Norman Lear: An unorthodox seeker over his many years

E arly in the premiere episode of Norman Lear's sitcom 'Sunday Dinner,' the beautiful environmentalist T.T. Fagori raised her eyes to heaven and, with a sigh, entered a spiritual minefield.

'Chief?' she asked God. 'You got a minute?'

In addition to praying out loud in prime time, this character offered a theological reverie at dinner while meeting the family of her fiance, a 56-year-old widower near…