My Norman Lear story begins at Metromedia Square where I finally landed a much coveted job as a studio page. These jobs were said to be our gateway into show biz land and, gratefully, the legend proved true for me.
At Metro-Tape, (Sunset and Van Ness) I was a studio page for The John Davidson Talk Show, Gimme A Break, The Family Ties pilot, numerous telethons and all of that year’s Norman Lear sit-coms, including Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, One Day At A Time, and The Jeffersons, where a girl named Louise quickly and proudly earns the nickname, Weezy.
I was a page for one year during which the entertainment industry dreams of a kid from suburban Buffalo were realized every day I drove my silver Honda hatchback onto the studio lot.
I was responsible for seating the studio audiences, running errands (James Brown needed clear nail polish before he would sing on the Davidson Show. I found some,) and filling in where needed in offices around the lot.
At Christmas, I received a free turkey coupon from Metro-Tape, (Not a great gift fit for me and my toaster oven) and one state-of-the-art Dustbuster from Norman Lear. Yes, his Christmas list extended to include the studio pages. The dust-buster went to my cousin Trish as the maid’s room I inhabited offered only one electrical outlet. She reports that it can still bust the hell out of some dust.
Within a year, I was offered a job at PM Magazine which led to writing for Rick Dees and co-founding Premiere Radio. One of my many privileges at Premiere was interviewing celebrities, which led to one day, years later, a chance to speak with Mr. Lear about his new sit-com, The Powers That Be.
Despite the opportunity to properly thank him for my Dustbuster, It was not going well. I had run through any questions I may have prepared and was beginning to think that he really did not like me when he suddenly began interviewing me.
Where was I from? What did my job consist of? Did I hope to become an actor? I told him that I wanted to write sit-coms. He asked me to send him a script.
Wow. That turned quickly. A friend and I wrote a spec script for The Powers That Be. We were called in to meet the producers. It was there that Mr. Lear pulled me aside and said, “What have you written by yourself?” My spec scripts were stale so I went home and wrote a Seinfeld spec and sent it in. I then received a phone call from Norman Lear who said, “You don’t need to write with anyone else.” OH. MY. GOD!
I was called in to pitch story ideas for The Powers That Be. My memories of this are quite vivid. I’m sitting around a conference table with maybe 15 people. One of them keeps falling asleep. I’m boring him. I better rush. Norman Lear asks me why I’m talking so fast. I can’t point and say, “Because that guy is asleep,” so I slow down. Another fellow is listening to each of my story ideas, nodding and then offering, “We did that on Maude.” OH. MY. GOD! How did I arrive in this room with these people! Astonishing.
About a week later, The Powers That Be was cancelled by NBC with episodes yet to air. You should know that David Hyde Pierce and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were on this show. Two of our finest three named actors! Also, John Forsyth, and Holland Taylor! What the hell, NBC! Also, the show brilliantly skewered modern D.C. politics, featuring a Senator, his anorexic daughter and her suicidal congressman husband. So good.
This is one tiny window into how Norman Lear walked through life. He was consistently sharing his great gift and offering opportunities to the next generation.
Having him and his important voice here on Earth with us for 101 years has been a lesson and a blessing. Mr. Lear, we are so very grateful.
