Emmys for “All in the Family” in 1972 and three in a row from 1977-79 before adding a Best Drama Actor statuette for “In the Heat of the Night” in 1989. The only other member...
- 3/19/2024
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Before "All in the Family" became one of the most groundbreaking sitcoms of all time, it was a non-starter with two failed pilot episodes and counting. The first, titled "Justice For All," was taped 3 years before the original show's run and featured a cast including Carol O'Conner and Jean Stapleton, who would go on to play married couple Archie and Edith Bunker in the final version of the show. The actors playing the Bunker family's daughter Edith and son-in-law Michael were different, though, played by Kelly Jean Peters ("Cagney & Lacey") and Tim McIntire ("Soap"), whose character was initially named Richard.
O'Conner explained in his memoir "I Think I'm Outta Here" that he largely rewrote the original pilot script himself, and the pilot was recorded in New York in October 1968. According to a Time Magazine 50th anniversary retrospective by Daniel S. Levy, network execs weren't pleased with the casting choices for...
O'Conner explained in his memoir "I Think I'm Outta Here" that he largely rewrote the original pilot script himself, and the pilot was recorded in New York in October 1968. According to a Time Magazine 50th anniversary retrospective by Daniel S. Levy, network execs weren't pleased with the casting choices for...
- 3/17/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
In the "All in the Family" episode "Archie the Hero", the bigoted Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) saves the life of an unconscious woman in the back of his taxicab by giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Later, the woman, Beverly Lasalle (Lori Shannon) comes to Archie's place to thank him for his good deed, and Archie is surprised to learn that she was, in fact, a man in women's clothing. Archie -- as was the central shtick of "All in the Family" -- must struggle through his bigotry and come to terms with the fact that he, gasp, put his mouth on another man's mouth. Lori Shannon, incidentally, was the drag queen persona of standup comedian Don Seymour McLean, a celebrity in the comedy scene until his death in 1984.
In "Archie the Hero," Edith (Jean Stapleton) immediately loves Beverly, and the two become fast friends. Archie is still an a-hole about...
In "Archie the Hero," Edith (Jean Stapleton) immediately loves Beverly, and the two become fast friends. Archie is still an a-hole about...
- 3/16/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
There wasn't a more popular or influential (or controversial) sitcom in the 1970s than "All in the Family." Created by Norman Lear, the series was a stingingly hilarious satire of American attitudes as the country adjusted to the post-Civil Rights Movement era and coped with the increasingly unpopular Vietnam War.
The genius of "All in the Family" was Lear's ability to make every single one of his main characters behave ridiculously without becoming full-on caricatures. Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) was an unrepentant bigot, his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) was a well-meaning ditz, his daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) was a work-in-progress idealist who went from dopey to fairly sharp as the series progressed, and his son-in-law Michael "Meathead" Stivic represented everything Archie hated about liberals in one preachy package. We all saw a bit of ourselves and the people we have no choice but to call family in the Bunkers, and...
The genius of "All in the Family" was Lear's ability to make every single one of his main characters behave ridiculously without becoming full-on caricatures. Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) was an unrepentant bigot, his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) was a well-meaning ditz, his daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) was a work-in-progress idealist who went from dopey to fairly sharp as the series progressed, and his son-in-law Michael "Meathead" Stivic represented everything Archie hated about liberals in one preachy package. We all saw a bit of ourselves and the people we have no choice but to call family in the Bunkers, and...
- 3/9/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Rob Reiner is the multi-hyphenate who has excelled both in front of and behind the camera for over 50 years, starting as an actor before moving into directing. Let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films as a director, ranked worst to best.
Reiner was born into the business as the son of performer Estelle Reiner and comedian Carl Reiner, creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” He shot to fame on television with his role as Mike “Meathead” Stivic, the liberal son-in-law to buffoonish bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) on “All in the Family.” The series brought him two Emmys as Best Comedy Supporting Actor (1974 and 1978). His victory, in fact, made the show the first to ever win acting prizes for all four of its leads, with O’Connor and Jean Stapleton prevailing in lead and Sally Struthers in supporting.
