Norman Lear to Launch Free Weekly Podcast About Comedy, Current Events
Legendary TV producer Norman Lear is getting behind the microphone for an all-new weekly podcast slated to debut next week.
Lear, creator of such iconic American sitcoms as “All In The Family,” “Good Times,” “One Day at a Time,” and “The Jeffersons,” will cover a wide range of topics on the podcast, produced by PodcastOne. The 94-year-old will discuss everything from comedy to family, as well as current events, music, politics, and social issues on the show. Lear will be joined each week by friend, actor and composer Paul Hipp.
The free podcast, “All of the Above with Norman Lear,” will debut May 1, with new episodes available every Monday on PodcastOne.com, the PodcastOne app and iTunes. Initial guests for “All of the Above with Norman Lear” include Amy Poehler, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerrod Carmichael and America Ferrera.
“Circling 95, I wanted to wait until half my life was over to launch a podcast,” Lear quipped. “Whatever my age, I think of myself as your peer — whatever your age. Subscribe, and see if you don’t agree.”
Lear, besides writing, producing, creating or developing more than 100 TV shows, founded liberal advocacy group People for the American Way. The World War II vet also once purchased an original copy of the Declaration of Independence and took it across all 50 states for 10 years. More recently, Lear launched a reboot of “One Day at a Time” on Netflix featuring a Latino family led by a female Army veteran.
“I have known and admired Norman for a very long time,” PodcastOne founder and executive chairman Norman Pattiz, who previously founded radio giant Westwood One, said in a statement. “Having his podcast on our PodcastOne network is gigantic, not to mention totally cool. From one Norman to another, ‘Welcome aboard.'”
PodcastOne’s lineup currently comprises more than 200 podcasts, including those hosted by Adam Carolla, Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Austin, Heather and Terry Dubrow, Dan Patrick, Laila Ali, Dr. Drew and Neil Strauss.
Get more from Variety and Variety411: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
