Bewitched Reboot With Interracial Family From Kenya Barris Set At ABC

[AntennaTV2020]

https://deadline.com/2018/08/bewitch...nt-1202447276/

EXCLUSIVE: Just before he recently departed ABC Studios to embark on a rich overall deal at Netflix, Black-ish creator Kenya Barris sold one last high-profile project to ABC: Bewitched, a single camera, interracial blended family comedy based on the popular 1960s sitcom of the same name. It took a little while for all the deals to close, but the network has given a pilot production commitment to the new take on the classic supernatural sitcom, from Barris and Black-ish writer/co-producer Yamara Taylor. The project hails from ABC Studios; Sony Pictures TV, which has the rights to the title; and Sony-based Davis Entertainment

In Bewitched, written by Barris and Taylor, Samantha, a hardworking black single mom who happens to be a witch, marries Darren, a white mortal who happens to be a bit of a slacker. They struggle to navigate their differences as she discovers that even when a black girl is literally magic, she’s still not as powerful as a decently tall white man with a full head of hair in America.

Barris is executive producing via his Khalabo Ink Society banner alongside Taylor and Davis Entertainment’s John Davis and John Fox.

ABC, which aired the original Bewitched from 1964-1972, had been very interested in a reboot as the concept represents a twist on a family sitcom, which has been the network’s signature brand of comedy.

In 2014, ABC heavily pursued a Bewitched sequel, one of two previous attempts by Sony Pictures TV to revive the comedy series over the past decade. Beside the 2014 project, which in a bidding situation landed a pilot production commitment at NBC but did not go to series, another reboot was in development at CBS during the 2011-2012 season.

In addition to creating the Peabody-awarded and Emmy-nominated ABC comedy series Black-ish and its successful spinoff series Grown-ish on Freeform, Barris also is behind the upcoming Freeform comedy series Besties and co-wrote last summer’s hit feature comedy Girls Trip. He is repped by Artists First, CAA and attorney Gregg Gellman.

Before joining Black-ish at the start of Season 2, Taylor worked as a writer on Instant Mom and The Boondocks, the latter also produced by Sony TV.

[Crusinforabrusin]

Another terrible idea

[Impressions]

I hope it gets cancelled before it ever hits the airwaves. This feels like a sorry attempt for an old show to stay relevant.

[MA]

I can tell this will not be lasting at all.

[Videoranger007]

Not a fan of any of his work and this just sounds awful. Trying to be controversial or make some point with the whole even when shes a magic black girl her tall white husband still has a better job or whatever they're going for... thumbs down!

[Duster76]

Here's an idea for a show:

Samantha, a hardworking black single mom marries Darren, who is white and happens to be a bit of a slacker. They struggle to navigate their differences.

You don't have to be a TV executive to think of plots for something like this, they jump off the page.

Why do you need to mix the Bewitched angle into this.

If someone wants to reboot Bewitched with a black cast, then do it, this is basically two different shows jammed together, I don't get it at all and I don't think it will succeed.