British-Nigerian actor, Jovan Adepo, has been cast for the recreation of some episodes of two iconic 1970s TV shows by Norman Lear, an American TV writer responsible for some of the greatest sitcoms of all time.
The young actor will feature in ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons’ in the role of Lionel Jefferson, the son of George and Louise Jefferson (played by Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes).
Being the age of reboots in Hollywood, with no beloved classic being spared, Jimmy Kimmel is re-creating these episodes live in front of a Studio audience. ‘All in the Family’ follows a typical working-class Caucasian family living in Queens. Its patriarch is Archie Bunker, an outspoken, narrow-minded man and his wife, Edith, is sweet and understanding, though somewhat naïve and uneducated. It ran for nine seasons and had 5 spin-offs.
‘The Jeffersons’, one of the 5 spin-offs of ‘All in the Family’, focused on George and Louise Jefferson, a prosperous African-American couple that moved from Queens to Manhattan owing to the success of George’s dry-cleaner chain. The show met with critical acclaim, and ran for 11 seasons.
In addition to Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes, Adepo will be starring in the live sitcom special alongside Hollywood bigwigs like; Kerry Washington, Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ellie Kemper, Justina Machado, Anthony Anderson, Amber Stevens West and Ike Barinholtz. The live special is set to air on ABC on May 22.