Norman Lear, who recently passed away at the age of 101, transformed the network television sitcom in the 1970s by confronting America's cultural contentiousness head-on and daring viewers to laugh at a bigot like Archie Bunker on "All in the Family" or the white-folks-hating George Jefferson on "The Jeffersons." People were more than ready to accept this challenge. "All in the Family" was the top-rated show on television for six of its nine seasons, while "The Jeffersons" ranked in the top 10 for four of its remarkable 11 seasons. Along with "Good Times," "Sanford and Son," "Maude," "One Day at a Time" and "Diff'rent Strokes," Lear basically dominated the decade. It was a creative hot streak that's never been matched and one that Lear could never replicate.
After the 1978 premiere of "Diff'rent Strokes," Lear went ice cold. "The Baxters" and "Palmerstown, USA" only hung around for two seasons, while "Hanging In" and "aka...
After the 1978 premiere of "Diff'rent Strokes," Lear went ice cold. "The Baxters" and "Palmerstown, USA" only hung around for two seasons, while "Hanging In" and "aka...
- 12/24/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
President Joe Biden paid tribute to Norman Lear, the pioneering writer, producer and director who died on Tuesday at age 101.
Biden called Lear a “transformational force in American culture” whose shows “redefined television with courage, conscience, and humor, opening our nation’s eyes and often our hearts.”
Lear was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1999. At the time, Clinton said that Lear “held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it.”
Biden also noted Lear’s decades of political advocacy, saying that he “fought directly for free speech, a woman’s right to choose, the environment, voting rights, and more.”
Biden’s complete statement is below:
Norman Lear was a transformational force in American culture, whose trailblazing shows redefined television with courage, conscience, and humor, opening our nation’s eyes and often our hearts.
The cast of characters he...
Biden called Lear a “transformational force in American culture” whose shows “redefined television with courage, conscience, and humor, opening our nation’s eyes and often our hearts.”
Lear was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1999. At the time, Clinton said that Lear “held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it.”
Biden also noted Lear’s decades of political advocacy, saying that he “fought directly for free speech, a woman’s right to choose, the environment, voting rights, and more.”
Biden’s complete statement is below:
Norman Lear was a transformational force in American culture, whose trailblazing shows redefined television with courage, conscience, and humor, opening our nation’s eyes and often our hearts.
The cast of characters he...
- 12/6/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Rob Reiner, Billy Crystal, Jimmy Kimmel, Tyler Perry, George Clooney, Jon Stewart, Bob Iger and Quinta Brunson are among those remembering sitcom great and TV legend Norman Lear, who died Tuesday at the age of 101.
The six-time Emmy-winning writer-producer behind such classic TV shows as All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Sanford & Son and One Day at a Time died at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by family.
Crystal paid tribute to his friend of almost 50 years, sharing a photo of the two of them together and brief remembrance of Lear on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“We have lost a giant … a man of great humor and dignity,” Crystal wrote. “What an amazing life that has given so much to us all. He used laughter as a way to look at ourselves. A blessing to have been his friend for almost 50 yrs.”
Reiner, who...
The six-time Emmy-winning writer-producer behind such classic TV shows as All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Sanford & Son and One Day at a Time died at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by family.
Crystal paid tribute to his friend of almost 50 years, sharing a photo of the two of them together and brief remembrance of Lear on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“We have lost a giant … a man of great humor and dignity,” Crystal wrote. “What an amazing life that has given so much to us all. He used laughter as a way to look at ourselves. A blessing to have been his friend for almost 50 yrs.”
Reiner, who...
- 12/6/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jamie Foxx is looking to get back into the spotlight as soon as possible, as it was just announced that he and his daughter Corinne will be co-hosting the game show We Are Family, set to premiere on Fox next year.
The news comes the week after Corinne Foxx revealed that her father Jamie had been released from the hospital following a “medical complication.” The details of that episode have yet to be disclosed, leading to much speculation as to what happened with Jamie. Corinne Foxx, who has been the de facto spokesperson for Jamie, didn’t help matters much when she announced that he had actually been out for some time, posting on Instagram, “update from the family: Sad to see how the media runs wild. My Dad has been out of the hospital for weeks, recuperating. In fact, he was playing pickleball yesterday! Thanks for everyone’s prayers and support!
The news comes the week after Corinne Foxx revealed that her father Jamie had been released from the hospital following a “medical complication.” The details of that episode have yet to be disclosed, leading to much speculation as to what happened with Jamie. Corinne Foxx, who has been the de facto spokesperson for Jamie, didn’t help matters much when she announced that he had actually been out for some time, posting on Instagram, “update from the family: Sad to see how the media runs wild. My Dad has been out of the hospital for weeks, recuperating. In fact, he was playing pickleball yesterday! Thanks for everyone’s prayers and support!
- 5/15/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Louise and George Jefferson were one of the most popular couples of the late ’70s and early ’80s. Played by Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley, the Jefferson couple came from the sitcom All in the Family. They launched their own successful TV show, The Jeffersons.
The sitcom worked so well partly due to the chemistry between Sanford and Hemsley. But did they date in real life?
An overview of ‘The Jeffersons’
The Jeffersons’ story began in All in the Family. They played the next-door neighbors of All in the Family‘s lead couple the Bunkers. The audience responded so well to the Jeffersons that All in the Family creator Norman Lear decided to give them their own show.
The Jeffersons follows the now-wealthy George, Louise, and their son Lionel as they move from Queens to Manhattan after becoming successful. George is presented as a cocky business owner. But his efforts...
The sitcom worked so well partly due to the chemistry between Sanford and Hemsley. But did they date in real life?
An overview of ‘The Jeffersons’
The Jeffersons’ story began in All in the Family. They played the next-door neighbors of All in the Family‘s lead couple the Bunkers. The audience responded so well to the Jeffersons that All in the Family creator Norman Lear decided to give them their own show.
The Jeffersons follows the now-wealthy George, Louise, and their son Lionel as they move from Queens to Manhattan after becoming successful. George is presented as a cocky business owner. But his efforts...
- 2/28/2023
- by Produced by Digital Editors
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Viola Davis is living about as much of a success story as it gets. She rose above poverty to make it big on Broadway, and then in Hollywood. She was the first Black woman to win the “triple crown” of acting by winning two Tony awards, an Oscar, and an Emmy. In February 2023, she won a Grammy for the audio version of her 2022 memoir, Finding Me. That win elevated her to the coveted Egot status; an accomplishment that only 17 other people (including Whoopi Goldberg and John Legend) have achieved.
Despite her outrageous success and busy filming schedule, Davis also has her share of typical life experiences. She raises a 12-year-old daughter, Genesis, with her husband of 19 years, Julius Tennon. They run a business together, and maybe try to keep a clean home, too. On a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Davis let the world in on her all-too-relatable secret:...
Despite her outrageous success and busy filming schedule, Davis also has her share of typical life experiences. She raises a 12-year-old daughter, Genesis, with her husband of 19 years, Julius Tennon. They run a business together, and maybe try to keep a clean home, too. On a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Davis let the world in on her all-too-relatable secret:...
