Link (http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2009-03-19-lear-collection_N.htm)

It's a box-set hall of fame: The Norman Lear Collection is a 19-disc DVD set featuring the first seasons of All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times, One Day at a Time and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman

(June 9, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $159.95).
Along with hours of featurettes and two All in the Family pilots, the set includes new interviews with Rob Reiner, Bea Arthur, Jimmie Walker, Adrienne Barbeau, Rue McClanahan, Bonnie Franklin and Mackenzie Phillips.

Producer Lear is pleased that such shows as All in the Family, with bigoted Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor), got viewers talking.

"I would get mail by the tens of thousands. Whether they agreed with Archie or disagreed with Archie, what they all said was, 'My father … my mother … my sister … my family … we argued about this, that and the other thing,' " Lear says. "I think conversation about those issues is what our democracy is all about."

Lear credits actors for his success with spinoffs. "I knew (Maude's Bea Arthur) would just kill with Archie," Lear says. Before the show was over, CBS program chief Fred Silverman "was on the phone saying, 'That woman needs a show of her own.' "

All in the Family, Sanford and Son among series in 19-disc box

Link (http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6645367.html?desc=topstory)

MARCH 20 | Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is packing in the complete debut seasons of seven of Norman Lear’s highest-profile series, including All in the Family, Sanford and Son and The Jeffersons, into a 19-disc set streeting June 9.

The Norman Lear Collection (prebook May 7; DVD $159.95) is the first TV on DVD set from Sony to be themed around a single creator.

The featured series also include Maude, Good Times, One Day at a Time and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

Lear was involved in crafting the collection, helping to create six hours of documentaries, featuring mostly new interviews with such series stars as Bea Arthur, Rob Reiner, Rue McClanahan and Bonnie Franklin.

In another highlight, two All in the Family pilots never before released on video—“Those Were the Days” and “And Justice for All”—also are part of the Lear Collection.

Bob Oswaks, Sony Pictures Television’s president of marketing, believes this unique treatment of Lear’s work is necessary, considering his impact on the industry.

“I don’t think you can be a fan or someone working in modern TV that has not had some influence from Norman,” said Oswaks. “He took chances and really was a chronicler of what was going on in people’s lives.”

Sony has long wanted to release a Lear retrospective, starting when the studio first released seasons of Sanford and Son and All in the Family in 2002.

“This has been so long in the making,” said Marc Rashba, Sony VP of marketing. “We started talking about this around the birth of the TV DVD business. We’ve been saving all of these great ideas to later pull them together into a Norman Lear box set.”

Sony is positioning the set as a gift item timed to Father’s Day on June 21 and school graduations.

I'm disappointed that Sony does not see fit to include Mr. Lear's brilliant 'Hot L Baltimore' in this box-set collection.

this is just Sony regurgitating the same material it has already released.

i was disipointed about his underrated one season wonder all's fair not being in the set they should have thrown in a bonus disc or two with eps of sme of his one season wonnders like alls fair hot l baltimore and palmerstown usa

this is just Sony regurgitating the same material it has already released.
Except for the inclusion of both of All in the Family's unaired pilots. TV Land showed one of them but the other has never been broadcast. I very much hope these are given a standalone release because they deserve to be seen and I doubt many people are going to want to shell out $160 just to see those pilots.

Plus, it is always frustrating to see a company issue new bonus features and more or less forcing fans to double dip.

i was disipointed about his underrated one season wonder all's fair not being in the set they should have thrown in a bonus disc or two with eps of sme of his one season wonnders like alls fair hot l baltimore and palmerstown usa
I do agree with that. Those 3 shows were really lost classics that should have lasted longer. I'll add The Powers That Be to that list too. I loved that show.

I do agree with that. Those 3 shows were really lost classics that should have lasted longer. I'll add The Powers That Be to that list too. I loved that show.me too

I would like to see All's Fair.
To pay anything for this set as I already have most of the first seasons :crazy:

the inclusion of the AITF pilots does not justify this outrageous price or set. Those should have been done as AITF extras, esp since we haven't seen the remaining seasons released yet and no word when they will ever come out.

Except for the inclusion of both of All in the Family's unaired pilots. TV Land showed one of them but the other has never been broadcast. I very much hope these are given a standalone release because they deserve to be seen and I doubt many people are going to want to shell out $160 just to see those pilots.

Plus, it is always frustrating to see a company issue new bonus features and more or less forcing fans to double dip.


Why double dip? That's what Netflix is for.

Why double dip? That's what Netflix is for.
I have always been under the impression that Netflix does not offer bonus discs. If they do, though, then that works quite well.

Why Sony, Why? Why don't they just finish releasing AITF and The Jeffersons first!

I have always been under the impression that Netflix does not offer bonus discs. If they do, though, then that works quite well.
yes they do! I've gotten bonus discs from them, where'd you hear that they don't?

yes they do! I've gotten bonus discs from them, where'd you hear that they don't?
I honestly have no idea. It is just something I read or heard somewhere, sometime. Good to know it was bad intel.

the inclusion of the AITF pilots does not justify this outrageous price or set. Those should have been done as AITF extras, esp since we haven't seen the remaining seasons released yet and no word when they will ever come out.

They should have been included on the AITF season one box set. No excuse.

this is just Sony regurgitating the same material it has already released.


Jude, Sony pisses me the F*CK off so much and you are so right. It's the SAME **** that was already released just combined into a set to get more money from fans. OH they get on my f*Cking nerves


Hot L Baltimore would have been a good show to add to the SET

Why Sony, Why? Why don't they just finish releasing AITF and The Jeffersons first!


Exactly, instead of FINISHING the remaining sets, they want to released OLD SH*T

At least each set has new extras now (unaired pilots for AITF, new interviews, etc). But the price is still steep.

At least each set has new extras now (unaired pilots for AITF, new interviews, etc). But the price is still steep.


pav there is no bright side to this release

Fans should not be punished. I'm still ticked at Paramount for doing the Brady Bunch Complete Series Set with all those extras denied to us that bought every single season set.

The nerve of Sony taking advantage of TV fans in this horrible economy with a RE-RELEASE BULLSH*T set.

That also happened with I Love Lucy, MASH, Seinfeld and you know Bewitched complete series is coming right after the 8th season. I stopped buying Bewitched after season 4, anticipating this.

That also happened with I Love Lucy, MASH, Seinfeld and you know Bewitched complete series is coming right after the 8th season. I stopped buying Bewitched after season 4, anticipating this.


And that puts you in a tough situation because even though you stopped buying Bewitched after season 4, if you decided to buy the Complete series set you will still have to buy 4 seasons all over again. Slimy is what I call it

and these companies wonder why the customers are slow to buy the tv dvd sets? We've been burned by them before.