Sony Pictures Television is mulling the idea of rebooting a slew of classic sitcoms from legendary writer-producer Norman Lear, according to a report.
Variety reports that the studio is currently focused on rebooting 70s sitcoms All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Good Times as six-episode miniseries with a new cast of actors reading lines from original scripts.
“There is some talk about doing some of the original shows, redoing them with today’s stars,” Lear told Variety. “There is a possibility that we’ll do All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, Good Times.”
Sony is already producing a remake of Lear’s 80s sitcom One Day at a Time. The remake of the classic comedy, about a single mother raising two children, will see the original cast updated to feature Latino actors. The new series, on which Lear is listed as an executive producer, premieres January 6 on Netflix.
Sony has reportedly been in discussions with the 93-year-old about the miniseries-reboot concept since before development began on One Day at a Time. That series was developed specifically for Netflix, and was never shopped to other buyers. No network or streaming service is yet attached to the miniseries projects.
The miniseries project is a separate idea from the possible All in the Family reboot that Lear discussed two years ago at a Paley Center event, which would have seen the show revived with new characters, possibly Latino. That idea was set aside in favor of the new One Day at a Time.
Glenn Adilman, executive vice president of comedy development for Sony, said the studio is “exploring” an idea Lear had to reboot All in the Family with a Latino family.
“It’s sort of tricky to figure out what the business of that is and what that would be and how it would work. But its something we’re trying to figure out,” Adilman told Variety. “It’s tricky for a lot of reasons, and it’s something we’re exploring.”
Sony owns a majority of Lear’s extensive TV catalog, which extends through four decades.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
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