With Warner Bros. currently developing a new animated feature version ofThe Jetsons, the studio is also working on a fresh live-action TV show. The studio has brought onFamily Guyexecutive producer Gary Janetti to help shepherd this project, along with Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke also serving as executive producers. Jackie Levine will serve as co-executive producer, with Nickleby, Inc. and Compari Entertainment producing alongside Warner Bros. Television.
TV Linefirst broke the news of this live-action comedy series, although no details were given on how this remake may change the story of the original series. Ironically, when Warner Bros.' first started developing aJetsonsmovie, the studio was planning a live-action project, hiring writers Van Robicheaux and Evan Susser to write the script way back in 2012. There was even one point where Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn) was slated to direct, but the studio decided to make an animated movie instead. As of now, Conrad Vernon, who directed last year’s R-rated animated hitSausage Party, is slated to direct.
The original Hanna-Barbera seriesThe Jetsonsdebuted in September 1962, just two years after the company’s hit seriesThe Flintstones. WhileThe Flintstoneswere set in pre-historic times,The Jetsonswas set far into the future, following a family lead by George Jetson (George O’Hanlon), his wife Jane Jetson (Penny Singleton), his son Elroy Jetson (Daws Butler) and daughterJudy Jetson(Janet Waldo). The legendary Mel Blanc also provided the voice for George’s boss, Cosmo S. Spacely, who owned Spacely Sprockets, where George worked. Don Messick also voiced the family dog Astro with Jean Vander Pyl voicing Rosie the Robot, the family’s maid.
The show only ran for one season in its original run, but new episodes were created between 1985 and 1987 for the animated show’s run in syndication. The 24-episode first season was combined with 41 new episodes created for syndication, with all of the original voice actors returning, with the show airing in morning or late-afternoon time slots in 80 markets across the country. An additional 10 episode season was produced in 1987, but following the deaths ofMel Blancand George O’Hanlon in 1989, the 1990 feature filmThe Jetsons Movieserved as the series finale. The franchise was brought back to life earlier this year with the straight-to-video animated featureThe Jetsons & WWE Robo-Wrestlemania.
Theoriginal animated serieswas set in the year 2062, exactly 100 years ahead of the show’s 1962 premiere. This report reveals that this new show will follow suit, meaning it will likely be set in the year 2118, provided this show is eventually picked up by a network or streaming service for a 2018 debut. This live-action version ofThe Jetsonsis a multi-camera series that will be shopped around to broadcast and cable networks, and most likely to streaming services too, in the next few weeks. Hopefully we’ll find out more about this potential live-actionJetsonsseries in the very near future.
