Both of the beloved ‘70s sitcoms are coming back for a special holiday presentation of “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.”
If the recent live revivals of “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” left you longing for even more ‘70s-sitcom fun, get ready for some good news.
There’s another night of nostalgia on the way!
TV legend Norman Lear and his fellow executive producer and host, Jimmy Kimmel, are following up their springtime broadcast with a holiday special that’s sure to please, pairing “All in the Family” with another unforgettable throwback series — “Good Times.”
Will Ferrell and Kerry Washington (who played Tom and Helen Willis in the revisited version of “The Jeffersons”) will also be executive producers this time around, as will actor Justin Theroux.
But who will bring the iconic characters to life in “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘All in the Family’ and ‘Good Times’”?
In May, Emmy-winning actor Woody Harrelson and Academy Award-winning actress Marisa Tomei led the cast of “All in the Family” as Archie and Edith Bunker, parts first played by Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton. But whether or not they’ll reprise those roles — and just who will follow in the footsteps of Esther Rolle, John Amos, Jimmie Walker, Janet Jackson and the other stars behind the Evans family from “Good Times” — remains a mystery for now.
The one-night-only retro reboots will recycle scripts from classic episodes of the beloved sitcoms, just like “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons’” did.
It was a formula that proved to be a hit with fans and critics alike last time, earning the television event a trio of Emmy nominations and one big win for outstanding live variety special.
“Being a part of Norman Lear’s world was a career highlight,” Kimmel said in a press release for their upcoming endeavor. “And working with great actors on these great shows was so much fun, we couldn’t resist tackling a holiday episode of ‘All in the Family’ and one of my favorites, ‘Good Times.’”
Lear said, “I don’t know which is greater — bringing back ‘Good Times’ or co-hosting with Jimmy Kimmel?”
For viewers, the best part will be seeing it all for themselves when the special airs Dec. 18 on ABC.