- 2/7/2023
- by Nikelle Murphy
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Fubu founder, entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star Daymond John shocked most viewers when he popped out of the Fortune Teller costume on “The Masked Singer” Wednesday night. To everyone’s surprise, it was the perpetually incorrect panelist Ken Jeong who was able to decipher the clues first.
“It is such an honor to be here,” John told Nick Cannon during his unmasked interview.
“I used to go to the back office of Fubu and beg for clothes,” Cannon interrupted. “I had Fubu everything!”
See ‘The Masked Singer’ winners by season: Firefly joins Queen of Hearts, Night Angel and … [Photos]
“Did you know who it was, Nick?” asked panelist Jenny McCarthy. Cannon then responded, “At first I didn’t and then when I actually got to see him walk I was like, ‘Oh I know who that is.’ But when he was in there I had no idea. The performance threw me off and everything.
“It is such an honor to be here,” John told Nick Cannon during his unmasked interview.
“I used to go to the back office of Fubu and beg for clothes,” Cannon interrupted. “I had Fubu everything!”
See ‘The Masked Singer’ winners by season: Firefly joins Queen of Hearts, Night Angel and … [Photos]
“Did you know who it was, Nick?” asked panelist Jenny McCarthy. Cannon then responded, “At first I didn’t and then when I actually got to see him walk I was like, ‘Oh I know who that is.’ But when he was in there I had no idea. The performance threw me off and everything.
- 10/6/2022
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
Channels
Paramount‘s free ad-supported streaming television (Fast) provider Pluto TV has launched four new channels in collaboration with Sony Pictures Television (Spt). The new channels will bring Spt content to Pluto TV across Europe and the U.K. Audiences in the U.K., Italy and Spain get a channel dedicated to classic sitcom “Married… with Children,” the classic Spt series which follows the misadventures of misanthropic women’s shoe salesman Al Bundy, played by Ed O’Neill. Viewers in the U.K. and Spain will get “The Nanny,” which follows cosmetic saleswoman Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) as she navigates her new job as a nanny for the three children of a Broadway producer.
Sitcom “The Jeffersons,” which follows the life and family of George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) as he decides to move to New York’s posh Upper East Side and adjusts to the unexpected pitfalls that his new address will bring him,...
Paramount‘s free ad-supported streaming television (Fast) provider Pluto TV has launched four new channels in collaboration with Sony Pictures Television (Spt). The new channels will bring Spt content to Pluto TV across Europe and the U.K. Audiences in the U.K., Italy and Spain get a channel dedicated to classic sitcom “Married… with Children,” the classic Spt series which follows the misadventures of misanthropic women’s shoe salesman Al Bundy, played by Ed O’Neill. Viewers in the U.K. and Spain will get “The Nanny,” which follows cosmetic saleswoman Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) as she navigates her new job as a nanny for the three children of a Broadway producer.
Sitcom “The Jeffersons,” which follows the life and family of George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) as he decides to move to New York’s posh Upper East Side and adjusts to the unexpected pitfalls that his new address will bring him,...
- 6/16/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Consider this a holiday gift for fans of vintage TV shows, as the below classics all arrived on streaming this month. The Jeffersons You’re already humming the joyous theme song, aren’t you? Thanks to his successful dry-cleaning business, fiery George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley), spirited wife Weezy (Isabel Sanford), and hip son Lionel (Mike Evans and Damon Evans) moved on up from Queens to New York’s Upper East Side on CBS’s 1975–85 spinoff of All in the Family. Like its predecessor, the sitcom seamlessly blended humor with groundbreaking issues, like interracial romance. Seasons 1–11 available Sanford and Son (Credit: Everett Collection) Sanford and Son Widower Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) may have worked as a junk dealer, but this sitcom was comedy gold. Episodes of the 1972–77 series — NBC’s answer to issue-charged All in the Family, also from producer Norman Lear — centered around Fred’s clashes with levelheaded son Lamont...
- 12/26/2021
- TV Insider
When Jimmy Kimmel conceived of the Live in Front of a Studio Audience format back in 2019, it was designed as a simultaneous tribute to The Great Norman Lear and the resilient appeal of some classic, boundary-pushing sitcoms.
The first iteration tackled episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons, while the second paired All in the Family and Good Times installments.
The casting, while not without a wee bit of wink-and-nudge, was mostly pure. Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei are and were plausible 21st-century versions of Archie and Edith Bunker. And, strange bald cap aside, Jamie Foxx seemed likely enough as a George Jefferson ...
The first iteration tackled episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons, while the second paired All in the Family and Good Times installments.
The casting, while not without a wee bit of wink-and-nudge, was mostly pure. Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei are and were plausible 21st-century versions of Archie and Edith Bunker. And, strange bald cap aside, Jamie Foxx seemed likely enough as a George Jefferson ...
- 12/8/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
When Jimmy Kimmel conceived of the Live in Front of a Studio Audience format back in 2019, it was designed as a simultaneous tribute to The Great Norman Lear and the resilient appeal of some classic, boundary-pushing sitcoms.
The first iteration tackled episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons, while the second paired All in the Family and Good Times installments.
The casting, while not without a wee bit of wink-and-nudge, was mostly pure. Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei are and were plausible 21st-century versions of Archie and Edith Bunker. And, strange bald cap aside, Jamie Foxx seemed likely enough as a George Jefferson ...
The first iteration tackled episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons, while the second paired All in the Family and Good Times installments.
The casting, while not without a wee bit of wink-and-nudge, was mostly pure. Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei are and were plausible 21st-century versions of Archie and Edith Bunker. And, strange bald cap aside, Jamie Foxx seemed likely enough as a George Jefferson ...
- 12/8/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This summer’s big New York City performances have lugged considerable metaphorical baggage, from the giddy, vaxxed-but-maskless return of the Springsteen on Broadway concert during the pre-Delta shine of June, the resurgent Covid delays of Shakespeare in the Park and finally last night’s aborted, starry concert in Central Park, when the sky itself seemed to tell pop’s mightiest stalwarts, eh, not quite yet.
Tonight’s performance at the August Wilson Theatre of Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s thrilling Pass Over, the first Broadway play of the post-shutdown era, will, happily or not, carry some weighty burdens of its own. Forget the random media reports of the production’s maybe, maybe-not financial struggles – seriously, who isn’t struggling financially these days?
Equally unfair is asking Pass Over, or any other single Broadway production, to somehow reflect or embody all that’s happened in our world over the last 17 months of illness and death,...
Tonight’s performance at the August Wilson Theatre of Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s thrilling Pass Over, the first Broadway play of the post-shutdown era, will, happily or not, carry some weighty burdens of its own. Forget the random media reports of the production’s maybe, maybe-not financial struggles – seriously, who isn’t struggling financially these days?
Equally unfair is asking Pass Over, or any other single Broadway production, to somehow reflect or embody all that’s happened in our world over the last 17 months of illness and death,...
