Aug 31, 2015 4 min read

Few natives of Washington County had more impact on the entertainment industry than Bud Yorkin. Not performers Perry Como, Bobby Vinton or Ray Anthony. Not composer Ray Livingston. Not television producers Donald Bellisario or Abraham Higginbotham.

While all greatly influenced their genre, they didn’t reinvent its wheelhouse.

Bud Yorkin did.

The Washington native, who died Aug. 18 at age 89, was executive producer of “All in the Family,” among many other groundbreaking series. Symbolically, it was Archie Bunker’s flushing his toilet that signaled a new era of sitcoms. And it was Yorkin who directed that initial episode.

Along with Norman Lear, Yorkin jolted sitcoms into a new, real-world dimension, where characters were political, racist, sexist and didn’t always kiss and make up at the end of 30 minutes. Their lives became entangled in layoffs, menopause, divorce and abortion. Characters didn’t merely have flaws, they embellished them. And some of them died.

In two interviews with Yorkin at the height of his career, he offered tidbits on the philosophy he and his partner had in developing a string of hit series, which also included “Maude,” ‘The Jeffersons,” “Good Times” and “Sanford and Son.”

He also seemed to greatly enjoy reminiscing about Washington, and, later in his career, said he didn’t quite understand why Washington was reluctant to recognize his achievements.

During the first interview in March 1973 – when Yorkin had the No. 1, 2 and 4 television shows in “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son” and “Maude” as well as a new movie, “The Thief Who Came To Dinner” – he seem unaffected by his immense success. Instead, there was this:

“I didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to do when I lived in Washington,” Yorkin said, “although I used to spend my Saturdays watching movies five and six times in the State and Court theaters. I had to go to New York and California to make it in movies and television. Today, kids from Washington can work for their local cable station or get training in high schools and colleges in the surrounding area.”

As for the hit TV series, Yorkin said, “We just try to present something that needs to be said. You can get a point across much better using comedy.”

When asked about the “All in the Family” episode in which a Jewish Defense League member is killed, Yorkin said, “He had to die. The show was built on the violence, and it had to end with violence. You can incorporate that into a comedy show if you do it right. … I have a big enough ego to know that we know how to do it right.”

Three years later, Yorkin was ready to leave television in favor of movies. He didn’t know it at the time, but a show he was preparing for a short summer run – “What’s Happening” – would delay that departure. Yorkin had called me for an impromptu conversation simply to clarify why he was considering opting out of TV and why he had professionally parted company with Lear.

“Most of our (current) shows can take care of themselves,” he said, “and I hope ‘What’s Happening’ does the same. I’d like to work on my movies ‘Lethal Gas’ and ‘The Lexington Story.'”

Five months later, Yorkin unexpectedly called again to promote the moving of “What’s Happening” to a prime Saturday night slot. (Saturday was still a potent TV night in 1976).

“I never had any idea it would be such a monster,” Yorkin said. “The show was supposed to have a four-week run, but the thing proved to be the hit of the summer.”

And, just five months after announcing his TV departure, Yorkin seemed to be fully energized for the small screen again. He talked about developing a “Sanford and Son” spinoff for Demond Wilson and other TV projects, but did mention that his “Lethal Gas” movie was in the final stages of preparation.

It was my final conversation with Yorkin, who also developed the sitcom, “Carter Country,” before focusing of films.

Over the years, Yorkin received 63 Emmy nominations and won 25 Emmy Awards. While he was never able to translate that immense success to the big screen, he had his share of hits, including “Come Blow Your Horn,” “Inspector Clouseau” and “The Man Who Came To Dinner.” He also produced and directed a film that, despite a less-than-stellar theatrical run, has become a cult classic: “Start the Revolution Without Me.”

Oddly enough, TV’s revolution may never have started without Bud Yorkin.