In an exciting foray into television nostalgia, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is set to honor the iconic sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons with a live 90-minute special featuring an all-star cast. This highly anticipated event, titled Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons, will air on ABC on May 22.
The special promises to bring together contemporary Hollywood luminaries who will embody the beloved characters from these groundbreaking series. Among the featured stars are Woody Harrelson as the outspoken Archie Bunker, Marisa Tomei as his loving yet exasperated wife Edith, and Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes portraying the dynamic George and Louise Jefferson. Kimmel will share hosting duties with Norman Lear himself, the legendary creator behind both shows. Renowned director James Burrows, celebrated for his work on classics like Friends and Will & Grace, will oversee the live performance.
Kimmel expressed his excitement, stating, “The fact that a group of Oscar winners eagerly agreed to play these iconic characters is a testament to the greatness of these shows and their creator, Norman Lear. To be a part of this is a dream come true for me and for everyone involved.” Joining this star-studded lineup are Ellie Kemper as Gloria Stivic, Will Ferrell as Tom Willis, and Justina Machado as Florence Johnston, with more surprise guests expected to be announced. The event is being executive produced by Kimmel, Lear, and notable names like Brent Miller, Adam McKay, and Justin Theroux.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/all-in-the-family-1-2000-808eba5973184310a1fe7334c9edf44b.jpg)
In a statement, Lear challenged the notion that these series belong solely to the ’70s, asserting, “They have said over and over again that these two shows were meant for the ’70s and would not work today. We disagree with them and are here to prove, with two great casts depicting All in the Family and The Jeffersons, the timelessness of human nature. I cannot wait to see what these glorious performers make in our time of these indelible characters.”
While the specific episodes set to be recreated have not yet been disclosed, both All in the Family and The Jeffersons have left an indelible mark on television history. All in the Family aired on CBS from 1971 to 1979 and featured Carroll O’Connor as the bluntly opinionated Archie Bunker, whose interactions with his traditionally minded wife Edith and liberal son-in-law, Michael “Meathead” Stivic, tackled pressing social issues like racism and women’s rights.
The Jeffersons, which aired from 1975 to 1985 as a spin-off of All in the Family, was groundbreaking in its portrayal of an interracial couple and one of the longest-running African-American shows in TV history. It depicted George and Louise Jefferson, played by Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford, navigating their new life in a predominantly white neighborhood after moving up to the east side.
Both series garnered critical acclaim, earning over two dozen Emmy nominations combined, with All in the Family making history as the first sitcom in which all four leading actors won Emmys. This upcoming live special aims to reignite the conversation around these seminal shows, showcasing their relevance and appeal to a modern audience
