The Jetsons is now becoming a live-action TV show pilot, thanks to ABC. A Jetsons reboot has been rumored for awhile now, with Robert Rodriguez attached to direct a new film adaptation at one point. Warner Brothers is currently working on a new animated Jetsons movie with Sausage Party co-director Vernon Conrad directing. With the revival of Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo doing well and delightfully tweaking the previous series' foibles, is it time for modern audiences to "Meet the Jetsons?"
The original Jetsons cartoon TV series aired from 1962 to 1963 on ABC. Spanning 24 episodes, the show followed George, Jane, Judy, Elroy, their robot maid Rosie and the family dog Astro. George worked at "Spacely sprockets" in an undefined profession within the company, while his wife Judy was a homemaker. Their world was populated by flying cars, robots, and push button devices around their home that allowed for easy leisure moments - when they weren't breaking down.
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As reported by Variety, ABC now has a put pilot order for a live-action Jetsons TV show. It will be a multi-cam sitcom set 100 years in the future and follow the exploits of the eponymous space-age family. Robert Zemeckis will produce along with Jack Rapke, under their Compari Entertainment banner. Writer Gary Janetti (Family Guy, Willand Grace) will write and executive produce the series. Compari's Jackie Levine will also serve as a co-executive producer, with Warner Brothers Television producing in association with Compari and Nickelby Inc.
Created as a futuristic counterpart to the pre-historic animated sitcom The Flintstones, The Jetsons was revived in 1985 in syndication. The revival produced 41 new episodes. A third season featuring 10 episodes was produced in 1987, and an animated Jetsons movie was released to theaters in 1990. The movie was the last Jetsons title produced until 2017's The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-Wrestlemania!.
The "family sitcom" archetype begun with The Honeymooners and The Flintstones (and continued today by The Simpsons and Family Guy) is a funny, if somewhat outdated, comedy goldmine. A clever update on the traditional nuclear family, however, could be funny as well as timely. The Jetsons are a nostalgic staple, sure to draw anyone who watched Cartoon Network as a child or any fan of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon slate. A fresh and updated take at a modern family dealing with the same things that George Jetson and his brood dealt with, from broken technology to their talking dog, could be a fun way to add some levity to the television landscape.
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No cast has currently been announced for ABC's The Jetsons pilot. We'll keep you updated on any and all news.
Source: Variety