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S30 Ep8

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Premiere: 10/24/2016 | 00:02:18 | NR |

Largely responsible for the explosion of bold American television in the 1970s, writer/producer Norman Lear’s name is synonymous with the sitcom. The first documentary about the 94-year-old television legend, "American Masters — Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You," premieres nationwide Tuesday, October 25 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).

About the Episode

Largely responsible for the explosion of bold American television in the 1970s, writer/producer Norman Lear’s name is synonymous with the sitcom. With unprecedented access to Lear, his work and his massive personal archives, American Masters — Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You combines stories from his turbulent childhood and early career with his groundbreaking TV success (All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Maude) and social activism.

The documentary also features colorful stories from Lear’s family, friends and collaborators, including John Amos, George Clooney, Alan Horn, Bill Moyers, Rob Reiner, Phil Rosenthal and Russell Simmons, as well as cinéma vérité moments with Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Jon Stewart, Amy Poehler and Lena Dunham.

Breaking down the fourth wall to create an evocative collage where past and present intermingle, Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp, 12th & Delaware, DETROPIA for Independent Lens) reveal a psychologically rich man whose extraordinary contributions emerge from both his personal story and his own self-professed childlike view of the world. Just Another Version of You traces how a poor Jewish kid from Connecticut started writing for The Colgate Comedy Hour with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, created All in the Family and became one of TV’s most successful showrunners. All character-driven, with theatrical sets and live audiences, Lear’s TV series changed not only the face of national television but the content of national discourse. Bringing provocative subjects like war, poverty and prejudice to 120 million viewers every week, Lear proved that social change was possible through an unlikely prism – laughter – and created some of the greatest moments in television history.

Co-produced by Ewing and Grady’s Loki Films and THIRTEEN’s American Masters series, Just Another Version of You doesn’t shy away from the controversies Lear stirred with his TV series and advocacy organization People For the American Way (PFAW). The documentary also highlights his later years touring the country with the Declaration of Independence and promoting his memoir Even This I Get to Experience, spending time with his tight-knit family, and developing new productions. Just Another Version of You had its world premiere as the Opening Night selection at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

Launched in 1986, American Masters has earned 28 Emmy Awards — including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special — 12 Peabodys, an Oscar, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards and many other honors. The series’ 30th anniversary season on PBS concludes Tuesday, December 27 at 8 p.m. (check local listings) with Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future.

To further explore the lives and works of masters past and present, American Masters offers streaming video of select films, outtakes, filmmaker interviews, educational resources and In Their Own Words: The American Masters Digital Archive: previously unreleased interviews of luminaries discussing America’s most enduring artistic and cultural giants as well as the American Masters Podcast. The series is a production of THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC for WNET and also seen on the WORLD channel.

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TRANSCRIPT

(percussionist playing cadence) (audience applauding) - [Emcee] He has been around approximately forever.

He is 92 years old.

Ladies and gentlemen, Norman Lear.

(audience applauding and cheering) - You know what I like about you, Archie?

- What's that, Maude?

- Nothing.

(audience laughing) - [Mike Wallace] Norman Lear has changed the face of television.

At least 120 million Americans watch Norman Lear shows every week.

- Oh, no sir, Master Jefferson.

You done showed me the way.

- Stop it!

Stop it!

- Say please.

(audience laughing) - Television can be broken into two parts: before Norman and after Norman.

(musical flourish) - This is a period of time where we were at our, probably our greatest change socially.

Mainstream television was one of the last things to jump, and the first person to force it over that hill was Norman.

- "All in the Family" was the greatest.

- Do you have a quick answer for the people who say the show reinforces bigotry- - Yes, my quick answer is no.

- I never said a guy who wears glasses is a queer.

A guy who wears glasses is a four-eyes.

A guy who is a fag is a queer.

- He used to say is too hip for the room.

(jazzy percussion) - [John Amos] There weren't any African Americans on TV at that time, and I didn't wanna disparage a Black family.

- She's the fuse that sets off Kid Dy-no-mite!

(audience laughing) - There are lines that were meant for you to say because you were Black.

- It's time for God's people to come out of the churches and change America.

- I was concerned about what I was seeing on television, mixing politics and religion.

So I thought, I wanna take the flag back for all of us.

- He called me and said, "Guess what.

"I own the Declaration of Independence!"

(chiming) - Laughter, you know, just has to add time.

You know, if lifting weights or running can add time, God, how laughter can add time.

(chuckling) Remember, you heard it here.

♪ Guys like us we had it made ♪ ♪ Those were the days ♪ (audience applauding)

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