[griojw id=”NOwCjFoA” playerid=””]
An all-star cast has been unveiled for next week’s live staging of Good Times and we couldn’t be more thrilled!
Viola Davis will play Florida Evans and Andre Braugher will take on the role of James Evans in ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience’s Dec. 18 show. We’re sure Tiffany Haddish will have us in stitches as Willona Woods. Florida and James’ kids will be played by Jay Pharoah as J.J. Evans, Asante Blackk as Michael Evans and the lovely Corinne Foxx as Thelma Evans, according to Deadline.
READ MORE: ‘Good Times’ to air on ABC’s ‘Live in Front of a Studio Audience’
Jharrel Jerome has also been cast, but his position wasn’t divulged. Perhaps, Bookman?
And who will perform the theme song to the Norman Lear classic, you might ask? Anthony Anderson and Patti LaBelle, and they’ll also be live, Deadline reports.
All the yesses in yesville!
Last month, ABC announced it would take on Good Times and All in the Family, as their latest throwback series to hit Live in Front of a Studio Audience. In the special, just as the network did early this year with The Jeffersons and All in the Family, ABC will recreate episodes from the classic shows.
The recreated episodes for Good Times and All in the Family will air live at 8 p.m. on Dec. 18. Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ellie Kemper, and Ike Barinholtz will once again star in the recreated All in the Family, playing Archie Bunker, Edith Bunker, their daughter, Gloria and son-in-law, Mike, according to Today. They will be joined this go around by newcomers, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Eisenberg, and Justina Machado, but we’ll have to tune in to see who they will play.
READ MORE: Ann Coulter reportedly dating ‘Good Times’ star Jimmie Walker
The first time ABC ran its Live in Front of a Studio Audience special, it proved to be successful. The program received a 2.9 rating in adults 18-49 age range and 14.3 million viewers in the Live+35 ratings. It also collected an Emmy for “Best Live Variety Special,” Variety reported. The special was nominated for three Emmy’s and won one in the category of “Outstanding Variety Special (live).”
Good Times was originally created by Mike Evans, Eric Monte and was developed by Lear. Kerry Washington joins as an executive producer for the live event. Other producers include Lear, Jimmy Kimmel, Brent Miller, Will Ferrell, and Justin Theroux.