On the Aug. 23 edition of CNBC’s “Binge with Carl Quintanilla,” legendary television producer Norman Lear talks about the legacy of “The Cosby Show” and the creation of “The Jeffersons.”
Lear — known for producing the 1970s sitcoms “Sanford and Son” and “Good Times” — tells the host that the Black Panthers inspired him to create “The Jeffersons.”
After watching “Good Times,” Black Panthers complained that the show’s patriarch had to hold down several jobs to make a living.
They told Lear that they wanted to see Black characters living an affluent lifestyle.
“Originally, the Black Panthers had visited me about ‘Good Times,’ Lear recalls. “… There were Black people doing better than that. It was that pressure to make [George Jefferson] a very successful fellow [owning multiple dry-cleaning stores].”
“The Jeffersons” was a spinoff from another Lear production, “All In The Family.”
Like many of Lear’s sitcoms, “All In The Family” was groundbreaking for tackling social topics like racism in the 70s.
