Acclaimed writer, director, and producer Lee Daniels is set to produce a reboot of the late '80s/early '90s sitcom The Wonder Years.
Per Variety, the pilot has received production commitment at ABC. Yet unlike the original series—which follows a white family through the turbulence of the late '60s and early '70s—the reboot will feature a Black middle-class family dealing with the same cultural events but in Montgomery, Alabama.
Daniels and Marc Velez will executive produce the series through Lee Daniels Entertainment. Alongside them will be Saladin K. Patterson. The Wonder Years' original star Fred Savage will executive produce and direct the pilot. The co-creator of the original series, Neal Marlens, will serve as a consultant while 20th Century Fox will produce the show.
Despite the threat of COVID-19, a mini writers' room will reportedly be opened by ABC for the pilot. Along with producing the series, Patterson will also handle scripts. He has written for shows like The Big Bang Theory, Frasier, and The Bernie Mac Show, while also being the showrunner for The Last OG.
Sources tell the Hollywood Reporter that Daniels, Velez, Patterson, and Savage came up with the idea together and brought it directly to ABC president Karey Burke. This intrigued Burke because she has previously stated that The Wonder Years was a show that made her want to work in television.
