Legendary TV producer Norman Lear turned 99 years old on Tuesday. To celebrate, the creator of such iconic and groundbreaking sitcoms as All in the Family announced a new project: he’ll be executive producing a reboot of his short-lived ‘70s satire Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, with Emily Hampshire—best known for her role as the Rosebud Motel’s sardonic desk clerk in Schitt’s Creek—taking on the title role and co-writing the project with Letterkenny’s Jacob Tierney.
Both Hampshire and Tierney will executive produce the project alongside Lear and his production partner Brent Miller, who have an overall deal with Sony Pictures Television. Word of the reboot began spreading earlier this year, in February, when Lear and Hampshire were shopping the project around. Though it’s still only in the development phase, TBS was the lucky network that snatched up the rights.
The original series, which ran in syndication for just two seasons between 1976 and 1977, followed Louise Lasser as an Ohio housewife who is regularly dealing with surreal moments happening all around her. The series earned Lasser an Emmy nomination for the title role in her first season. In 1976, it took home the Emmy for Special Classification of Outstanding Program and Individual Achievement for its pilot episode, and co-star Mary Kay Place won for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1977.
The updated version of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman will see Hampshire grabbing the attention of the social media world (a surreal thing in its own right) after footage of her nervous breakdown goes viral and turns her into something of an influencer.
“The kick of kicks as I turn 99 today is learning that TBS is developing MHMH and will allow us to make a new version of it starring Emily Hampshire,” Lear said of the announcement. “As someone who believes his 99 years on this planet is owed to the amount of laughter he enjoyed through the years, here’s to the next 99. Bless you all!”
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)