COVER STORY: Norman Lear won't stop — The TV legend’s new overall deal will last through his 100th birthday (EXCLUSIVE)
Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra. “Whenever I see him, every few weeks, he always asks me, ‘What more can we do? What should we be doing with our library?’”” has become synonymous with smart comedy that doesn’t shy away from real-life social and political issues — shows like “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” both of which were re-created for the first “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” special in May.
Lear went on to produce films such as “The Princess Bride” and “Fried Green Tomatoes,” but took a bit of a hiatus after his 1994 show “704 Hauser,” which centered on a new family in Archie Bunker’s old house, didn’t connect with viewers. In the 2000s, much of his attention was on advocacy and philanthropic work. He and wife Lyn purchased a rare, original copy of the Declaration of Independence and took it on a road tour for much of the next decade.
“He made it possible,” Lorre says. “I don’t know why television as a medium moved away from it for many years. But he showed you that you can put on a television show that’s funny — really funny — and tackle some real issues that affect real people. That was woven into my DNA watching that stuff as I was growing up.”
Calderón Kellett says she didn’t think trying to nail down a Latinx “One Day at a Time” would work, given the dozens of countries and cultures that fall under that banner. She told Lear too many shows that aim to feature Latinx characters usually wind up watered down. “I can’t speak for all West Coast Cubans, but I can tell you my story, and I can be specific with that,” she says she told him. He said, “Well, let’s do that,” and then asked her about her mother.
At the same time, the showrunners were cognizant that they had been handed the keys to the Norman Lear legacy. “It was pressure that we wanted to do right by him,” Calderón Kellett says. “He got in there a lot more early on. And I think we earned his trust. He was able to step back and enjoy it more.”
Vinciquerra, of course, has also found a way to use Lear’s presence to his advantage: “If there’s somebody we want to talk to, I always call Norman and say, ‘Hey, do you know this person?’ If he says yes, he’ll volunteer to send an email to introduce us. Because if you get an endorsement from Norman, that’s a pretty strong one. We don’t want everyone to know our secret weapon, but he’s one of our better salespeople right now.
Sony has a reputation for finding unique ways to bring shows back to life, having revived canceled programs such as “Community,” “Damages” and “Unforgettable,” among others. But “One Day at a Time” posed an unusual challenge, given that its Netflix deal had an airtight stipulation: The show couldn’t move to another streaming or digital platform.
“I never got a letter that found the show distasteful that didn’t wind up saying, ‘I know why you’re doing it.’”“I loved Kimmel for thinking of this and having the guts to do it,” says Lear of the special. Kimmel demurs, saying, “All I did was deliver the pizza; I didn’t make it,” and adding that Lear was instrumental in recruiting the cast, which included Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as Archie and Edith Bunker, and Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes as George and Louise Jefferson.
“Live in Front of a Studio Audience” was a hit, averaging 10.4 million viewers in its initial airing. Next, a holiday special will be broadcast in December. Another one is set for spring 2020. “It’s all a kick,” Lear says. “I can’t get over how successful — how happy — it made people.” “We have so many people coming to us saying, ‘We want to remake this show or that show,’” Vinciquerra says. “Very famous people whose names I won’t use, but they want to redo ‘The Princess Bride.’ Some people want to do animated versions of some of the sitcoms. Not a month goes by when we don’t have an idea coming from some very big name wanting to do things with Norman.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
WarnerMedia has signed a $250-million deal with J.J. Abrams' production company Bad RobotWarnerMedia's five-year output deal with Bad Robot will give WarnerMedia streaming-exclusive original TV series, films, and video games.
Read more »
Toronto: Sony Pictures Classics Buys ‘The Burnt Orange Heresy’ (EXCLUSIVE)Sony Pictures Classics has nabbed the rights to “The Burnt Orange Heresy,” Variety has learned. The indie label plans to release the film in 2020. The Italian-American thriller was dire…
Read more »
Sony Names Andre Seddoh Senior Vice President of International Partnerships, Tine Hansen To Oversee Asia Pacific RegionEXCLUSIVE: In an effort to refine its operations with a global focus, Sony Pictures’ Worldwide Partnerships group has tapped Andre Seddoh as Senior Vice President of International Partnerships, whe…
Read more »
Legend Media Seeks Trio of West Australia-China Co-Productions (EXCLUSIVE)Perth, Australia-based production company Legend Media is preparing a slate of three feature films to be produced with partners in China. The company styles itself as one that recognizes the opport…
Read more »
Rihanna Signs Publishing Deal With Sony/ATV in Reunion With Jon PlattRihanna has signed a worldwide deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, covering the pop superstar’s entire songwriting catalog plus future works.
Read more »
France's Canal+ pairs up with Netflix in pay-TV shiftVivendi's Canal+ has agreed a deal to add Netflix subscriptions to TV bundl...
Read more »