Burton developed and/or produced Lear's many TV hits and a number of hit shows without Lear. His producing credits include One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Fernwood 2Night, Diff'rent Strokes, Charles in Charge, The Facts of Life, Silver Spoons and Square Pegs. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Burton's gift for spotting talent helped ignite the careers of (Ben) Stein, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael J. Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jimmy Kimmel, Ricky Schroder, Pamela Anderson, George Clooney, Valerie Bertinelli, Nicole Eggert, MacKenzie Phillips and others." Burton also co-wrote the Diff'rent Strokes theme with Alan Thicke and Gloria Loring.
TOPICS: Diff'rent Strokes, Al Burton, Norman Lear, Obits, Retro TV