Thursday, June 8, 2023

Coming Attractions: Sony wants to do another Jr. Wheel of Fortune, plus animated reboots of Bewitched & Partridge Family

 Remember Wheel of Fortune 2000? More commonly known as Wheel 2000, the series lasted 1 season on CBS (1997-8). Let's refresh your memories.


25 years after the series' cancellation, Sony wants to try again.

A newer, kid-centric Wheel is one of four new children's shows Sony is developing, per the Hollywood Reporter. Also on the docket is a junior version of ABC's Shark Tank, aimed at the lemonade stand crowd, and animated reboots of Bewitched and The Partridge Family.

When you think about it, they could've done an animated Bewitched years ago, after stars Elizabeth Montgomery & Dick York had guested on The Flintstones. The latter series was in its final season on ABC, while Bewitched was in its 2nd. Daytime reruns aired on ABC's schedule as much as six days a week between 1971-3.

The idea is to fill the continuity gap, if ya will, between Bewitched, the Saturday Superstar Movie entry, "Tabitha & Adam & The Clown Family", and the live-action Tabitha. The premise is to focus on Tabitha, now in her early teens. With the writers' strike in progress, it'll be a while before there's any movement on this project and a refurbished Partridge, which would flip the pre-fab pop family band to African-American. Because it'd be a cartoon, casting the leads might not be so much of a problem if they can find some musicians among the actors. 

Shark Tank, airing Fridays on ABC, is mostly a forum for businesses on the rise or in development, and has been a side gig for Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. This might be the toughest sell of the lot.

Stay tooned.

4 comments:

Silverstar said...

Where are these series set to air? Sony doesn't have its own streaming service.

hobbyfan said...

That's just it. They're in development as of now, and the Partridge & Bewitched cartoons won't start production until after the writers' strike. The kid versions of Shark Tank & Wheel probably could start later this year, assuming Sony is able to sell them.

Doesn't Sony still have Crackle?

Silverstar said...

As I understand it, Sony sold a majority stake of Crackle to Chicken Soup for the Soul in 2018.

hobbyfan said...

Oh, I didn't know. Thanks.