- 8/22/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
In May of this year, ABC aired a special event called “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.” Focusing on the iconic sitcom work of one Mr. Norman Lear, the live event enlisted over a dozen notable actors to perform episodes of two of his hit shows, “All in the Family” — the episode “Henry’s Farewell” — and “The Jeffersons” — the episode “A Friend in Need.” Hosted by Lear and Jimmy Kimmel, and directed by 10-time Emmy Award winner James Burrows, the 90-minute prime-time event even saw Marla Gibbs reprise her role as the Jeffersons’ wise-cracking maid Florence Johnston.
Tonight, “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” returns for another round of live Norman Lear-centric re-creation, this time with an all-new cast performing an episode of “All in the Family,” alongside a performance of an episode of “Good Times.”
For “All in the Family,” Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ike Barinholtz, and...
Tonight, “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” returns for another round of live Norman Lear-centric re-creation, this time with an all-new cast performing an episode of “All in the Family,” alongside a performance of an episode of “Good Times.”
For “All in the Family,” Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ike Barinholtz, and...
- 12/19/2019
- by LaToya Ferguson
- Indiewire
Speaking to the studio audience on Tuesday night at a dress rehearsal for this week’s “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” special, executive producer Jimmy Kimmel offered a quick disclaimer about how different sitcoms were back in the 1970s — in particular, Norman Lear comedies.
Lear’s shows weren’t afraid to tackle messy social, political and cultural topics. To 2019 ears, some of those things may be offensive — particularly when they come out of Archie Bunker’s mouth. “Shows were different in the 70s,” Kimmel told the crowd. “They are very vanilla now. Back then, they were chocolate.”
That’s part of the draw of “Live in Front of a Studio Audience,” which returns for a second installment on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Et on ABC. Lear’s 1970s-era sitcoms were known for mixing comedy with an honest look at the issues that people face — the kind of things...
Lear’s shows weren’t afraid to tackle messy social, political and cultural topics. To 2019 ears, some of those things may be offensive — particularly when they come out of Archie Bunker’s mouth. “Shows were different in the 70s,” Kimmel told the crowd. “They are very vanilla now. Back then, they were chocolate.”
That’s part of the draw of “Live in Front of a Studio Audience,” which returns for a second installment on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Et on ABC. Lear’s 1970s-era sitcoms were known for mixing comedy with an honest look at the issues that people face — the kind of things...
- 12/18/2019
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
ABC is granting one of our big Christmas wishes this year, bringing back its Live in Front of a Studio Audience special with holiday-themed episodes of All in the Family and Good Times, TVLine has learned.
The new special will air Wednesday, Dec. 18 on the Alphabet network and will feature stars recreating classic holiday episodes of the Norman Lear-produced sitcoms. The first Live in Front of a Studio Audience special, produced by Lear and Jimmy Kimmel, aired back in May and featured Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as All in the Family‘s Archie and Edith Bunker, along with an...
The new special will air Wednesday, Dec. 18 on the Alphabet network and will feature stars recreating classic holiday episodes of the Norman Lear-produced sitcoms. The first Live in Front of a Studio Audience special, produced by Lear and Jimmy Kimmel, aired back in May and featured Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as All in the Family‘s Archie and Edith Bunker, along with an...
- 11/5/2019
- TVLine.com
The success of ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience continued this morning when the live special received three Emmy nominations including Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special for James Burrows and Andy Fisher and Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special. The special featured revivals of classic episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons with the likes of Jamie Foxx, Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Kerry Washington, Will Ferrell and an all-star casting stepping into the pioneering characters. The series was executive produced by Brent Miller, Jimmy Kimmel, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Justin Theroux and, of course, the Godfather of woke classic TV Norman Lear.
Lear told Deadline he was a “great kick” to be nominated. The three-time Emmy winner was last nominated was in 1991 when he received a nod for, coincidentally, an All in the Family 20th anniversary special. In addition,...
Lear told Deadline he was a “great kick” to be nominated. The three-time Emmy winner was last nominated was in 1991 when he received a nod for, coincidentally, an All in the Family 20th anniversary special. In addition,...
- 7/16/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
“All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” picked up a trio of Emmy nominations on Tuesday, nearly four decades after they went off the air.
Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear’s “Live in Front of a Studio Audience,” which brought together an all-star cast led by Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei and Jamie Foxx, was recognized by the TV academy in the variety special categories for re-staging two classic episodes of the Lear sitcoms word-for-word, beat-for-beat. And Lear, at 96, is the oldest-ever Emmy nominee.
“If there’s anything I didn’t imagine coming, it would be an Emmy nomination at this time in my career,” Lear said in an interview with TheWrap following the nominations announcement. “But I just find it awfully exciting.”
Also Read: 'One Day at a Time' Gets Fourth Season at Pop TV Following Netflix Cancellation
“I couldn’t be more grateful for Norman and the...
Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear’s “Live in Front of a Studio Audience,” which brought together an all-star cast led by Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei and Jamie Foxx, was recognized by the TV academy in the variety special categories for re-staging two classic episodes of the Lear sitcoms word-for-word, beat-for-beat. And Lear, at 96, is the oldest-ever Emmy nominee.
“If there’s anything I didn’t imagine coming, it would be an Emmy nomination at this time in my career,” Lear said in an interview with TheWrap following the nominations announcement. “But I just find it awfully exciting.”
Also Read: 'One Day at a Time' Gets Fourth Season at Pop TV Following Netflix Cancellation
“I couldn’t be more grateful for Norman and the...
- 7/16/2019
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Wanda Sykes had a strong year on television this year, between “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and The Jeffersons,'” her Netflix comedy special “Not Normal” and her recurring role on “Black-ish.” She is a nine-time Emmy nominee, winning 20 years ago for writing on “The Chris Rock Show.”
Sykes recently spoke with Gold Derby managing editor Chris Beachum about how she got involved with “The Jeffersons” special, how she came up with material for “Not Normal” and her relationship with Anthony Anderson on “Black-ish.” Watch the exclusive video interview and read the complete transcript below.
SEEHuge Emmy surprises next for ABC’s live ‘All in the Family/ Jeffersons’?
Gold Derby: I wanna start with the “All in the Family,” “Jeffersons” live event. That was just here in May, two or three weeks ago. What was it like getting that phone call...
Sykes recently spoke with Gold Derby managing editor Chris Beachum about how she got involved with “The Jeffersons” special, how she came up with material for “Not Normal” and her relationship with Anthony Anderson on “Black-ish.” Watch the exclusive video interview and read the complete transcript below.
SEEHuge Emmy surprises next for ABC’s live ‘All in the Family/ Jeffersons’?
Gold Derby: I wanna start with the “All in the Family,” “Jeffersons” live event. That was just here in May, two or three weeks ago. What was it like getting that phone call...
- 7/3/2019
- by Kevin Jacobsen and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Marisa Tomei was planning to go to the Cannes Film Festival to promote her role opposite Isabelle Huppert in “Frankie” when Norman Lear called her cell phone. The 96-year-old “All in the Family” creator was planning a one-of-a-kind live broadcast of his treasured ABC sitcom, alongside its spinoff, “The Jeffersons,” on May 22. He wanted Tomei to portray bigoted family man Archie Bunker’s wife, Edith, a role originally played by Jean Stapleton for a decade.
