Viewers received a special treat on Wednesday night during a star-studded live restaging of a classic episode ofGood Times.
In a surprise nod to the original series — which ran between 1974 and 1979 — original cast member John Amos made an appearance on the live broadcast. Instead of reprising his iconic role as patriarch James Evans, the 79-year-old actor played Alderman Fred Davis, a man running for local office.
Eric McCandless/ABC
The politically charged storyline was fitting for its Wednesday night airtime, as the broadcast was interrupted several times due to updates from theHouse of Representatives’ vote to impeachPresidentDonald Trumphappening simultaneously in Washington, D.C.
For theAll in the Familylive show, actorsWoody Harrelson,Marisa Tomei,Ike Barinholtz,Ellie Kemper,Kevin BaconandJesse Eisenbergalso took on retro roles.
Also featured in theGood Timeslive staging cast wereSNLalum Jay Pharaoh,This Is Us‘Asante Blackk, andCorinne Foxx, daughter ofJamie Foxx, who starred in thefirst iterationofLive in Front of a Studio Audienceback in May.
The firstLive in Front of a Studio Audiencescored huge ratings and earned three Emmy Award nominations. It went on to win forOutstanding Variety Special, which made Lear the oldest Emmy winner ever.
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John Amos and Esther Rolle inGood Times, 1975.CBS Photo Archive/Getty
Amos, who is also known for his work inDie Hard 2andThe West Wing, is set to reprise his role alongsideEddie Murphyin next year’slong-awaited comedy sequelto 1988’sComing to America.
Braugher, 57, filled Amos’ shoes for the broadcast, honoring a role that made theBrooklyn Nine-Nineactor interested in the entertainment business in the first place.
He added: “And the stories, I think, they continue to resonate. Because what the writers on the Norman Lear shows realize is that human nature hasn’t changed,” Braugher added. “Consequently, when you talk about real things, people are very interested in them.”
source: people.com