He transitioned into filmmaking with the rock...
Reiner was born into the business as the son of performer Estelle Reiner and comedian Carl Reiner, creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” He shot to fame on television with his role as Mike “Meathead” Stivic, the liberal son-in-law to buffoonish bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) on “All in the Family.” The series brought him two Emmys as Best Comedy Supporting Actor (1974 and 1978). His victory, in fact, made the show the first to ever win acting prizes for all four of its leads, with O’Connor and Jean Stapleton prevailing in lead and Sally Struthers in supporting.
He transitioned into filmmaking with the rock...
- 3/1/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
“Good Times,” which celebrates its 50th anniversary on Feb. 8, suffered from an identity crisis during its six-season run on CBS. So much so, the lead actors — Esther Rolle and John Amos — would leave the popular second spinoff of ‘All in the Family”(Rolle would eventually return) because the sitcom changed focus.
Norman Lear ruled the airwaves in the 1970s. He blew up the conception of a family sitcom in 1971 with the CBS sitcom “All in the Family” which focused on a working class family from Queen lead by the bigoted patriarch Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor). During the first season, Bea Arthur guest starred as Maude, Edith Bunker’s (Jean Stapleton) favorite cousin who was the antithesis of Archie-outspoken, much married, ultra-liberal.
And after a second appearance on “All in the Family,” Arthur got her own series “Maude” in the fall of 1972. The breakout performer on that series was Esther...
Norman Lear ruled the airwaves in the 1970s. He blew up the conception of a family sitcom in 1971 with the CBS sitcom “All in the Family” which focused on a working class family from Queen lead by the bigoted patriarch Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor). During the first season, Bea Arthur guest starred as Maude, Edith Bunker’s (Jean Stapleton) favorite cousin who was the antithesis of Archie-outspoken, much married, ultra-liberal.
And after a second appearance on “All in the Family,” Arthur got her own series “Maude” in the fall of 1972. The breakout performer on that series was Esther...
- 2/8/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Oscar-nominated film director and producer Norman Jewison, who steered the 1967 racial drama “In the Heat of the Night” to a best picture Oscar and also helmed such popular films as “Moonstruck,” “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” and “The Thomas Crown Affair,” as well as film musicals “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Jesus Christ Superstar,” died Saturday at his Los Angeles residence. He was 97.
His film career began with fluffy Doris Day comedies like “The Thrill of It All.” But Jewison’s social conscience began to surface with “In the Heat of the Night” and, later, the labor union drama “F.I.S.T.” and other films focusing on racial tensions such as “A Soldier’s Story” and “The Landlord” (the latter of which he only produced), though he never abandoned comedies and romances.
Jewison had his share of box office hits and was usually attuned to the audience pulse, but did...
His film career began with fluffy Doris Day comedies like “The Thrill of It All.” But Jewison’s social conscience began to surface with “In the Heat of the Night” and, later, the labor union drama “F.I.S.T.” and other films focusing on racial tensions such as “A Soldier’s Story” and “The Landlord” (the latter of which he only produced), though he never abandoned comedies and romances.
Jewison had his share of box office hits and was usually attuned to the audience pulse, but did...
- 1/22/2024
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Ahead of the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, the Television Academy has compiled a list of the 75 Most Impactful TV Moments.
In collaboration with a group of academic professionals, the Television Academy scoured eight decades on television in search of the moments that have made the most impact on viewers, the industry and culture.
Chosen were classic moments (from the late 1940s until the 2020s) of TV’s most beloved programs, as well as news events that brought the U.S. and the world together to watch them in real time. Many of the selected televised events influenced politics and shifted the common wisdom about race, Lgtbq+ representation and more.
At the top of the list is the Apollo 11 moon landing, followed by coverage of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade center and the Beatles’ 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
You can read the entire list here and watch a video compilation above.
In collaboration with a group of academic professionals, the Television Academy scoured eight decades on television in search of the moments that have made the most impact on viewers, the industry and culture.
