Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized prime time television with such topical hits as All in the Family and Maude and propelled political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of sitcoms, has died.
He was 101.
Lear died Tuesday night in his sleep, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, said Lara Bergthold, a spokesperson for his family.
A liberal activist with an eye for mainstream entertainment, Lear fashioned bold and controversial comedies that were embraced by TV sitcom viewers who long had to watch the evening news to find out what was going on in the world.
His shows