“I couldn’t wrap my head around it at all,” Tomei said over lunch in Manhattan’s West Village a month after the broadcast. “I just thought none of this should be done in any format again. It was so perfect. Why are we even talking about this?”
Eventually, she relented, and the result is one of the most fascinating curveballs in the Tomei’s nearly 40-year career. As Edith, the actress buried herself under...
“I couldn’t wrap my head around it at all,” Tomei said over lunch in Manhattan’s West Village a month after the broadcast. “I just thought none of this should be done in any format again. It was so perfect. Why are we even talking about this?”
Eventually, she relented, and the result is one of the most fascinating curveballs in the Tomei’s nearly 40-year career. As Edith, the actress buried herself under...
- 6/17/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Marla Gibbs told a select group of friends and family she would be on the live special for ABC’s “The Jeffersons” in May, but they wouldn’t believe her since she wasn’t in any of the promotional materials. That’s because producers Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel wanted it to be a surprise to audiences when Gibbs reprised her classic role of Florence Johnston.
In our exclusive interview (watch the video above), she reveals, “When I read the script I said, ‘This is the same show I did word for word,’ and of course I remembered it all…. the moves and everything. It was the thing that changed my life, so you don’t forget it.”
SEEHuge Emmy surprises next for ABC’s live ‘All in the Family/ Jeffersons’?
The program “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” recreated one episode of “All in the Family” and another from “The Jeffersons,...
In our exclusive interview (watch the video above), she reveals, “When I read the script I said, ‘This is the same show I did word for word,’ and of course I remembered it all…. the moves and everything. It was the thing that changed my life, so you don’t forget it.”
SEEHuge Emmy surprises next for ABC’s live ‘All in the Family/ Jeffersons’?
The program “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” recreated one episode of “All in the Family” and another from “The Jeffersons,...
- 6/13/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
“We all wanted to set in Archie’s chair!” exclaims Wanda Sykes about her recent starring appearance on the live version of “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” for ABC. In our exclusive webchat (watch the video above), she adds, “I grew up watching those shows, so to me it was an incredible experience on that same set… the furniture, the swinging kitchen door. I teared up when I saw the house number on the porch of 704 Hauser Street.”
Sykes played the iconic character of Louise (“Weezie”) Jefferson opposite Jamie Foxx as George Jefferson (roles originated by Emmy winner Isabel Sanford and Emmy nominee Sherman Hemsley). The program “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” is eligible at the 2019 Emmy Awards as Best Variety Special (Live) and the performers are in the movie/limited series acting categories. ABC is going all out in its promotion to voters by offering...
Sykes played the iconic character of Louise (“Weezie”) Jefferson opposite Jamie Foxx as George Jefferson (roles originated by Emmy winner Isabel Sanford and Emmy nominee Sherman Hemsley). The program “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” is eligible at the 2019 Emmy Awards as Best Variety Special (Live) and the performers are in the movie/limited series acting categories. ABC is going all out in its promotion to voters by offering...
- 6/12/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
When Marla Gibbs returned to set for ABC’s live remake of Norman Lear’s “The Jeffersons” and “All In the Family,” she never even looked at a script — she remembered her lines from playing Florence Johnston in the seminal sitcom nearly 40 years ago.
“When something changes your life, you never forget it,” Gibbs said during Saturday’s Fyc event held at Disney Studios in Burbank. “I never forgot the show, never forgot the lines, never forgot the cast and their lines, because everything about that show was very important to me.”
The actress’s cameo — which was kept secret until the special’s premiere — featured one particular line that Gibbs remembered was a smash during its original run. In it, Florence cracks a joke about three black women living in the same building, saying “How come we overcame and nobody told me?” which Gibbs said was met with the...
“When something changes your life, you never forget it,” Gibbs said during Saturday’s Fyc event held at Disney Studios in Burbank. “I never forgot the show, never forgot the lines, never forgot the cast and their lines, because everything about that show was very important to me.”
The actress’s cameo — which was kept secret until the special’s premiere — featured one particular line that Gibbs remembered was a smash during its original run. In it, Florence cracks a joke about three black women living in the same building, saying “How come we overcame and nobody told me?” which Gibbs said was met with the...
- 6/2/2019
- by Anna Tingley
- Variety Film + TV
May 22’s live re-creation of two classic Norman Lear sitcoms, “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” provided ABC with boffo ratings and mostly glowing reviews for its cast, especially Marisa Tomei as Edith Bunker and Wanda Sykes as a sassy Louise Jefferson.
The ladies who originated those roles in the ’70s, Jean Stapleton as so-called dingbat Edith and Isabel Sanford as her onetime African-American neighbor Louise won their share of Emmys. Stapleton collected three trophies for best comedy actress and Sanford made history by becoming the second black American actress to win a Primetime Emmy and the first to win as a lead actress in a comedy series. As for the Jefferson’s wisecracking maid, Florence, an 86-year-old Marla Gibbs — who was Emmy-nominated five times for her supporting role — simply took up where she left off.
Woody Harrelson, taking over for four-time Emmy winner Carroll O’Connor as bigoted Archie Bunker,...
The ladies who originated those roles in the ’70s, Jean Stapleton as so-called dingbat Edith and Isabel Sanford as her onetime African-American neighbor Louise won their share of Emmys. Stapleton collected three trophies for best comedy actress and Sanford made history by becoming the second black American actress to win a Primetime Emmy and the first to win as a lead actress in a comedy series. As for the Jefferson’s wisecracking maid, Florence, an 86-year-old Marla Gibbs — who was Emmy-nominated five times for her supporting role — simply took up where she left off.
Woody Harrelson, taking over for four-time Emmy winner Carroll O’Connor as bigoted Archie Bunker,...
- 5/28/2019
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
ABC staged a special “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” performance of classic episodes of “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” on May 22, and it turned out to be a huge ratings hit, averaging more than 10 million viewers. Will it be an unexpected blockbuster at the Emmys too? It could follow in the footsteps of a live event that took us by surprise last year: “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
“Superstar” aired on NBC as a live concert event on Easter Sunday in 2018. It was well received by critics and watched by almost 10 million viewers, so it was no surprise that it was nominated for Best Variety Special (Live) at the Emmys. But the classic musical exceeded our expectations with 13 total nominations, including Best Movie/Mini Directing and acting bids for John Legend, Sara Bareilles and Brandon Victor Dixon. It ended up winning five awards including Best Variety Special, which meant that producers Legend,...
“Superstar” aired on NBC as a live concert event on Easter Sunday in 2018. It was well received by critics and watched by almost 10 million viewers, so it was no surprise that it was nominated for Best Variety Special (Live) at the Emmys. But the classic musical exceeded our expectations with 13 total nominations, including Best Movie/Mini Directing and acting bids for John Legend, Sara Bareilles and Brandon Victor Dixon. It ended up winning five awards including Best Variety Special, which meant that producers Legend,...