Chosen were classic moments (from the late 1940s until the 2020s) of TV’s most beloved programs, as well as news events that brought the U.S. and the world together to watch them in real time. Many of the selected televised events influenced politics and shifted the common wisdom about race, Lgtbq+ representation and more.
At the top of the list is the Apollo 11 moon landing, followed by coverage of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade center and the Beatles’ 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
You can read the entire list here and watch a video compilation above.
- 1/12/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
I was about 8 years old when I first met Norman Lear.
My dad, Carl Reiner, was working on Sid Caesar’s Show of Shows and Norman was writing for Colgate Comedy Hour, so they were both in New York. In those days, it was a small world of people who trafficked in sketch comedy. Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart, Dom DeLuise — all these guys and their families would hang out together. My family and Norman’s family used to have summer houses near each other on Fire Island, and Norman had a daughter, Ellen, who was around my age, so we used to play together.
One day Ellen and I were playing jacks — I was teaching her how, explaining the rules, showing her what to do. Norman came over to watch and he started to laugh. Apparently, I was teaching her in a funny way, which he found hysterical. And he...
My dad, Carl Reiner, was working on Sid Caesar’s Show of Shows and Norman was writing for Colgate Comedy Hour, so they were both in New York. In those days, it was a small world of people who trafficked in sketch comedy. Mel Brooks, Larry Gelbart, Dom DeLuise — all these guys and their families would hang out together. My family and Norman’s family used to have summer houses near each other on Fire Island, and Norman had a daughter, Ellen, who was around my age, so we used to play together.
One day Ellen and I were playing jacks — I was teaching her how, explaining the rules, showing her what to do. Norman came over to watch and he started to laugh. Apparently, I was teaching her in a funny way, which he found hysterical. And he...
- 12/11/2023
- by Rob Reiner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The great Norman Lear died on Dec. 5 at the age of 101. Over his eight-decade career in showbiz, the television wizard developed more than 100 shows, many of which presented a more idealistic vision for America: All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Diff’rent Strokes. Lear’s shows tackled hot-button issues — including racism, sexuality, misogyny, and abortion with brutal honesty — thrusting important conversations into the cultural zeitgeist, while remaining entertaining and funny.
There will never be another Norman Lear, and on the day of his death,...
There will never be another Norman Lear, and on the day of his death,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
Usually, if you’re a news organization that deals in entertainment, you have material prepared in advance to honor icons of your industry – an obituary, an appreciation, something. But I didn’t prepare anything about Norman Lear even as he passed his 100th birthday last year and then his 101st this past July because it seemed inconceivable he could ever die. He would just glide around beneath his signature porkpie hat forever, reassuring the masses that everything was right with the world because he was still in it.
But now that Lear is gone – he died Tuesday night in his sleep – it’s time to give the man who produced “All in the Family,” and “Sanford and Son,” and “The Jeffersons,” and “Maude,” and “Good Times,” and “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and “One Day at a Time” his due. The thing is, it’s not really possible to adequately describe...
But now that Lear is gone – he died Tuesday night in his sleep – it’s time to give the man who produced “All in the Family,” and “Sanford and Son,” and “The Jeffersons,” and “Maude,” and “Good Times,” and “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” and “One Day at a Time” his due. The thing is, it’s not really possible to adequately describe...
- 12/6/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
With the passing of Norman Lear at the age of 101, we bid a fond farewell to one of the most important figures in the history of not just sitcoms, but television as a medium. TV shows that dared to address real-world problems were not unheard of when Lear came to fame by creating "All in the Family" in 1971 ("The Twilight Zone" had already existed for over a decade). However, they were very much the exceptions to the rule. Sitcoms, in particular, were overwhelmingly white, heterosexual, and conservative in their outlook, steering clear of any topic that could be considered even remotely controversial or polarizing.
Lear, of course, recognized this facade for what it was. In his autobiography "Even This I Get to Experience," the multi-hyphenate rightly dismisses the idea that his first big hit sitcom was any more "political" than other shows airing at the time. In his own words:...
