Small Screen: ‘Life Goes On’ Sequel; The ‘Honeymooners’ Reboot; ‘The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey’ On Apple TV+
Nkechi Okoro Carroll - Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer
Broadcast: NBC has given a pilot commitment to the upcoming sequel of Life Goes On, helmed by Nkechi Okoro Carroll. This all comes after the big deal struck by Warner Bros. TV and Okoro Carroll. She will write and executive produce the sequel. A script has been ordered accompanied by a penalty if the script does not get greenlit as a pilot. As of now, the script has not been ordered. Okoro Carroll is joined by Kellie Martin and Chad Lowe, both cast members from the original, as producers, and the show’s creator Michael Braverman will be an executive consultant. ‘The series centered on the Thatcher family from suburban Chicago and was the first TV show to have a major character with Down syndrome. The sequel will revisit a grown-up Becca Thatcher, played by Martin, now an accomplished doctor, and her extended family as she returns to her hometown.’
The classic comedy The Honeymooners is being rebooted by CBS Studios. Damon Wayans Jr., known for New Girl, is executive producing with Lindsey Shockley, known for Black-ish, is helming the project as showrunner. Shockley claims this is a bold, female-driven reboot. The series focuses on “new wife, Ruth, and her husband, Alex, who are determined to have a marriage where they are true equals in every way. But what happens when a marriage has two heads of the household? Are they co-heads? Or no head at all?” Kameron Tarlow is executive producing with Kelly Park executive producing and directing.
Jordan Rodrigues - SOPA Images
Streaming: Disney + and ABC Signature are making a spinoff series of the hit film National Treasure. Jerry Bruckheimer, Jon Turtletaub and Marianne, and Cormac Wibberly all return as executive producers. The new series stars Lisette Alexis as Jess ‘a DREAMer in search of answers about her family — who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about the past and save a lost Pan-American treasure.’ Zuri Reed known for Flatbush Misdemeanors and Jordan Rodrigues known for Light as a Feather have been cast as series regulars. Reed plays Tasha, Jess’s closest friend from high school. She is described as ‘fiercely independent, a social media personality and a tech genius, who uses her platform to fight for privacy and rally against big corporations. But when she joins the treasure hunt, she’s forced to reevaluate her belief system to help her best friend.’ Rodrigues is set to play Ethan. ‘Golden boy Ethan and Jess have been best friends since her mother Manuela tutored them as children, and Ethan’s loved Jess since the day they met. A Type-A rule-follower, Ethan will have to learn to relax his grip if he wants to be helpful on the hunt.’
BET+ is adapting Ian K. Smith’s novel, The Unspoken, into a television series entitled Cayne. Produced by Michael Strahan and written by Gregory Poireir, known for Rosewood, ‘Cayne tells the story of former Chicago detective and current private eye Ashe Cayne who is desperate for redemption. After refusing to participate in a police department cover-up involving the death of a young black man, Cayne is pushed out of the force. But he won’t sit quietly on the sidelines: with his intricate knowledge of Chicago, he will fight for justice for the people of the city he loves… rich and poor, the powerful and the powerless… against criminals, the gangs that rule the streets, crooked cops, and the political machine that runs city hall… even if it means putting himself in jeopardy.’ Poirier will executive produce with Strahan and Schwartz-Morini for SMAC Entertainment, along with Smith and Scott Lambert.
The adaptation of Walter Mosely’s novel, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey has released first-look images as well as a premiere date on Apple Tv+. The sixeth episode drama stars Samuel L. Jackson as Ptolemy Grey ‘an ailing man forgotten by his family, by his friends, and by even himself. Suddenly left without his trusted caretaker and on the brink of sinking even deeper into dementia, Ptolemy is assigned to the care of orphaned teenager Robyn, played by Dominique Fishback. When they learn about a treatment that can restore Ptolemy’s dementia-addled memories, it begins a journey toward shocking truths about the past, present, and future.’ Moseley penned the script and is attached as executive producer. Other cast members include Cynthia Kaye MacWilliams, Damon Gupton, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Walton Goggins, and Omar Miller. The first two episodes will debut on March 11th.
