ABC Orders Bewitched Reboot From Black-ish Creator
Black-ish creator Kenya Barris has one last project with ABC before officially beginning his new development deal with Netflix.
Barris and Black-ish writer/co-producer Yamara Taylor co-wrote a pitch and pilot for a modern reboot of the classic supernatural sitcom Bewitched. The reimagined series has Samantha as an African-American single mother that marries a Caucasian Darren. The interracial couple quickly find that in addition to their cultural differences, the mortal Darren discovers that his new bride is secretly a witch.
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The production is the last project Barris has with the network for the foreseeable future as his four-year contract with ABC expired last week. The acclaimed producer has signed a lucrative development deal with Netflix but will remain attached to the Bewitched reboot along with currently running series including Black-ish on ABC, Grown-ish on Freeform, and the upcoming Besties on Freeform as an executive producer.
The ABC reboot is Sony Pictures TV’s third attempt to bring back the sitcom to modern audiences having previously pitched the series to CBS in 2011 and NBC in 2014 before both projects were ultimately dropped. The original series had run on ABC from 1964 to 1971 and received a revisionist feature film adaptation in 2005 starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. With ABC committing to a pilot order, it looks like Bewitched may return to its original network.
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(via Deadline)