Norman Lear: A Life on Television – An Entertainment Tonight Special

CBS and Entertainment Tonight moved quickly to present the new entertainment special, Norman Lear: A Life on Television. Through Norman Lear’s career creating and producing television series, he had a belief that comedy should also deliver social commentary and perhaps even change lives. Chuck Lorre and Greg Berlanti are among today’s modern producers that have several shows on TV at the same time. However, none have come as close as Lear when it comes to…

"Norman Lear: A Life on Television – An Entertainment Tonight Special"

Norman Lear: Legendary TV Producer Dead at 101

Norman Lear, the legendary producer behind many television series and specials, has died at the age of 101 in Los Angeles. What is there to say about Lear that has not already been said? Many people tuned in for his 100th birthday special in September 2022. Age didn’t slow him down in his final years as he also produced remakes of both One Day at a Time and Good Times. In recent years, there were…

"Norman Lear: Legendary TV Producer Dead at 101"

Being Mary Tyler Moore Is A Definitive Documentary

Being Mary Tyler Moore is a documentary that allows the seven-time Emmy-winning actress to tell her own story through archival footage. Outside of the archival clips featuring Moore speaking with interviewers, James Adolphus takes the smart approach of not using talking heads in the traditional way. While there are a number of voiceover interviews, nobody is seen speaking on camera. Some are for a brief clip while others like James L. Brooks and Jim Burrows…

"Being Mary Tyler Moore Is A Definitive Documentary"

Trigger Warning: USC Norman Lear Center Launches Gun Guidelines

The Hollywood, Health & Society at USC Annenberg’s Norman Lear Center has released Trigger Warning: Gun Guidelines for the Media. The document can be found on the Hollywood, Health & Society’s main landing page and across social media platforms, to help the entertainment industry improve representations of safe and responsible gun use in media. American citizens own four times the amount of guns as the next highly developed country and suffer four times the amount…

"Trigger Warning: USC Norman Lear Center Launches Gun Guidelines"

“Sr.”: An Irreverent Portrait of Robert Downey Sr.

“Sr.”, a documentary about the late filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., follows him in the final years of his life and is a loving tribute. Chances are likely that you’re more familiar with Robert Downey Jr. than his father. Maybe you’re familiar with the filmmaker’s half-brother, Jim Downey, from his work on SNL. In any event, Robert Downey Sr. was making his mark on the American counterculture through his comedy movies in the 1960s and 1970s.…

"“Sr.”: An Irreverent Portrait of Robert Downey Sr."

Lucy and Desi – Sundance 2022

Amy Poehler explores Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s legacy in the new documentary, Lucy and Desi, premiering at Sundance. Sundance audiences will get to watch the film before Amazon Studios releases on Prime Video in March. This film was one of my high priority films going into the festival simply because it’s about sitcom pioneers Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Well, this and the fact that Amy Poehler directs it. I’ve seen her narrative features…

"Lucy and Desi – Sundance 2022"

Sundance 2021: Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided To Go For It is an eye-opening documentary exploring the life of EGOT winner Rita Moreno. Rita Moreno is among the select few to receive the EGOT.  She also is a recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and many more.  The list of honors goes on and on.  But awards are not all there is to her story.  She persevered in the industry…

"Sundance 2021: Rita Moreno"