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- TV-14
- ABC
- TV-14
- ABC
Summary All in the Family and its spinoff, The Jeffersons are getting a live TV staging of a classic episode from each program hosted by Normal Lear and Jimmy Kimmel. Archie Bunker will be played by Woody Harrelson and Jamie Foxx will play George Jefferson.
- TV-14
- ABC
- TV-14
- ABC
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
Season 1 Premiere: May 22, 2019
71
User Score
Available after 4 ratings
tbd
Summary All in the Family and its spinoff, The Jeffersons are getting a live TV staging of a classic episode from each program hosted by Normal Lear and Jimmy Kimmel. Archie Bunker will be played by Woody Harrelson and Jamie Foxx will play George Jefferson.
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 9 Critic Reviews
71
67% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
33% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 9 Critic Reviews
71
67% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
33% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The acting wasn’t flawless and the rhythms of the 1970s comedy occasionally felt jarring on a 2019 stage. But the special was so overwhelmingly dedicated to the fun of the conceit and the enduring accuracy of the punchlines that any technical nitpicks I had quickly faded from memory. ... TV could frankly do a whole lot worse than gathering talented performers to tackle smart, topical comedy with such visceral joy that they’re practically vibrating off the screen. That the material remains so stubbornly timely is a bonus.
The special, directed by sitcom master James Burrows, astutely pulled back from the sets as the show headed to commercial to reveal the studio audience and convey the exciting – likely nerve-racking for cast and crew – live-event nature. The performances, both in front of and behind the camera, were almost seamless.
A loving, celebratory exercise in the art of situation comedy — a production by TV nerds for TV nerds. ... s Bunker, Harrelson delivered a solid Carroll O’Connor impression, though sometimes his accent veered into Queens-by-way-of-Hyannis-Port territory. Marisa Tomei was a sheer delight as Edith Bunker. ... The In Living Color vet brought an electric sketch-comedy energy to his performance. So what if it was more impression than interpretation? Foxx gave the people what they wanted.
These episodes held up well, and it was enjoyable to see them this way. But it would’ve been just as enjoyable for ABC to turn over an hour of primetime to airing the originals (even though both were CBS shows).
Of the two live episodes, "The Jeffersons" was easily the better, and also made the unexpected case that it was possibly the better series all along. Foxx nailed Sherman Hemsley's George, Wanda Sykes nailed Louise (originally played by Isabel Sanford), Jackée Harry nailed Diane Stockwell (Paulene Myers), Will Ferrell nailed Tom Willis (Franklin Cover) and Kerry Washington nailed Helen Willis (Roxie Roker).
Fun but only partly successful exercise in nostalgia and cultural context. ... [Woody Harrelson] got the Bunker voice and mannerisms down okay, but lacked O’Connor’s subtler, seething presence. Tomei made a passable Edith, all sweetness and screech, more costume party than performance. ... The second-half “Jeffersons” staging seemed smoother and more enjoyable, thanks in no small part to Jennifer Hudson’s showstopping rendition of the theme song.
A lot of the actors (including three of the four leads) were working hard to evoke the original casts. Between that and the overly enthusiastic studio audience (who not only cheered the entrances of most of the actors, but sometimes cheered when they reappeared later), the whole thing was too karaoke. It was entertaining — Tomei’s delivery of the line about how George’s brother Henry (Anthony Anderson) would be happy to say goodbye to Archie made me laugh as hard as Stapleton’s version back in the day — but hollow.
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Production Company:
- Act III Productions
- D'Arconville
- Gary Sanchez Productions
- Smoking Baby Productions
- Sony Pictures Television
Initial Release Date: May 22, 2019
Number of seasons: 0 Seasons
Rating: TV-14
Genres:
Awards
Online Film & Television Association
• 4 Nominations
Primetime Emmy Awards
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards
• 2 Nominations