ABC Sets Live, Star-Studded Remake of 'All in the Family,' 'The Jeffersons'
Here's a new twist on the remake trend on TV: Make it live.
ABC, Jimmy Kimmel, and legendary producer Norman Lear are teaming up for a live, 90-minute, star-studded production of Lear's classic sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons."
Woody Harrelson will play Archie Bunker, with Marisa Tomei as wife Edith. Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes take on the roles of George and Louise Jefferson in the spinoff.
Ellie Kemper will play Archie and Edith's daughter, Gloria Stivic; Will Ferrell is George and Louise's friend, Tom Willis; and Justina Machado from Netflix's recently canceled "One Day at a Time" reboot, will be George and Louise's housekeeper, Florence Johnston.
Titled, "Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons," the live event is set to air May 22. It will recreate an episode from both of the shows. James Burrows ("Will and Grace") will direct.
“The fact that a group of Oscar winners eagerly agreed to play these iconic characters is a testament to the greatness of these shows and their creator, Norman Lear. To be a part of this is a dream come true for me and for everyone involved," Kimmel said.
"All in the Family" ran from 1971 to 1979 and centered on a working-class bigot and his family. Spinoff "The Jeffersons" followed a black couple "moving on up" from Queens to Manhattan after achieving financial success.