- 5/28/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
After the mostly glowing reactions and sky-high ratings for ABC’s live- re-creations of producer Norman Lear‘s classic sitcoms “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” on Wednesday May 22, one might presume that such success might lead to more such revivals of beloved comedy series.
Judging from our poll, there seems to be an enthusiasm to see other TV oldies but goodies redone as a 90-minute package before a studio audience. Top on the list? A double bill of “Happy Days” and “Laverne & Shirley” got a Fonzie-like “Eyy!” by 23% of the participants in our poll. Right behind that ’70s duo was a pair of ’50s retro staples, “I Love Lucy” and “The Honeymooners.” Certainly, filling the shoes of such icons as Lucille Ball and Jackie Gleason would be daunting, but not impossible according 19% of voters.
SEEAfter ABC’s ratings home run, which other live sitcom revivals should follow?...
Judging from our poll, there seems to be an enthusiasm to see other TV oldies but goodies redone as a 90-minute package before a studio audience. Top on the list? A double bill of “Happy Days” and “Laverne & Shirley” got a Fonzie-like “Eyy!” by 23% of the participants in our poll. Right behind that ’70s duo was a pair of ’50s retro staples, “I Love Lucy” and “The Honeymooners.” Certainly, filling the shoes of such icons as Lucille Ball and Jackie Gleason would be daunting, but not impossible according 19% of voters.
SEEAfter ABC’s ratings home run, which other live sitcom revivals should follow?...
- 5/28/2019
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Anything can happen when you're an actor filming in front of a live studio audience! Just ask Jamie Foxx, who has participated in many a live taping in his day. The comedian and actor took on the role of George Jefferson in ABC's live special Live in Front of a Studio Audience on Wednesday night and slipped up while delivering one of his lines from an episode of All in the Family. Of course, flubbing a line in front of an audience is something that's not unheard of in Hollywood, but what made Foxx's moment so perfect was his recovery.
Jamie Foxx handled his slip up like a champ #TheJeffersons #AllInTheFamily #LiveInFrontOfAStudioAudience pic.twitter.com/0ikaf8YlkJ
- Brandon Pope TV (@BpopeTV) May 23, 2019
After struggling to deliver the line, the In Living Color alum caught himself by breaking character and shouting to the audience, "It's live! People sitting at...
Jamie Foxx handled his slip up like a champ #TheJeffersons #AllInTheFamily #LiveInFrontOfAStudioAudience pic.twitter.com/0ikaf8YlkJ
- Brandon Pope TV (@BpopeTV) May 23, 2019
After struggling to deliver the line, the In Living Color alum caught himself by breaking character and shouting to the audience, "It's live! People sitting at...
- 5/26/2019
- by Danielle Jackson
- Popsugar.com
Marla Gibbs never won an Emmy for playing Florence Johnston on “The Jeffersons” for 11 seasons. But now she may get her chance.
Sony Pictures TV is submitting the cast of Wednesday night’s ABC special “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons'” for Emmy consideration — including Gibbs, who was a surprise, unannounced performer on the program, reprising her role as the Jeffersons’ maid.
“Live in Front of a Studio Audience” will compete in the outstanding variety special (live) race, which makes sense; the category is specifically for variety specials that are live, and the ABC event fits the bill.
But there is no category anymore for variety program performers, which poses a problem for events like “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.” Last year, NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” successfully entered several of its stars in...
Sony Pictures TV is submitting the cast of Wednesday night’s ABC special “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons'” for Emmy consideration — including Gibbs, who was a surprise, unannounced performer on the program, reprising her role as the Jeffersons’ maid.
“Live in Front of a Studio Audience” will compete in the outstanding variety special (live) race, which makes sense; the category is specifically for variety specials that are live, and the ABC event fits the bill.
But there is no category anymore for variety program performers, which poses a problem for events like “Live in Front of a Studio Audience.” Last year, NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” successfully entered several of its stars in...
- 5/23/2019
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
There’s an episode of 21 Jump Street where the cops go undercover at a performing arts high school. Peter DeLuise’s Doug Penhall has to perform a scene in acting class, and opts to do something from an episode of the classic Fifties sitcom The Honeymooners rather than from a play. He and Johnny Depp’s Tom Hanson do pretty good impressions of Jackie Gleason and Art Carney, but the teacher’s not impressed. He tells Penhall to forget about the TV show and just play the reality of the scene.
- 5/23/2019
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
In retrospect, it was only a matter of time before reboot and revival fever manifested as verbatim repeats — but if TV’s gonna go there, bringing back eerily timely shows like “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” is the way to do it.
That Norman Lear’s comedies are timely, or at least prescient, is an established TV industry truism decades in the making. The family sitcoms he produced — including “All in the Family,” “Maude,” “The Jeffersons,” “One Day at a Time” and more — refused to live by the dictum that everyone should just get along and avoid topics like religion, money, and politics. In fact, most of the characters on shows he produced barreled headlong into the most contentious issues of the day, grappling with their differences by airing them out in hilarious, sometimes excruciating detail. That model of family sitcom has endured ever since; today’s TV shares its DNA,...
That Norman Lear’s comedies are timely, or at least prescient, is an established TV industry truism decades in the making. The family sitcoms he produced — including “All in the Family,” “Maude,” “The Jeffersons,” “One Day at a Time” and more — refused to live by the dictum that everyone should just get along and avoid topics like religion, money, and politics. In fact, most of the characters on shows he produced barreled headlong into the most contentious issues of the day, grappling with their differences by airing them out in hilarious, sometimes excruciating detail. That model of family sitcom has endured ever since; today’s TV shares its DNA,...
- 5/23/2019
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: This review contains details of tonight’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons on ABC. So, don’t be a meathead and read more if you don’t want to know what happened.
“It’s live,” Jamie Foxx told a suddenly wide awake America tonight after flubbing a line on ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons.
“Everyone sitting at home just thought their TV just messed up,” the Oscar-winning actor with trained recovery skills, breaking his George Jefferson character as fellow cast members like Woody Harrelson’s Archie Bunker, Ellie Kemper, Ike Barinholtz, Anthony Anderson and Marisa Tomei’s Edith Bunker cracked up in the background.
We said anything could happen! #LiveInFrontOfAStudioAudience #TheJeffersons #AllintheFamily pic.twitter.com/d8lNCjUzD3
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) May 23, 2019
At that moment,...
“It’s live,” Jamie Foxx told a suddenly wide awake America tonight after flubbing a line on ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons.
“Everyone sitting at home just thought their TV just messed up,” the Oscar-winning actor with trained recovery skills, breaking his George Jefferson character as fellow cast members like Woody Harrelson’s Archie Bunker, Ellie Kemper, Ike Barinholtz, Anthony Anderson and Marisa Tomei’s Edith Bunker cracked up in the background.
We said anything could happen! #LiveInFrontOfAStudioAudience #TheJeffersons #AllintheFamily pic.twitter.com/d8lNCjUzD3
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) May 23, 2019
At that moment,...
- 5/23/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The episodes of “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” that Jimmy Kimmel re-staged on ABC Wednesday night may have been decades old, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t come with a few surprises.
