Chris Rock is bringing back his popular family comedy sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris” with a twist.
The show ran for four seasons between 2005 to 2009. In 88 episodes, viewers watched the chronicles of a teenaged Rock growing up in the 1980s in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn. The show starred child actors Tyler James Williams as the titular character and fellow child castmates Imani Hakim, Tequan Richmond, with Tichina Arnold and Terry Crews as the parents.
In the past, Rock has said that casting “Everybody Hates Chris” was not without its challenges. “I had to fight for Tichina,” he told ESSENCE in 2016. He added, “I’m not even going to tell you who the network [UPN] wanted. She’s [Arnold] literally as good as Tina Fey or Julia Louis-Dreyfus or any of these chicks.”
The show, which originally aired on CBS, was loosely based on Rock’s real life. The actor also narrated every episode of the show. “Everybody Hates Chris” is currently available on multiple streaming platforms. But now, Rock is bringing it back as an animated series: “Everybody Still Hates Chris,” Deadline reported. Rock will reprise his role as the show’s narrator, as well as serve as an executive producer. There is no word on if any past stars of the original sitcom will also lend their voices to the reboot.
“Chris Rock is one of the most gifted comedians of all time,” said Chris McCarthy, president/CEO, Paramount Media Networks & MTV Entertainment Studios. The show is slated to stream on Paramount + and Comedy Central. “A reimagining of this groundbreaking, critically acclaimed series has been a source of creative discussions at our Studio for a long time,” said George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS.
The “Top Five” actor-director is in good company when it comes to successful comedic acts launching animated series. Damon Wayans took a stab at the world of animation in the ’90s with his show “Waynehead.” The cartoon was based on Wayans’ childhood growing up in New York. The titular character, Damey Wayne, was slew footed and came from a family that was strapped for cash — just like Wayans. The show ran for one season on the WB Network.
Comedian Eddie Murphy also found his way into the world of animation when his claymation show “The PJs” debuted in 1999. The show ran for three seasons and focused on the mishaps of the Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs housing project community and its superintendent Thurgood Stubbs.
