In other related news, the legendary TV writer-producer's son-in-law Dr. Jonathan LaPook reveals that his family serenaded him with the theme songs from some of his beloved sitcoms in his final moments.
- Dec 8, 2023
AceShowbiz - Jimmy Kimmel couldn't help but get emotional in the latest episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". The late-night TV host teared up when paying tribute to legendary TV writer-producer Norman Lear, who died hours before he filmed the episode at the age of 101.
"Last night at around 7 P.M., we lost not only a giant in the world of television, but a great man who was one of the most important and impressive people I ever had the pleasure of meeting," Jimmy said on Wednesday, December 6 to an empty studio.
Of the late TV icon, the 56-year-old said, "Norman was the genius who brought us some of the greatest television shows and characters of all time." Jimmy then started listing some of Norman's best works, including "All in the Family", "Maude", "Good Times", "The Jeffersons" and "The Facts of Life", before tearfully saying, "It's an incredible list and he was an incredible person."
Jimmy pointed out that Norman "changed situation comedy in the best possible way." He shared, "He taught us so much about so many serious things, always making us laugh while he did it, and everyone who works in or even watches television owes him a great debt. Especially me."
He added, "I was fortunate enough to work with Norman on several projects over the last five years, including live revivals of some of his greatest shows, and I loved him dearly. He was so funny."
He then recalled a witty letter he received from Norman after he and his wife, Molly McNearney, jokingly sent Lear a shirt that read "Norman f***king Lear" for the holidays in 2022. "Norman was 100 when he wrote that. He died last night at 101. 101 years and somehow, it wasn't enough. He leaves behind his wife, Lyn; a beautiful family; and a legacy that won't ever be matched," Jimmy said. "It would be impossible. We were all lucky to have him. I hope we never forget him, or the many the lessons he taught us."
"One of the many, many sweet things about Norman was, he never said goodbye. He'd say, 'To be continued,' and 'over and next.' And so that's how we'll leave it. To be continued, over and next," he concluded.
In other related news, Norman's son-in-law Dr. Jonathan LaPook revealed that his family serenaded him with the theme songs from some of his beloved sitcoms in his final moments. "The family was gathered around the bed, he was very comfortable and resting peacefully, and we did what we knew he would want us to do," Jonathan, who is also a chief medical correspondent for CBS News, said Thursday on CBS Mornings. "We were singing songs from 'Les Mis', which he loved, and also some of the songs from his TV shows."
"You never know when these moments are going to sneak up on you," he added. "I kind of held it together, [but] then we were singing 'movin' on up to the East Side' and I heard myself saying 'to a deluxe apartment in the sky,' I just lost it. Because he's going to some deluxe apartment in the sky."
Jonathan continued, "We wanted him to have a gentle landing and have no pain. If you were to say to someone in their 40s, 'How do you want to die?' [they would probably say,] 'At age 101, surrounded by loved ones, with them singing to me and laughing and without any pain,' and that's exactly what happened. He had this expression: 'Over and next.' When something was over, it's over, and it's onto 'next.' It's the best definition of living in the moment."