Right at the end of the 90-minute live tribute to Norman Lear, one original “Jeffersons” cast member popped in for a surprise appearance, re-inhabiting the role she first played nearly 50 years ago.
For 11 seasons beginning in 1975, Marla Gibbs starred as Florence Johnston, the wisecracking maid to the Jeffersons, and she is one of the only surviving members of the show’s main cast.
Also Read: Watch Jamie Foxx Break Character While Playing George Jefferson on Kimmel's 'All in the Family' Re-Creation (Video)
Justina Machado, who starred in Lear’s “One Day at a Time” reboot on Netflix, was supposed to inhabit the role in the ABC experiment, but when the character finally...
Right at the end of the 90-minute live tribute to Norman Lear, one original “Jeffersons” cast member popped in for a surprise appearance, re-inhabiting the role she first played nearly 50 years ago.
For 11 seasons beginning in 1975, Marla Gibbs starred as Florence Johnston, the wisecracking maid to the Jeffersons, and she is one of the only surviving members of the show’s main cast.
Also Read: Watch Jamie Foxx Break Character While Playing George Jefferson on Kimmel's 'All in the Family' Re-Creation (Video)
Justina Machado, who starred in Lear’s “One Day at a Time” reboot on Netflix, was supposed to inhabit the role in the ABC experiment, but when the character finally...
- 5/23/2019
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of The Jeffersons‘ theme song wasn’t just a piece of the pie… it was the whole damn pie, Ok?
The Oscar-winning American Idol alum joined ABC’s special Live in Front of a Studio Audience — a live staging of classic episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons — to belt out a live version of the classic “Movin’ On Up” theme song that accompanied The Jeffersons during its original run. Wearing an Afro wig and a slinky ’70s dress, Hudson strutted confidently through the Jeffersons set, crooning about moving into “a dee-luxe apartment in the sky.
The Oscar-winning American Idol alum joined ABC’s special Live in Front of a Studio Audience — a live staging of classic episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons — to belt out a live version of the classic “Movin’ On Up” theme song that accompanied The Jeffersons during its original run. Wearing an Afro wig and a slinky ’70s dress, Hudson strutted confidently through the Jeffersons set, crooning about moving into “a dee-luxe apartment in the sky.
- 5/23/2019
- TVLine.com
Jamie Foxx had a hilarious slip up while playing George Jefferson on Jimmy Kimmel’s live re-creation of classic Norman Lear sitcoms “The Jeffersons” and “All In The Family.”
The 90-minute primetime special that aired Wednesday, May 22 on ABC re-created one episode each from “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,.” The all-star cast was led by Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as Archie and Edith Bunker, and Foxx and Wanda Sykes as George and Louise Jefferson.
And understandably, since the whole production was filmed live in front of a studio audience, one or two mistakes were bound to happen.
Also Read: Jimmy Kimmel to Re-Create 'All in the Family,' 'The Jeffersons' Episodes Live
“Ever since I was a little boy, I would always beg my mother for a little brother. But you know we were broke, so all –” Foxx begins, before stuttering repeatedly on the last word.
The 90-minute primetime special that aired Wednesday, May 22 on ABC re-created one episode each from “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,.” The all-star cast was led by Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as Archie and Edith Bunker, and Foxx and Wanda Sykes as George and Louise Jefferson.
And understandably, since the whole production was filmed live in front of a studio audience, one or two mistakes were bound to happen.
Also Read: Jimmy Kimmel to Re-Create 'All in the Family,' 'The Jeffersons' Episodes Live
“Ever since I was a little boy, I would always beg my mother for a little brother. But you know we were broke, so all –” Foxx begins, before stuttering repeatedly on the last word.
- 5/23/2019
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
We knew somebody would mess up during ABC’s live reenactment of All in the Family… we just didn’t think it’d be an Oscar winner.
Jamie Foxx, who stepped into Sherman Helmsley’s dancing shoes to play the iconic George Jefferson during Wednesday’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience special, was the first to flub a line during the live primetime broadcast. While Foxx’s George was talking to Anthony Anderson’s Uncle Henry, he was supposed to say, “Ever since I was a little boy, I would always beg my mother for a little brother — but you know,...
Jamie Foxx, who stepped into Sherman Helmsley’s dancing shoes to play the iconic George Jefferson during Wednesday’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience special, was the first to flub a line during the live primetime broadcast. While Foxx’s George was talking to Anthony Anderson’s Uncle Henry, he was supposed to say, “Ever since I was a little boy, I would always beg my mother for a little brother — but you know,...
- 5/23/2019
- TVLine.com
No need to adjust your TV sets: It’s not the 1970s, despite ABC’s best efforts to make you think so Wednesday night. The network, aided by of Norman Lear (One Day at a Time) and Lear superfan Jimmy Kimmel, recreated two of the TV legend’s classic sitcoms with a star-packed cast in a one-night-only live* performance. (*If you were on the East Coast; other time zones were shown a taped repeat.)
If you’ve never seen All in the Family before, here’s what you need to know: Archie Bunker (played in the live version by Woody Harrelson,...
If you’ve never seen All in the Family before, here’s what you need to know: Archie Bunker (played in the live version by Woody Harrelson,...
- 5/23/2019
- TVLine.com
It’s probably no surprise that Norman Lear has seen his relevancy rise even higher in recent years. Lear’s classic 1970s sitcoms, such as “All in the Family,” “Maude,” “Good Times” and “The Jeffersons,” feel just as applicable today as they did 40 years ago.
And that’s part of the motivation behind ABC’s Wednesday night special “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons.'”
The special is a re-creation of two episodes, one from each series, as performed by contemporary stars — including Woody Harrelson as Archie Bunker, Marisa Tomei as Edith Bunker, Jamie Foxx as George Jefferson, and Wanda Sykes as Louise Jefferson.
The actual episodes used are under embargo, but there is a natural thread between the two shows, given that “The Jeffersons,” which ran from 1975 to 1985, is a spinoff of “All in the Family,” which aired from 1971 to 1979. For this special,...
And that’s part of the motivation behind ABC’s Wednesday night special “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons.'”
The special is a re-creation of two episodes, one from each series, as performed by contemporary stars — including Woody Harrelson as Archie Bunker, Marisa Tomei as Edith Bunker, Jamie Foxx as George Jefferson, and Wanda Sykes as Louise Jefferson.
The actual episodes used are under embargo, but there is a natural thread between the two shows, given that “The Jeffersons,” which ran from 1975 to 1985, is a spinoff of “All in the Family,” which aired from 1971 to 1979. For this special,...
- 5/22/2019
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Apologies to Matt Damon, but Jimmy Kimmel will be around to terrorize him in late night for three more years. Kimmel has sealed a three-year contract extension as host and executive producer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” the late-night show he has fronted since 2003.
The extension also means Kimmel will remain in place on ABC through his 20th season on the show. The news was announced on Tuesday morning by ABC entertainment president Karey Burke. Kimmel will return to the ABC upfronts stage on Tuesday afternoon, as has become a tradition at the annual event for advertisers.
