Norman Lear to make cameo appearance in Netflix animated series ‘Good Times’ as TV icon leaves list of upcoming projects behind him – Deadline

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Hollywood may have lost a TV legend in Norman Lear, following his death on Tuesday at the age of 101, but fans will be able to spend more time with him as he is set to appear in an upcoming animated series. happy timesI learned the deadline exclusively.

The Netflix and Sony Picture Television comedy, which follows a new generation of the Evans family residing in one of Chicago’s last remaining housing projects, has yet to announce a release date, but sources reveal it is targeting a summer 2024 premiere. Netflix and SPT declined to comment.

happy times It is just one of many projects left behind by Lear, who, at the age of 101, has remained busy developing and producing new series through his production deal at Sony TV. In May, Netflix greenlighted the drama series Lear EP-ed Legion, starring Vera Farmiga, Miles Heizer, and Liam Oh, is about a gay high school student who joins the Marines alongside his best friend. The project is based on Greg Cobb White’s memoir Pink navyIt was close to Lear’s heart as an Army veteran who fought valiantly during World War II.

Justina Machado’s character Penelope in One day at a time The reboot from Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce, which executive produced Lear, had an army veteran dealing with PTSD pay homage to Lear.

A remake of another classic Lear TV series, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, he was also working with Lear exex production. Originally conceived at TBS in 2021, the project entered a turnaround phase following changes to Turner’s cable network. In April, Deadline spoke with Brent Miller, Lear’s producing partner Schitt’s Creek Star Emily Hampshire — who has been attached to the lead role — has talked about the project.

“It’s shopping,” Miller said during the interview.

Hampshire added, “If anyone’s shopping, Mary’s shopping. What’s great about the show is the idea of ​​exploring what the original series would be like in today’s world. What’s great is that it’s becoming more and more relevant now. Mary’s obsession with her screen foreshadowed ours, but now instead From Mary watching commercials, we became the commercials.

Lear, Miller and Jimmy Kimmel have completed two successful sequels to their work Live in front of a studio audience Television specials on ABC, combining many of Lear’s classic shows such as Everyone in the family And its subsidiary The Jeffersons And later, happy times And Facts of life. The former won two Emmy Awards, including one for TV Special (Live), making Lear the oldest Emmy winner in history at the age of 97. There has been talk of a third iteration of the franchise, however, no further information is available at this time.

Last June, A Who is the manager? It has been announced that the sequel series is in development on Amazon Freevee with Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano returning to play their original roles. Deadline was caught with Milano on a picket line during the SAG-AFTRA strike, which confirmed that the project was still underway.

Lear is executive producing the sequel as well as the upcoming comedy series led by Freevee’s Laverne Cox and George Wallace. White page.

The original was created by Mike Evans and Eric Monte happy times It was the first two-parent African American family sitcom. It was an offshoot of Lear’s work Maude, Which was itself part of Lear’s signature series, Everyone in the family.