[2] In the early years, Yorkin and Lear initially established Tandem specifically for television production.

The name was chosen because when launching their company, Yorkin and Lear were said to feel like two men riding uphill on a tandem bicycle.

[3] More successful shows were also produced by Tandem; they were Maude (1972–1978), Good Times (1974–1979), and finally Sanford and Son (1972–1977).

In 1997, the Television Academy Foundation stated that Tandem Productions' "major sitcom factories of the 1970s" used the same "new narrative ground" which had been also used for Room 222.

[5] In 1977, Viacom Enterprises secured domestic and international television syndication rights for All in the Family which hit off-network reruns in Fall 1979.

In 1976, Yorkin, Turteltaub, and Orenstein established TOY Productions, and the first sitcom for the new company was ABC's What's Happening!!.

The series was suggested by the American International Picture Cooley High, written by Eric Monte.

On February 19, 1979, TOY was acquired by Columbia Pictures Television[6] and launched a new series, 13 Queens Boulevard.

Despite forming his own production company, Yorkin stayed on board with Tandem as executive vice president.

[7] On June 18, 1985, Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio sold Embassy Communications, Inc. to The Coca-Cola Company for $485 million, but then Coke sold Embassy Pictures to Dino De Laurentiis since De Laurentiis didn't want to release his movies through a major studio anymore.

In 1986, Diff'rent Strokes was canceled due to low ratings and Tandem Productions was abandoned.