Live in Front of a Studio Audience is coming back for another night of classic sitcom goodness. Today, ABC announced on Twitter that All in the Family and Good Times would be recreated live in front of a studio audience. All in the Family was co-created by TV icon Norman Lear in the early 1970s. A few years later, Lear also helped to develop Good Times, a spinoff of Maude, which itself was a spinoff of All in the Family.
The classic sitcoms you love with the stars you can’t miss. #LiveInFrontOfAStudioAudience: All in the Family and Good Times is LIVE Wednesday at 8|7c on ABC! pic.twitter.com/3fv33SFXxB
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) December 13, 2019
Like the original Live broadcast aired in May, and saw Jimmy Kimmel as the MC while two classic episodes were brought to life with some of today’s A-list actors. To recreate Good Times, the first-ever sitcom to center on an African-American family, the network has enlisted Viola Davis and Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andre Braugher as Florida and James Evans. Rounding out the cast will be Tiffany Haddish, Asante Blackk, Jharrel Jerome, former Saturday Night Live star Jay Pharoah and Corinne Foxx.
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For the other half of the night, Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ellie Kemper and Ike Barinholtz will all reprise their roles as the Bunker clan for the All in the Family episode. The quartet appeared on the initial Live in Front of a Studio Audience, recreating the episode “Henry’s Farewell.” That was paired with The Jeffersons pilot episode, “A Friend in Need,” which starred Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes as the eponymous couple that moved on up to the east side.
The initial airing of Live in Front of a Studio Audience was seen as a somewhat risky move but ended up raking in an astonishing 10.36 million viewers, as well as a 1.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic. With such substantial ratings the network was, unsurprisingly, prompted to start putting together this upcoming broadcast back in June. Another installment is due sometime in 2020.
“We didn’t know if people would still care and it was nice they did,” said ABC President of Entertainment Karey Burke said at the time.
Along with all the nostalgia, the first Live broadcast entered notoriety when Foxx flubbed one of his lines live on air. “It’s live. Everyone sitting at home just thinks their TV messed up,” Foxx replied, before successfully delivering the punchline.
Live in Front of a Studio Audience will return Wednesday night at 8 pm on ABC.
