Lee Daniels set to reboot The Wonder Years with an all-black cast … original series star Fred Savage will direct pilot
Film and television creator Lee Daniels, 60, is reviving The Wonder Years with ABC and re-creating the series with an all-black cast, it was reported Wednesday.
A revival of the late eighties/early nineties prime time comedy-drama was given ‘a pilot production commitment’ from the network, according to Deadline. The original series also aired on ABC.
Fred Savage, who starred in the show as teenager Kevin Arnold, will direct the pilot and serve as an executive producer on the reimagined project.
Revival: Two-time Oscar nominee Lee Daniels (pictured) is reviving The Wonder Years with an all-black cast for ABC and original series star Fred Savage is set to direct the pilot, it was reported Wednesday
The new series will be a half-hour comedy and will center around ‘a black middle class family in Montgomery, Alabama in the turbulent late 1960’s,’ Variety reported.
The Wonder Years was a coming-of-age television series about the dealings of young boy, Kevin Arnold, and his life in a middle-class family living in an American suburb.
Each episode was told through the recollections of Kevin as an adult through narration by actor Daniel Stern.
It aired on ABC for six seasons from 1988-1993 but the time period in the show was from 1968 to 1973 – exactly 20 years prior.
The Arnold family reborn: The new series will be a half-hour comedy and will center around ‘a black middle class family in Montgomery, Alabama in the turbulent late 1960’s,’ Variety reported
Dan Lauria starred in The Wonder Years as Kevin’s dad Jack Arnold with Alley Mills as his mom Norma.
Kevin’s older siblings were played by Jason Hervey and Olivia d’Abo, with Josh Saviano as his best friend Paul, and Danica McKellar as Kevin’s girlfriend Winnie Cooper.
Fred Savage was lauded for his portrayal of the young protagonist and became the youngest actor nominated for a Best Actor Emmy at 13-years-old.
He also scored back-to-back Golden Globe acting nominations in 1990 and 1991.
Iconic: The Wonder Years was a coming-of-age television series that aired for six seasons from 1988-1993 about the dealings of young boy, Kevin Arnold, and his life in a middle-class family living in an American suburb
The Wonder Years won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1988, a Golden Globe in 1989 for Best TV Comedy Series and a Peabody in 1990.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the revival was given a ‘sizeable’ commitment from the network for the pilot and upon script approval a small writers room will be put together for the series.
Sources told the outlet that the new Wonder Years is being developed for the 2021-22 TV season.
Reboot: Saladin K. Patterson (Big Bang Theory), who also serves an executive producer on the reboot, will pen the reimaging based on his own experiences growing up in Montgomery, Alabama
Saladin K. Patterson (Big Bang Theory), who also serves an executive producer on the reboot, will pen the reimaging based on his own experiences growing up in Montgomery, Alabama.
Two-time Oscar nominee Lee Daniels recently wrapped the final season of his hit FOX drama, Empire, and his upcoming Billie Holiday biopic was purchased by Paramount for an eye-popping eight figures.
Meanwhile, Fred Savage has created quite a reputation both in front of and behind the camera starring in the short-lived Rob Lowe comedy The Grinder and directing shows like Modern Family and The Goldbergs.
Returning to the beginning: Fred Savage was nominated for a best acting Emmy at 13-years-old for his role as Kevin Arnold and will return to the rebooted series as an executive producer and director of the pilot