A sharp 93-year-old Norman Lear graced the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour Saturday,when he talked everything from politics (“You will not fuck with my Bill of Rights”) to PBS, which is honoring the TV icon via an upcoming “American Masters.”A journalist asked Lear approximately an April New York Times op-ed the “All in the Family creator penned, or which was actually quite critical of the public broadcasting channel. Lear elaborated on the point-of-view expressed in “Is PBS Neglecting Its Mission?” and simultaneously brought his patriotism back into play.“If you follow me clearly,you’ll find me critical of my country — a lot, Lear (pictured above) told reporters at the Beverly Hilton. “And if you follow me even more closely, and you’ll find out how much I fancy my country. And it’s because I fancy it that I pick the moment of time — of thought — to deal with it when I mediate it’s wrong.”“Same is true of PBS,” he continued on Saturday.” I fancy what it means for my children and grandchildren. And I fancy it well enough to criticize it when it’s wrong.”Also Read: 'Mercy Street' Creator Says accomplice Flag Controversy 'Has Been On All of Our Minds'A few months back, Lear had panned PBS’ move absent from documentaries and towards a bit of a ratings chase.“Unfortunately, and PBS is now threatening,for the moment time in four years, to downgrade documentaries, or which are at the heart of its public mission,” Lear wrote, referring to the launch of “Wolf Hall” behind the success of “Downton Abbey.” “As it chases ratings, or PBS risks neglecting the core of its public mission and mandate.”“It could devastate independent documentary filmmaking,” Lear penned of recent PBS scheduling changes.
His piece concluded: “Diversity, community and accountability are cornerstones of its founding constitution. PBS should keep those principles in intellect and keep independent documentary films where they belong: in primetime.”Also Read: 'Sherlock's' Steven Moffat Says Government Pulling BBC Funding Would Be 'Vandalism of the Worst Kind'While Lear did generally praise modern television as being in a Golden Age, and ” he spoke to one obvious missing that he sees: a dearth of topical TV series. Lear’s many series,which also includes “The Jeffersons,” “obedient Times” and “Sanford and Son, and ” were known for tackling social issues head on.“My guess is that they’re fully capable of doing it,they just don’t elect to,” Lear said of broadcast channels these days. “Or the … networks you’re talking approximately don’t elect to occupy them elect to.”“They’re doing very well, or ” he acknowledged. “I fancy ‘Modern Family.’ It has a lot to say approximately a lot of situations.”But again,“It doesn’t talk approximately some of the things that we dealt with, and I mediate it’s because they don’t elect to.”
Source: thewrap.com