If you’ve been watching television shows or movies over the past several years, then you know nostalgia has proven to be quite lucrative. As a result, many in Hollywood have been working to revamp established properties for new generations. TV icon Norman Lear is no stranger to this concept, having already ventured into such territory with a reboot of One Day at a Time. Now, the legendary producer is bringing back Good Times, with a little help from Seth MacFarlane and some other great producers.
Netflix has reportedly given a 10-episode order to an animated revival of the 1970s sitcom Good Times. Per Variety, Norman Lear is set to board the project as a producer, and Seth MacFarlane and NBA player Stephen Curry will join as executive producers. Boondocks and Black Dynamite alum Carl Jones is the show’s creator and will also serve as showrunner.
Norman Lear’s Act III production company will team with Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media as well as Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door banner to produce the series. This will also mark the first time in Lear’s storied career that he’ll produce an animated series.
The original Good Times was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and originally aired for six seasons from 1974-1979 on CBS. A spinoff of fellow Norman Lear show Maude, the series revolved around Florida Evans and her Chicago family, as they experienced the culture and issues of the time. The show received critical acclaim, particularly during its early seasons and continued Lear’s trend of injecting social commentary into half-hour comedies.
The animated reboot is set to be a contemporary take on the series but will once again see the Evans family trying to navigate social issues in the present. And like the original the show, it will continue to emphasize that “with the love of family, we can keep our heads above water.”
Norman Lear has been a bit nostalgic as of late, having co-produced the Live in Front of a Studio Audience specials for ABC, which recreated episodes of his famous shows: All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times. Lear was previously hesitant to reboot some of his more popular shows but, in a joint statement released by him and producing partner Brent Miller, he expressed excitement about revisiting the series:
We can’t think of anything better, at this time in our culture, than a reimagining of Good Times animated. In a year filled with darkness, this is one bright light we won’t soon forget. Thank you, Sony. Thank you, Netflix. Bless us all.
Good Times still holds a place in many TV watchers’ hearts, so some may have mixed feelings about the show being brought back. But with creatives like Norman Lear, Seth MacFarlane and Carl Jordan behind the scenes, the show could turn out to be just what the television-viewing public needs.
