Norman Lear and "The Draft Dodger"

TV Confidential with Ed Robertson

Thursday, Dec. 5 marks the one-year anniversary of the death of television icon Norman Lear. TV Confidential marks the occasion by bringing you this "Blast from the Past" clip from July 2022 in which Ed, Tony, Donna, and writer, producer, and author Jay Moriarty (The Jeffersons, All in the Family, Honky in the House) discuss how “The Draft Dodger,” the controversial episode of All in the Family that originally aired on Christmas Night 1976, was just one example of Lear’s penchant for balancing uproarious comedy with serious topical issues. Jay co-wrote "The Draft Dodger," along with Mike Milligan, while Lear made a small yet significant contribution to that episode. Jay’s memoir, Honky in the House, takes you behind the scenes of not only The Jeffersons, but Norman Lear's company Tandem Productions in general.