television

'All in the Family,' 'Good Times' live special coming to ABC in December

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear pose for a photograph on the set of "Live in Front of a Studio Audience" on ABC on May 22, 2019.
ABC-ABC

Jimmy Kimmel and legendary television writer Norman Lear are teaming up again for another "Live in Front of a Studio Audience" special on ABC, this time with classic episodes of "All in the Family" and "Good Times."

The Wednesday, Dec. 18, live special will follow Kimmel and Lear's award-winning May "Live in Front of a Studio Audience" broadcast in which they presented a live re-staging of one episode each of "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" with a star-studded modern cast that included Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Woody Harrelson, Wanda Sykes, Marisa Tomei, Kerry Washington and others. That special was billed as a "live, 90-minute prime-time event in tribute to classic television sitcoms."

The May special was nominated for three Emmy awards, winning Outstanding Variety Special (Live). Over the course of three airings, it reached 23.5 million total viewers, according to figures provided by ABC.

ABC has not yet announced casting details for the Dec. 18 live special. It's not clear which episodes will be presented, though Kimmel revealed Tuesday in a news release that the live special will include a holiday episode.

"Being a part of Norman Lear's world was a career highlight; and working with great actors on these great shows was so much fun, we couldn't resist tackling a holiday episode of 'All in the Family' and one of my favorites, 'Good Times,'" Kimmel said.

"I don't know which is greater - bringing back 'Good Times' or co-hosting with Jimmy Kimmel?" Lear added.

Lear, Kimmel, Brent Miller, Washington, Ferrell and Justin Theroux will serve as executive producers for the Sony Pictures Television-produced special.