Just over 60 years ago, the now-iconic family sitcom The Honeymooners debuted, bringing the antics of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) into living rooms across the country. While the wrong-headed shenanigans of Ralph and his sewer worker pal Ed Norton (Art Carney) were certainly entertaining, The Honeymooners is renowned for being among the first sitcoms to portray working-class married couples in realistic settings, like the Kramden's apartment in a run-down Brooklyn building. Notably, Pert Kelton and Audrey Meadows (who both played Alice Kramden) returned all of Ralph's bluster and hollow threats with sharp-tonged wit of her own, though Joyce Randolph's somewhat bossy wife Trixie had a somewhat reduced role. CBS is now looking to bring the classic comedy into the modern era with a remake.
THR reports that The Muppets. co-creator Bob Kushell is writing the script for the reboot, which he'll also executive produce along with Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum, and Jeff Greenstein. The new plot follows the old--it centers on two couples who are best friends and neighbors--but adds a new dynamic: one couple remarries after divorcing four years earlier. (It's so 2016, you guys!) The production team is comprised of some of the same folks behind the network's 2015 reboot of The Odd Couple; CBS recently opted not to order more episodes for that show's third season.
While it's certainly been a long time since The Honeymooners has seen a modern retelling--unless you remember the ill-fated 2005 feature film of the same name starring Cedric the Entertainer and Mike Epps--that doesn't mean you have to reboot it. I'm generally bullish on reboots and remakes because the right team behind the right project with the right take for the time can produce something worthwhile. Family comedies are certainly popular, so The Honeymooners might very well find itself an audience, but it will likely be tailored to CBS' target demographics. Your mileage may vary.
Check out the series' famous intro below:
