During the 1970's, 's shows were appointment television. ?When All in the Family,? ?The Jeffersons? or any of his other programs were on, you made it a point to be in front of the tube that night. At their peak, his shows were viewed by 120 million people a week.
And they were groundbreaking for the time, dealing with serious issues such as racism, poverty and abortion, yet still leaving audiences with a good laugh. Norman Lear remade TV culture from the ground up. He talks with us about his new book , which recounts his life, career and the extraordinary shows and characters he created.