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Norman Lear’s best TV shows, including 'All in the Family,' 'The Jeffersons' and more, plus how to watch them
Norman Lear died Tuesday at the age of 101. The award-winning writer, director and producer helped shape sitcom TV into what it is today and is responsible for several hit shows including All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, Sanford and Son, Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. In 1999, the TV legend was presented with the National Medal of Arts by then-President Bill Clinton, who summed up Lear's impact beautifully when he said, “Norman Lear has held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it.”
Lear also worked on the big screen from time to time, with writing credits on Come Blow Your Horn (1963); The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968); The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1971); Stand by Me (1986) and The Princess Bride (1987). But there’s no denying that sitcom television is where the six-time Emmy winner truly shone. To celebrate the life of Norman Lear, here’s a look at his most popular shows (and where you can watch them).
Where to watch Norman Lear's most popular shows
In honor of Lear's life, Pluto TV will be airing marathons of some of his work across multiple channels starting tonight, starting at 7 p.m. ET. So you can tune in totally free to All in the Family on Pluto's Classic TV Families, Maude on Classic TV Comedy and Sanford & Son followed by The Jeffersons on Black Classics.
All in the Family (1971)
Adapted from the British sitcom Till Death Us Do Part, All in the Family is a groundbreaking sitcom that tackled topics that had been previously unseen on TV, such as racism, homosexuality, religion, abortion, sexual assault and the Vietnam War, through the lens of a working class family in Queens, N.Y. Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner star in the series, which was at one point the most watched show in the United States.
All in the Family wasn’t just Norman Lear’s first big success, it was also the source material for several popular spinoffs, including Maude and The Jeffersons.
You can find certain episodes of the hit series on YouTube, and All in the Family is streaming free with ads on Amazon's Freevee.
Sanford and Son (1972)
A polar opposite father-and-son duo run a "junk shop" together in South Central Los Angeles. Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson star. All six seasons of Sanford and Son are currently streaming on Peacock.
Maude (1972)
The first spinoff of All in the Family follows Maude, Edith Bunker's favorite cousin. Bea Arthur stars as the titular, outspokenly liberal (and often grating) character. Bill Macy stars as her husband. You can stream all six seasons of Maude free on Pluto TV — and find some episodes on YouTube.
The Jeffersons (1975)
Technically another spinoff of All in the Family, The Jeffersons follows George and Louise Jefferson as they relocate from Queens to a high-rise in Manhattan after the booming success of their dry cleaning business. Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Marla Gibbs, Roxie Roker and Franklin Cover star.
Despite The Jeffersons being one of the longest-running sitcoms in history, not every season is available on a streaming platform, but you can buy seasons 5 and 6 on Amazon and find full episodes on Youtube.
One Day at a Time (1975)
A newly divorced mother relocates her family and struggles to raise her teen daughters on her own. Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli star. Seasons 6 and 7 of One Day at a Time are currently streaming free on Pluto TV. Seasons 7 and 8 are also streaming free on Tubi. You can buy more seasons of the series on Amazon. One Day at a Time was also remade by Netflix in 2017 and ran for four seasons.
Stream on Pluto Stream on Tubi Buy on Amazon
Diff’rent Strokes (1978)
A rich, white Park Avenue widower decides to take in his recently deceased housekeeper's two young Black sons from Harlem. Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, Dana Plato and Charlotte Rae star. Not every season of Diff'rent Strokes is available to stream (or even purchase) online, but you can watch Seasons 5 and 6 free on Tubi (and you can also find full episodes on YouTube).
The Facts of Life (1979)
A spinoff series of Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life follows four teen girls in the care of the Drummond's former housekeeper, Edna. Charlotte Rae stars in all nine seasons of the series. You can stream all of The Facts of Life free on Tubi.
Bonus: Live in Front of a Studio Audience (2019)
Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel team up for two TV specials in the Live in Front of a Studio Audience series, in which an all-star cast re-creates beloved sitcom episodes from the '70s and '80s. Jamie Foxx, Woody Harrelson, Martin Short, Ellie Kemper, Will Ferrell, Kerry Washington, Tiffany Haddish, Jon Stewart, John Lithgow, Snoop Dogg are among the stars who make appearances. Currently there's no place to stream these Live in Front of a Studio Audience specials, but you can find many clips on YouTube.
More Norman Lear shows
While Lear’s career beat the TV odds many a time, he had some slightly less popular and shorter-lived TV series as well.
The Deputy (1959)
The Nancy Walker Show (1976)
Hot L Baltimore (1975)*
All’s Fair (1976)
All That Glitters (1977)
Fernwood 2 Night (1977)
America 2-Night (1978)
Apple Pie (1978)
Archie Bunker's Place (1979) — extension of All in the Family
Good Times (1974)
Palmerstown, U.S.A. (1980)*
a.k.a. Pablo (1984)
The Powers That Be (1992)*
704 Hauser (1994)
*notes producer credit
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