'Jetsons' Live-Action TV Show: Robert Zemeckis Producing Revival for Warner Bros.
"The Jetsons" is heading back to television as Warner Bros. announced its plan to revive the series. This time, however, the show will get a live-action treatment instead of an animation. Producer and director Robert Zemeckis will be attached to the project.
Warner Bros. is reportedly shopping "The Jetson" live-action series to broadcast and cable TV networks. A source declined to give out additional details other than to acknowledge that the development will be a multi-camera show that will involve Zemeckis as executive producer. Zemeckis will also have help from "Family Guy" executive producer Gary Janetti.
"The Jetsons" live-action will have a slight change in its timeline. While the original animated series was set in 2062, the upcoming show will take place in 2118 or 100 years into the future. Suffice to say, the TV show is targeted for a premiere next year.
At its heart, "The Jetsons" is a family comedy. It centers on the parents, George and Jane, and their kids, Elroy and Judy, along with the robot housekeeper Rosie, the space dog Astro and the George's boss, Mr. Spacely.
The news of the revival comes as Warner Bros. is still actively developing "The Jetsons" animated movie. This project has been in the pipeline since 2015 with Matt Lieberman writing the screenplay and Conrad Vernon ("Sausage Party") directing the film. The studio, however, has not yet given a screen date for the animation.
Following news of the live-action TV adaptation of "The Jetsons," reactions from the public have, so far, been discouraging. Nerdist questioned the studio's decision, while BBC rounded up a list of underwhelming animated shows that were turned into live-action entertainment such as "Scooby Doo" in 2002, "The Flintstones" in 1994, and the more recent ones, "Smurf" in 2011 and "Jem and the Holograms" in 2015.