Hulu Developing a Series Remake of John Ritter's STAY TUNED with Josh Gad Getting Sucked Into TV Mayhem
Get ready for some wild channel surfing. Hulu is diving headfirst into nostalgic chaos with a new comedy series Stay Tuned, starring and executive produced by Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells.
The show is a reimagining of the 1992 cult movie Stay Tuned, which originally starred John Ritter and Pam Dawber as a couple who get sucked into a hellish world of twisted television programming. I loved this movie when I was a kid!
The series is being developed by Akiva Goldsman, Jordan Cahan, and Greg Lessans, with Cahan on board as showrunner. This updated take will follow Gad and Rannells as they find themselves quite literally on the wrong side of the screen, forced to navigate their way through the chaos of binge-worthy TV.
“For over a decade Andrew and I have been the Laverne and Shirley of our generation (according to our mothers.),” said Gad. “It only makes sense to now do a TV series where we can literally do an episode as ‘Laverne and Shirley’ (assuming the rights to those characters aren’t prohibitively expensive and that the algorithm rewards ‘Laverne and Shirley’ viewership.)”
Rannells added, “Personally, Josh and I have always reminded me more of a Sam and Diane or at times a Cagney and Lacey, but either way, I am thrilled we are reuniting once again! This time with Akiva, Greg and Jordan, who seem even more unhinged than we are.”
The original Stay Tuned, directed by Peter Hyams, was produced by Morgan Creek and followed a suburban couple stuck inside a demonic TV world. The new version has Goldsman and Lessans producing through Weed Road Productions alongside Morgan Creek’s James G. Robinson and David Robinson, and Aaron Semmel.
This marks the first full on-screen team-up for Gad and Rannells, who have been close since starring in The Book of Mormon on Broadway. They recently reunited in Gutenberg! The Musical, and popped up together briefly in History of the World, Part II.
The show also reunites Cahan and Rannells from their work on Showtime’s Black Monday, where Cahan co-created and Rannells starred. Cahan is also known for Champaign ILL and is currently developing projects with Michael B. Jordan.
As for the stars, Rannells has been busy with roles in Too Much, Welcome to Chippendales, I Don’t Understand You, and Paul Feig’s Another Simple Favor. He’ll also appear in Jim Rash’s upcoming film Miss You, Love You and co-host The Great American Baking Show.
Gad, the voice of Olaf in Frozen, is set to appear in Marvel’s Wonder Man on Disney+, as well as Nora Kirkpatrick’s A Tree Fell In the Woods, Alex Winter’s Adulthood, and the next Angry Birds movie.
Goldsman, whose screenwriting credits include A Beautiful Mind, I Am Legend, and The Da Vinci Code, continues to be a major player in film and TV, with multiple projects brewing including sequels to Constantine and Practical Magic.
What are your thoughts on Hulu developing a Stay Tuned series?
Source: Deadline