Tatyana Ali and Malcolm-Jamal Warner hit it big as child stars of the 1990s and 1980s respectively. (Paul Redmond/WireImage/Jennifer Lourie/Getty Images)
Two hallmarks of 1990s television, Tatyana Ali and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, are set to star as foster parents in a comedy-drama pilot for USA Network.
“Olive Forever” focuses on a high school student, con artist and cat burglar named Olive, played by Emily Rudd, who is wise beyond her high school years, according to a Tuesday, July 25, report by Deadline. A foster child able to morph and “get away with anything,” Olive knows how to work the system.
Ali will play Alison, Olive’s community college professor foster mother hoping to get her daughter to leave her life of crime behind. Warner will portray Olive’s foster father, Taylor, who also is a community college instructor but instead of being quick-witted like Alison, he’s described as “open-hearted.”
No air date or shooting schedule has been announced for the project, which is currently in pre-production.
This is the newest TV series Ali has been attached to; she was previously announced as the lead in “Fly,” about the first all-Black female flight crew. Ali starred for four seasons on TV One’s ‘Love That Girl!” and also has been a guest star on ABC’s “American Koko” and BET’s “Zoe Ever After.”
Warner is currently appearing in a reoccurring role on Amazon’s drama series “Sneaky Pete” and TNT’s police procedural. “Major Crimes.” The actor recently ended a one-year deal on ABC’s “Ten Days in the Valley,” which premieres in October.
