Ahead of the 75th Emmys, Variety’s annual Showrunners Dinner presented by A+E Studios is back on January 11th, coinciding with the 2023 Variety TV Producers Impact Report. It’s like the Oscars of TV producers, but with less red carpet and more behind-the-scenes power players.
At this exclusive, invite-only dinner in Los Angeles, the one and only Chuck Lorre will be honored with the inaugural Norman Lear Award. This award is basically the TV industry’s way of saying, “Hey, Chuck, thanks for making us laugh and making us think about important social issues at the same time.” He’s like the Norman Lear of our time, if you will.
Speaking of Norman Lear, he was actually the first recipient of the predecessor to this award at the 2019 Variety Showrunners Dinner. So, it’s only fitting that they decided to rename it in his honor. Variety will continue to recognize a TV leader annually who is driving positive change for the industry, just like Norman did back in the 70s with his groundbreaking TV shows.
To kick off the evening, Barry Jossen, president and head of A+E Studios, will give the opening remarks. It’s like the grand opening of a really fancy TV show buffet.
Jossen had some pretty nice things to say about Norman Lear, praising his ability to make us laugh at our flaws and giving us a window into our own thoughts and feelings. He even went as far as to say that Lear inspired others to dream and create their own shows. And who better to carry on that dream than Chuck Lorre, the man behind a slew of hit shows like “The Big Bang Theory,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Young Sheldon,” and the oh-so-dazzling “Kominsky Method.”
According to Variety TV editor Michael Schneider, “I can’t think of a better creative to honor with the first Norman Lear Award than Chuck Lorre, whose series have moved us and made us laugh in the same way that Norman’s did.” It’s like passing the torch from one comedy legend to another.
Now, let’s talk about the guest list. We’re not just talking about any old guests here. We’re talking about the coolest names in the TV industry, like John Hoffman (“Only Murders in the Building”), Michael Patrick King (“And Just Like That”), and Noah Hawley (“Fargo”). It’s basically the ultimate TV showrunner meetup, and we’re just sad we didn’t get an invite.
So, there you have it. It’s a night of celebrating the best and brightest in the TV world, and we couldn’t think of a better way to do it than with a dinner fit for the stars behind the scenes. Congratulations, Chuck Lorre, and here’s to many more years of making us laugh and think at the same time. Cheers!