Lear, of course, recognized this facade for what it was. In his autobiography "Even This I Get to Experience," the multi-hyphenate rightly dismisses the idea that his first big hit sitcom was any more "political" than other shows airing at the time. In his own words:...
- 12/6/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Prolific television producer Norman Lear has died at the age of 101. Lear, who forever changed TV by infusing his sitcoms with social and political commentary, died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles, a spokesperson for his family confirmed early Wednesday.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1922, Lear fought in World War II before moving to Los Angeles, where he began a career as a comedy writer. He worked steadily throughout the 1950s and '60s, writing for variety shows and producing specials, but his big break came later in the decade, when he and producing partner Bud Yorkin began developing a pilot about a narrow-minded bigot named Archie Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor) and his family.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1922, Lear fought in World War II before moving to Los Angeles, where he began a career as a comedy writer. He worked steadily throughout the 1950s and '60s, writing for variety shows and producing specials, but his big break came later in the decade, when he and producing partner Bud Yorkin began developing a pilot about a narrow-minded bigot named Archie Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor) and his family.
- 12/6/2023
- by Claire Spellberg Lustig
- Primetimer
Norman Lear, the pioneering television producer, screenwriter, and activist who shaped the face of sitcoms as we know them, has died. The six-time Emmy winner who was the creative force behind shows like "All in the Family," "Maude," and "The Jeffersons" was 101 years old. He died of natural causes. Lear's official Instagram account posted the following message:
It is with profound sadness and love that we announce the passing of Norman Lear, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Norman passed away peacefully on December 5, 2023, surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end.Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But it was people—those he just met and those he knew for decades—who kept...
It is with profound sadness and love that we announce the passing of Norman Lear, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Norman passed away peacefully on December 5, 2023, surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end.Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But it was people—those he just met and those he knew for decades—who kept...
- 12/6/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Television pioneer Norman Lear died Tuesday at the age of 101. The TV creator was associated with a bevy of family comedies throughout the 1970s, namely “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son,” and “The Jeffersons.”
Lear died of “natural causes,” his reps said in a media release shared with IndieWire. A private service for immediate family will be held.
“It is with profound sadness and love that we announce the passing of Norman Lear, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather,” a family statement, posted to Lear’s official social-media accounts, reads. “Norman passed away peacefully on December 5, 2023, surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end.”
“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him,” the statement continued. “He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But...
Lear died of “natural causes,” his reps said in a media release shared with IndieWire. A private service for immediate family will be held.
“It is with profound sadness and love that we announce the passing of Norman Lear, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather,” a family statement, posted to Lear’s official social-media accounts, reads. “Norman passed away peacefully on December 5, 2023, surrounded by his family as we told stories and sang songs until the very end.”
“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him,” the statement continued. “He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music. But...
- 12/6/2023
- by Kristen Lopez and Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Norman Lear, the groundbreaking TV producer who smashed boundaries with politicized sitcoms such as All in the Family, helped diversify network television with shows The Jeffersons and Good Times, and used the half-hour comedy to address social issues and taboo, hot-button topics, died Tuesday at his Los Angeles home. He was 101. Lear’s rep, Lara Bergthold, confirmed his death to The New York Times.
“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him,” his family wrote in a statement. “He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning,...
“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him,” his family wrote in a statement. “He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning,...
- 12/6/2023
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Norman Lear, the writer, producer and citizen activist who coalesced topical conflict and outrageous comedy in such wildly popular sitcoms as All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and The Jeffersons, has died. He was 101.
Lear died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by his family who, according to a statement on his official Instagram account, sang songs until the very end.
“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music,” read the post. “But it was people — those he just met and those he knew for decades — who kept his mind and heart forever young. As we celebrate his legacy and reflect on the next chapter of life without him, we would like to thank everyone for all the love and support.
Lear died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by his family who, according to a statement on his official Instagram account, sang songs until the very end.
