The '70s and '80s were a better time when families could sit down and enjoy a full night of sitcoms together. Perhaps one of the most endearing half hour shows to come out of that era was the family comedy Good Times. The show ran for six successful seasons from 1974 to 1979 and helped spawn numerous other series that would follow in its footsteps. Centered in a family that lived in a high rise apartment building and dealt with racial issues, cultural awareness and many more issues of the time. The series featured a young Janet Jackson, Jimmy Walker, John Amos, Esther Rolle and numerous other stars of the '70s. The show was definitely rooted in humor but tackled many societal woes or topics of the time.
Now, Netflix has officially ordered an animated version of the series to stream on their outlet. Norman Lear is once again attached to this project as a producer. It's said that the updated version will also tackle social issues and will be a return for the family many of us grew up with and loved to watch weekly. Seth MacFarlane is also attached in a producer role for the animated relaunch.
In such dark times, it will be interesting to see how they pull this off. It definitely seems like a great idea that will bring more relevance to a great cast of characters that could definitely use more love.
-CG