A fresh iteration of the iconic 80s sitcom Who's The Boss? is in development with stars Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano returning to reprise their original roles of Tony and Samantha Micelli respectively. The sitcom, which premiered on ABC in 1984, was a progressive comedy revolving around an adorable father/daughter relationship. The original show ran for eight seasons and 196 episodes, before finally concluding in 1992. Throughout its run, Who's The Boss? consistently did well in the ratings and picked up new fans in syndication.

The show's 1984 version was developed by the legendary producer Norman Lear. Who's The Boss? featured Danza as Tony Micelli, a former ballplayer who takes up a housekeeping job for well-heeled Connecticut businesswoman Angela (Judith Light). Danza's Tony moves into Angela's house with his daughter Samantha (Milano), where his encounters with his landlord and her quirky family - son Jonathan Bower (Danny Pintauro) and mother Mona Robinson (late Katherine Helmond) - imbue several laughs.

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As reported by Deadline, Sony's upcoming sequel will take place 30 years after the events of the original show. Milano's Samantha is now a single mother, living with her retired father in the same house as the original series. Light and Pintauro are not yet attached to the planned sequel, but are reportedly supportive of the new series. There's the potential for their characters to return as well. The Who's The Boss? sequel retains the classic father/daughter camaraderie as its core, though this time, the plot will be explored against the generational differences, varied parenting styles, and evolving dynamics of a modern 2020 family life.

Who's the Boss TV Show Cast

Norman Lear will return to executive produce the show's new version alongside Brent Miller, his partner at ACT III Productions. Other executive producers include lead stars, Milano and Danza, and Dan Farah of Farah Films. Farah had originally pitched the series' revival to Sony. The full original series, meanwhile, is not available on any streamer. So once a sequel is developed and marketed to buyers, a prospective distributor may land the license to the show's original episodes as well. This is, hence, a win-win situation for distributors and fans alike. While fans can enjoy the show's standard and latest episodes, distributors will be able to cash in on audiences' proven penchant for revived comedies (think Roseanne and The Conners).

The success of recently revived sitcoms like Will & Grace and Full House (now Fuller House) has likely inspired the development of a Who's The Boss? sequel. But it will be in the best interest of the show if it is sold to a TV network (preferably ABC) while being made supplementarily available on a streaming service. Sitcom reboots arguably do better on TV than on streamers. For example, Fuller House was cancelled after five seasons, despite the show creators having plans for a season 6. And, when One Day At A Time was cancelled by Netflix, it was saved by Pop TV. Similarly, the Who's The Boss? sequel is more likely to find itself being valued at a TV network. For now, it remains to be seen where the Who's the Boss? sequel show ends up.

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Source: Deadline