“Norman lived a life in awe of the world around him. He marveled at his cup of coffee every morning, the shape of the tree outside his window, and the sounds of beautiful music,” read the post. “But it was people — those he just met and those he knew for decades — who kept his mind and heart forever young. As we celebrate his legacy and reflect on the next chapter of life without him, we would like to thank everyone for all the love and support.
- 12/6/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sitcoms are among some of the most beloved TV shows ever made. Unlike respected premium drama series like "The Wire," "Breaking Bad," or "True Detective," which regularly top lists of the greatest TV shows ever made, shows like "Friends," "Seinfeld," "Cheers," and "The Office" are beloved in a way that feels a lot more personal. Sitcoms are feel-good experiences, even when they're shows about nothing, and are the exact opposite of David Fincher's intense thrillers.
Which is why I can't shake the feeling that the auteur is making fun of himself with his latest effort. As /Film's Chris Evangelista wrote in his review of "The Killer," "I'm not saying Fincher is on the same level as a cold-blooded killer, but he clearly sees a lot of himself (and his approach to his work) in his latest protagonist." But if the director was trying to draw this parallel between the...
Which is why I can't shake the feeling that the auteur is making fun of himself with his latest effort. As /Film's Chris Evangelista wrote in his review of "The Killer," "I'm not saying Fincher is on the same level as a cold-blooded killer, but he clearly sees a lot of himself (and his approach to his work) in his latest protagonist." But if the director was trying to draw this parallel between the...
- 11/25/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The television business has a lot to be thankful for, if the number of Thanksgiving episodes it has churned out over the years is any indication.
One of the most memorable for many people revolves around turkeys and their inability to fly. Wkrp in Cincinnati’s 1978 episode “Turkeys Away,” is about a misguided promotion that included live turkeys being dropped over the city from a helicopter. Let’s just say, the ensuing chaos delivered hilarity that still stands up nearly 44 years after that first airing.
Sitcoms have been feasting on holiday fare for decades. All in the Family took a serious turn in 1975 with “The Little Atheist,“ in which Carroll O’Connor and Rob Reiner’s characters — Archie and Mike — argue about the religious upbringing of baby Joey.
More recently shows have made Thanksgiving offerings an annual affair. Friends did 10 Thanksgiving episodes, one for each year the show ran, and Everybody Loves Raymond aired eight.
One of the most memorable for many people revolves around turkeys and their inability to fly. Wkrp in Cincinnati’s 1978 episode “Turkeys Away,” is about a misguided promotion that included live turkeys being dropped over the city from a helicopter. Let’s just say, the ensuing chaos delivered hilarity that still stands up nearly 44 years after that first airing.
Sitcoms have been feasting on holiday fare for decades. All in the Family took a serious turn in 1975 with “The Little Atheist,“ in which Carroll O’Connor and Rob Reiner’s characters — Archie and Mike — argue about the religious upbringing of baby Joey.
More recently shows have made Thanksgiving offerings an annual affair. Friends did 10 Thanksgiving episodes, one for each year the show ran, and Everybody Loves Raymond aired eight.
- 11/23/2023
- by David Morgan and Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
With Phil Dunster’s supporting comedy actor nomination for “Ted Lasso” on Friday, the much-decorated Apple TV+ series is now in some rare and esteemed company in having each of its original regular cast members honored with at least a single Emmy nod. Only seven other major shows in television history can make a similar claim: “All in the Family,” “Cheers,” “The Golden Girls,” “Seinfeld,” “Sex and the City,” “Will & Grace” and “Schitt’s Creek.”
Here are the eight nominated performers for “Lasso”: Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, Nick Mohammed, Jeremy Swift, Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham, Brendan Hunt and now Dunster.
See‘Jury Duty,’ James Marsden, Harrison Ford, other surprises at the 2023 Emmy nominations
The other shows with Emmy nominations for all of its original cast members stack up as follows:
“All in the Family”: Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers
“Cheers”: Ted Danson, Shelley Long,...
Here are the eight nominated performers for “Lasso”: Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, Nick Mohammed, Jeremy Swift, Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham, Brendan Hunt and now Dunster.
