Jay Moriarty (writer / ep The Jeffersons, "The Draft Dodger" ep All in the Family)

Jay Moriarty joins me to discuss how "All in the Family" changed TV; he and his partner writing a spec AITF and getting turned down; writing the "IQ Test" episode of Good Times; pitching "Louise's Daughter" to The Jeffersons"; getting a staff job; his 2 favorite episodes about MLK's death and the KKK; writing Jeffersons episodes about age discrimination and suicide; the fight to make "Florida's Problem"; how his book, Honkey in the House" is a behind the scenes look at Norman Lear's sitcoms and how to write them; not liking writer's rooms; how writer's thought writing would be like The Dick Van Dyke Show; writing for three camera sitcoms; spec scripts vs. spec pilots; not liking the clip show or the disco episode; the creation of the "Sorry, Wrong Meeting" episode about the KKK; remaking "The Draft Dodger" live in 2021; Bill Cosby not being a writer; every show must have a problem, complication and solution using George's kidney episode as an example; Chuck Lorre writers rooms; using The Jeffersons to educate about CPR and the Heimlich maneuver; James Karen; abilities of the Jeffersons cast; Zara Cully; Louise vs. Mother Jefferson and George v. Florence; the problem with "Checking In"; trying to get Steve Martin; Archie says "God damn"; Joe Biden comes to Norman Lear's shiva; writing for Norman Lear is like a religion; Dear John; Jere Burns; there should be books on writing other shows, such as Taxi or Cheers; Modern Family has two writers rooms; Cheers writers spend hours topping each other on jokes, but not as much goes to story; Back to the Future: The Musical