Kimmel is now one of the veterans of late night, and currently in his 17th season on the show. Since the show’s launch, Kimmel created some of the earliest viral video sensations (he now clocks 10 billion views and 14 million subscribers on YouTube), and has hosted the Oscars twice, plus the Primetime Emmys.
The...
The extension also means Kimmel will remain in place on ABC through his 20th season on the show. The news was announced on Tuesday morning by ABC entertainment president Karey Burke. Kimmel will return to the ABC upfronts stage on Tuesday afternoon, as has become a tradition at the annual event for advertisers.
Kimmel is now one of the veterans of late night, and currently in his 17th season on the show. Since the show’s launch, Kimmel created some of the earliest viral video sensations (he now clocks 10 billion views and 14 million subscribers on YouTube), and has hosted the Oscars twice, plus the Primetime Emmys.
The...
- 5/14/2019
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Pamela Adlon is a child of television — literally. Not only was the small screen a tremendous influence on the “Better Things” creator and star while she was growing up, but as a young actress she also made an impression on some of those very same iconic series.
Among Adlon’s early credits are “The Facts of Life” and “The Jeffersons.” In the eleventh season “The Jeffersons” episode “Try a Little Tenderness,” Adlon played a young hoodlum who robbed one of George Jefferson’s dry cleaners.
“Louise thought she could turn around some street kids and George was like, ‘No, you can’t,'” Adlon recalled. “He caught me robbing the dry cleaners and they take me up to their apartment with my other streetrat friend and they turned him around. [But] in the end I still picked George’s pocket. And Weezie looks at him and says, ‘You were right, George!
Among Adlon’s early credits are “The Facts of Life” and “The Jeffersons.” In the eleventh season “The Jeffersons” episode “Try a Little Tenderness,” Adlon played a young hoodlum who robbed one of George Jefferson’s dry cleaners.
“Louise thought she could turn around some street kids and George was like, ‘No, you can’t,'” Adlon recalled. “He caught me robbing the dry cleaners and they take me up to their apartment with my other streetrat friend and they turned him around. [But] in the end I still picked George’s pocket. And Weezie looks at him and says, ‘You were right, George!
- 5/14/2019
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Kerry Washington has The Jeffersons handled: The Scandal alumna has joined the cast of Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons, airing May 22 at 8/7c on ABC.
Washington will play Helen Willis, the Jeffersons character originally portrayed by Roxie Roker; Will Ferrell will play her on-screen husband Tom. The live sitcom special also features Woody Harrelson (as Archie Bunker), Marisa Tomei (Edith Bunker), Jamie Foxx (George Jefferson), Wanda Sykes (Louise Jefferson), Ellie Kemper (Gloria Stivic), Justina Machado (Florence Johnston), Ike Barinholtz (Meathead), Sean Hayes (Mr. Lorenzo), Amber Stevens West (Jenny...
Washington will play Helen Willis, the Jeffersons character originally portrayed by Roxie Roker; Will Ferrell will play her on-screen husband Tom. The live sitcom special also features Woody Harrelson (as Archie Bunker), Marisa Tomei (Edith Bunker), Jamie Foxx (George Jefferson), Wanda Sykes (Louise Jefferson), Ellie Kemper (Gloria Stivic), Justina Machado (Florence Johnston), Ike Barinholtz (Meathead), Sean Hayes (Mr. Lorenzo), Amber Stevens West (Jenny...
- 5/13/2019
- TVLine.com
ABC's Live All in the Family Special Finds Its Meathead, While The Jeffersons Casts Lionel and Jenny
ABC’s live staging of classic episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons has added to its casts.
Previously announced stars for Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons (airing Wednesday, May 22 at 87c) included Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as Archie and Edith Bunker, Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes as George and Louise Jefferson, Ellie Kemper as Gloria Stivic, Will Ferrell as Tom Willis and Justina Machado as Florence Johnston.
New to the All in the Family re-creation are Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project) as Meathead, Sean Hayes...
Previously announced stars for Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons (airing Wednesday, May 22 at 87c) included Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as Archie and Edith Bunker, Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes as George and Louise Jefferson, Ellie Kemper as Gloria Stivic, Will Ferrell as Tom Willis and Justina Machado as Florence Johnston.
New to the All in the Family re-creation are Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project) as Meathead, Sean Hayes...
- 5/10/2019
- TVLine.com
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons’ has added more star power.
Ike Barinholtz will re-create the role of Mike “Meathead” Stivic, Sean Hayes will play Mr. Lorenzo, Amber Stevens West is set to play Jenny Willis Jefferson in the one-night-only sitcom special hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and those classic series’ creator, Norman Lear.
Jovan Adepo will re-enact the role of Lionel Jefferson, Anthony Anderson joins as Uncle Henry, Stephen Tobolowsky is set to play Mr. Bentley, and Jackée Harry will play Diane Stockwell.
The special, airing live on ABC, Wednesday, May 22 at 8 Pm Et, will re-create an original episode from each of the iconic 1970s Lear comedies. James Burrows will direct, and Sony Pictures Television is producing.
Previously announced stars include Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as Archie and Edith Bunker. Also previously announced, Jamie Foxx takes the role of George Jefferson,...
Ike Barinholtz will re-create the role of Mike “Meathead” Stivic, Sean Hayes will play Mr. Lorenzo, Amber Stevens West is set to play Jenny Willis Jefferson in the one-night-only sitcom special hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and those classic series’ creator, Norman Lear.
Jovan Adepo will re-enact the role of Lionel Jefferson, Anthony Anderson joins as Uncle Henry, Stephen Tobolowsky is set to play Mr. Bentley, and Jackée Harry will play Diane Stockwell.
The special, airing live on ABC, Wednesday, May 22 at 8 Pm Et, will re-create an original episode from each of the iconic 1970s Lear comedies. James Burrows will direct, and Sony Pictures Television is producing.
Previously announced stars include Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as Archie and Edith Bunker. Also previously announced, Jamie Foxx takes the role of George Jefferson,...
- 5/10/2019
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
In May 2017, Jimmy Kimmel and Justin Theroux announced they were teaming up to produce a live ABC special that would recreate classic sitcoms. Two years later, it’s finally happening. On Thursday, ABC announced that the 90-minute special will air on May 22 and will be a tribute to Norman Lear‘s seminal “All in the Family” and its spin-off “The Jeffersons.” The star-studded cast includes Woody Harrelson as Archie Bunker, Marisa Tomei as Edith Bunker and Jamie Foxx as George Jefferson. If this goes over well, watch out, Emmys.
While the special itself would be under the live variety special category, performers in live specials compete in the limited series/TV movie acting categories. And with a lot of fluidity in those races this year, these heavy hitters could definitely crash them. Tomei and Foxx are Oscar winners, while Harrelson is an Emmy champ and a three-time Oscar nominee. The...
While the special itself would be under the live variety special category, performers in live specials compete in the limited series/TV movie acting categories. And with a lot of fluidity in those races this year, these heavy hitters could definitely crash them. Tomei and Foxx are Oscar winners, while Harrelson is an Emmy champ and a three-time Oscar nominee. The...