See‘Jury Duty,’ James Marsden, Harrison Ford, other surprises at the 2023 Emmy nominations
The other shows with Emmy nominations for all of its original cast members stack up as follows:
“All in the Family”: Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers
“Cheers”: Ted Danson, Shelley Long,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Scroll through our photo gallery to see our official 2023 Emmy predictions for Best Comedy Actor. As the star of Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso,” Jason Sudeikis is tipped to win a third consecutive Best Comedy Actor Emmy trophy. He does, however, face a serious challenge from Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Jeremy Allen White (FX’s “The Bear”), who is running first in the race according to Gold Derby’s odds.
Sudeikis would follow Don Adams (“Get Smart”), Carroll O’Connor (“All in the Family”), and Michael J. Fox (“Family Ties”) as the fourth man to take this prize three times in a row. If “Ted Lasso” doesn’t end up returning for a fourth season, he will be the only one in the group with a perfect track record.
Aside from White, this lineup also includes his fellow first-timer, Jason Segel (Apple TV+’s “Shrinking...
Sudeikis would follow Don Adams (“Get Smart”), Carroll O’Connor (“All in the Family”), and Michael J. Fox (“Family Ties”) as the fourth man to take this prize three times in a row. If “Ted Lasso” doesn’t end up returning for a fourth season, he will be the only one in the group with a perfect track record.
Aside from White, this lineup also includes his fellow first-timer, Jason Segel (Apple TV+’s “Shrinking...
- 7/18/2023
- by Paul Sheehan and Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Scroll through our photo gallery to see our official 2023 Emmy predictions for Best Comedy Actor. As the star of Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso,” Jason Sudeikis is tipped to win a third consecutive Best Comedy Actor Emmy trophy. He does, however, face a serious challenge from Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Jeremy Allen White (FX’s “The Bear”), who is running first in the race according to Gold Derby’s odds.
Sudeikis would follow Don Adams (“Get Smart”), Carroll O’Connor (“All in the Family”), and Michael J. Fox (“Family Ties”) as the fourth man to take this prize three times in a row. If “Ted Lasso” doesn’t end up returning for a fourth season, he will be the only one in the group with a perfect track record.
Aside from White, this lineup also includes his fellow first-timer, Jason Segel (Apple TV+’s “Shrinking...
Sudeikis would follow Don Adams (“Get Smart”), Carroll O’Connor (“All in the Family”), and Michael J. Fox (“Family Ties”) as the fourth man to take this prize three times in a row. If “Ted Lasso” doesn’t end up returning for a fourth season, he will be the only one in the group with a perfect track record.
Aside from White, this lineup also includes his fellow first-timer, Jason Segel (Apple TV+’s “Shrinking...
- 7/18/2023
- by Paul Sheehan and Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Nowadays, there are a lot of great start-to-finish LGBTQ TV shows, from reality shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” to comedies like “The Other Two.” But just because a show isn’t always gay, doesn’t mean it’s never gay.
When gay characters started popping up on television sporadically in the ’70s and early ’80s, they were largely one-episode wonders, with their sexualities serving as plot fodder for the regular, straight cast members to grapple with. One of, if not the first, gay characters on television came in the fifth episode of Norman Lear’s “All in the Family,” which focused on main character Archie (Carroll O’Connor) learning that one of his former college friends is gay. Other sitcoms that followed “All in the Family” utilized similar one episode plots: a 1976 episode of “The Bob Newhart Show” saw the main character trying to curb prejudice in a therapy group when a member came out.
When gay characters started popping up on television sporadically in the ’70s and early ’80s, they were largely one-episode wonders, with their sexualities serving as plot fodder for the regular, straight cast members to grapple with. One of, if not the first, gay characters on television came in the fifth episode of Norman Lear’s “All in the Family,” which focused on main character Archie (Carroll O’Connor) learning that one of his former college friends is gay. Other sitcoms that followed “All in the Family” utilized similar one episode plots: a 1976 episode of “The Bob Newhart Show” saw the main character trying to curb prejudice in a therapy group when a member came out.
- 6/27/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
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