- 4/21/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Forty-eight years after Archie Bunker first sat in his armchair and yelled at Meathead to get his feet off the coffee table, ABC announced a live tribute special to All in the Family and its spinoff, The Jeffersons. The one-night only event will air on May 22nd.
Hosted by legendary producer Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel, the tribute will star Woody Harrelson as the curmudgeonly Bunker and Marisa Tomei as his wife Edith—originally played by Carol O’Connor and Jean Stapleton. Jamie Foxx will take on Sherman Hensley’s...
Hosted by legendary producer Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel, the tribute will star Woody Harrelson as the curmudgeonly Bunker and Marisa Tomei as his wife Edith—originally played by Carol O’Connor and Jean Stapleton. Jamie Foxx will take on Sherman Hensley’s...
- 4/19/2019
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
It might not be #ThrowBackThursday, but ABC is definitely taking it back to the old-school TV days. In collaboration with Live! host Jimmy Kimmel and legendary producer Norman Lear, the broadcast network will present a one-time live-action TV event inspired by sitcom classics All in the Family and The Jeffersons. The production, which is titled Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons will put a modern day twist on the two classic shows and feature a star-studded cast - including Jamie Foxx as George Jefferson and Woody Harrelson as Archie Bunker - and we can already tell it's going to be hilarious!
"They have said over and over again that these two shows were meant for the '70s and would not work today," Lear said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "We disagree with them and are here to prove,...
"They have said over and over again that these two shows were meant for the '70s and would not work today," Lear said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "We disagree with them and are here to prove,...
- 4/19/2019
- by Chanel Vargas
- Popsugar.com
ABC is putting a new spin on the live TV production.
The Disney-owned broadcast network is teaming with Jimmy Kimmel and legendary producer Norman Lear for a live, 90-minute, star-studded tribute to classic sitcoms All in the Family and its spinoff, The Jeffersons. The event — Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons — is set to air May 22 and will feature Woody Harrelson taking on Carroll O'Connor's famed role of Archie Bunker. Jamie Foxx will play George Jefferson in the role originally made famous by Sherman ...
The Disney-owned broadcast network is teaming with Jimmy Kimmel and legendary producer Norman Lear for a live, 90-minute, star-studded tribute to classic sitcoms All in the Family and its spinoff, The Jeffersons. The event — Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons — is set to air May 22 and will feature Woody Harrelson taking on Carroll O'Connor's famed role of Archie Bunker. Jamie Foxx will play George Jefferson in the role originally made famous by Sherman ...
- 4/19/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Jennifer Lopez and fellow Bronx artist French Montana team up for upbeat new song, “Medicine.” It’s Lopez’s first new single of the year. The pair previously collaborated on 2014 A.K.A tracks “Same Girl” and “I Luh Ya Papi.”
Over her new single’s horn-inflected melodies, Lopez warns a suitor with a bad rep to “Don’t go thinking you can use me/it don’t take too much, you can lose me” and turns the tables on any stepping-out behavior on the chorus. “Think you need some...
Over her new single’s horn-inflected melodies, Lopez warns a suitor with a bad rep to “Don’t go thinking you can use me/it don’t take too much, you can lose me” and turns the tables on any stepping-out behavior on the chorus. “Think you need some...
- 4/4/2019
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Despite CBS rolling out two sitcoms that are both inspired by real-life events, the creative teams behind “The Neighborhood” and “Happy Together” insist family dynamics, rather than topical elements, will be at the core of both shows.
“We aren’t a show that’s like, ‘This week, ‘The Neighborhood’ takes on ‘this issue.’ I don’t think you ever teach anyone anything by telling them, by proselytizing, by poking and saying, ‘This is what you should think,’” “The Neighborhood” showrunner Jim Reynolds said at the Paley Fall TV Preview event Wednesday. “It’s about individuals, it’s not about black and white. … I’m a big believer in you win hearts, and then you change minds.”
“The Neighborhood” is based on Reynolds’ own experience of moving into a historically black neighborhood in Pasadena, California, and learning about local issues that were new to him. The show centers around patriarch Calvin Butler,...
“We aren’t a show that’s like, ‘This week, ‘The Neighborhood’ takes on ‘this issue.’ I don’t think you ever teach anyone anything by telling them, by proselytizing, by poking and saying, ‘This is what you should think,’” “The Neighborhood” showrunner Jim Reynolds said at the Paley Fall TV Preview event Wednesday. “It’s about individuals, it’s not about black and white. … I’m a big believer in you win hearts, and then you change minds.”
“The Neighborhood” is based on Reynolds’ own experience of moving into a historically black neighborhood in Pasadena, California, and learning about local issues that were new to him. The show centers around patriarch Calvin Butler,...
- 9/13/2018
- by Rachel Yang
- Variety Film + TV
Audiences are about to meet Calvin played by Cedric the Entertainer on CBS’s new fall show “The Neighborhood.” Cedric the Entertainer’s character is a bit of an Archie Bunker of “All in the Family” meets George Jefferson from “The Jeffersons.” The show is shocking for a modern CBS show, and not your traditional sitcom. “The Neighborhood” explores reverse discrimination in that Calvin is prejudiced against his new white neighbors. Cedric addressed how his character will be viewed given today’s political climate, and whether he based it on anyone he knows.
- 8/22/2018
- by info@cinemovie.tv (Super User)
- CineMovie
CBS’s Armageddon Upfront just wrapped.
Technically, this Upfront Week’s most anticipated new-schedule unveiling was held at famed Carnegie Hall, per usual. But it began mere hours after Shari Redstone’s National Amusements took the nuclear option, changing CBS Corp’s bylaws ahead of tomorrow’s board meeting to consider diluting the family’s control over the network. Nai said it had to make the move to ensure “the long-term success of CBS” – which is the best gag you’re going to hear at Upfront Week – sorry Jimmy Kimmel – given the Redstone record running Viacom versus Leslie Moonves’ running of CBS.
As CBS Corp chairman Moonves and CBS Entertainment chief Kelly Kahl walked advertisers through their plans for next season, CBS and Shari were literally still duking it out in a Delaware court.
Nai went nuclear to prevent what is claimed was an unlawful action by CBS to introduce...
Technically, this Upfront Week’s most anticipated new-schedule unveiling was held at famed Carnegie Hall, per usual. But it began mere hours after Shari Redstone’s National Amusements took the nuclear option, changing CBS Corp’s bylaws ahead of tomorrow’s board meeting to consider diluting the family’s control over the network. Nai said it had to make the move to ensure “the long-term success of CBS” – which is the best gag you’re going to hear at Upfront Week – sorry Jimmy Kimmel – given the Redstone record running Viacom versus Leslie Moonves’ running of CBS.
As CBS Corp chairman Moonves and CBS Entertainment chief Kelly Kahl walked advertisers through their plans for next season, CBS and Shari were literally still duking it out in a Delaware court.
Nai went nuclear to prevent what is claimed was an unlawful action by CBS to introduce...
- 5/16/2018
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
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