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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 17 May 2019
Who’s ready for a new Archie Bunker, live on your TV?

By MARK KENNEDY sion shows. And I was just
AP Entertainment Writer thinking about what gets
NEW YORK (AP) — Archie ratings on TV nowadays,”
Bunker is coming back to said Kimmel. “It seems like
prime-time network TV and live events are still pretty
he might look a little differ- popular and still doing well.
ent to viewers — even if I was thinking about the old
what he says is exactly the shows and I thought, ‘Why
same. don’t we do one of these
Woody Harrelson is step- great old shows?’ I know
ping into the iconic role as people love ‘Grease’ but
part of a 90-minute ABC how many times do you
special celebrating writer, need to see that?”
director and producer Nor- Though producers won’t
man Lear. It airs May 22. reveal which episodes of
“It’s going to be exciting as the sitcoms are being re-
hell,” said Lear. “Another staged, Kimmel promised
version of Archie Bunker is having them live in front of
going to play Archie Bun- a studio audience — and
ker. A great, great talent is the world on TV — will give
going to be Archie Bunker.” the shows a jolt of electric-
The live special will recreate ity.
one original episode from He wants Americans to
“All in the Family” and an- This July 29, 2018 file photo shows executive producer Norman Lear at the Television Critics watch them the way they
other from “The Jeffersons.” Association Summer Press Tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. used to — together, at the
It will be hosted by Lear Associated Press same time. He’s not wor-
and late-night host Jimmy time to go back and watch man Hemsley and Isabel clear. “I think they work ried about any screw ups,
Kimmel, who dreamed up all the old ones.” Sanford. The special will very well,” he said. “Funny either, since that adds to
the idea. Joining Harrelson in Car- also feature Ellie Kemper, is funny.” the suspense.
“It really is astonishing just roll O’Connor’s old role in Will Ferrell, Justina Macha- Kimmel took inspiration “We may release a box of
how great these shows are. “All in the Family” will be do, Kerry Washington, Sean from the recent move by rats onto the set just to see
I say ‘are’ and not ‘were’ Marisa Tomei playing Bun- Hayes and Anthony Ander- networks to mount Broad- what happens,” he joked.
because they are still ker’s long-suffering wife, son. Lear’s two 1970s-era way musicals and make “I think it adds something
great,” Kimmel said. “I’m Edith. Jamie Foxx and Wan- sitcoms are cut from the them into live events, like to the production. You see
excited that a new gener- da Sykes will play George same topical cloth, tack- “Rent,” ‘’The Sound of Mu- it in the live musicals. They
ation will get to see them, and Louise Jefferson in ling racism, feminism and sic” and “Grease.” wouldn’t be nearly as in-
and be reminded of them “The Jeffersons,” in roles the Vietnam War. Asked if “I’m not that interested teresting if they were on
and then maybe take the played originally by Sher- they still hold up, Lear was in musicals. I love televi- tape.”q

Woodstock 50 plans roll on;

court nixes cancellation bid

By JENNIFER PELTZ “We have always relied on to the 1969 concert that
Associated Press the truth and have never became a defining mo-
NEW YORK (AP) — The lost faith that the festival ment in pop music and a
Woodstock 50 festival is would take place,” said Mi- cultural touchstone.
back on after a court re- chael Lang, one of Wood- Saying organizers had
buffed an ex-investor’s ef- stock 50’s organizers and made a mess of planning,
fort to cancel the anniver- a promoter of the original Amplifi cited safety con-
sary extravaganza — but 1969 Woodstock concert. cerns and announced April
organizers will have to do Amplifi, meanwhile, said 29 that it was canceling the This May 15, 2008 file photo shows Emma Cenholt, 3, of Trumbull,
without some $18 million, at it felt vindicated by the three-day concert. Conn., playing on a memorial at the site of the Woodstock Music
least for now. judge’s ruling on the $18 The organizers’ group, and Arts Fair in Bethel, N.Y.
Manhattan judge Barry Os- million. “The court did not Woodstock 50 LLC, retort- Associated Press
trager ruled Wednesday rule that Amplifi Live’s as- ed that Amplifi was under- losses from a festival that and appropriate capac-
that the festival’s former sumption of control over mining the show — which was facing significant hur- ity.” Ticket sales have been
chief backer, Amplifi Live, the festival was improper,” was still a go — and had dles with just three months delayed, permits are still in
couldn’t singlehandedly the company noted in a snatched $18 million from to go. the works and major venue
call off the August show but statement, adding that it the festival’s bank ac- While over 80 acts have improvements — includ-
also doesn’t have to put doesn’t plan to invest fur- count. Amplifi, an arm of been booked, produc- ing roads and a temporary
the $18 million back into ther in Woodstock 50 be- Japan-based marketing tion company Superfly water system — need to be
it. The money dispute and cause of issues including firm Dentsu, said it just re- dropped out this month af- made, according to court
other issues are poised for “the compressed time- claimed what was left of ter tangling with organizers documents and testimony.
arbitration. frame and multiple health the $49 million it put in. over how many people the “You’re basically creat-
Organizers celebrated and safety concerns.” After a hearing this week, Watkins Glen International ing a city for three to five
the ruling, which came af- The event is planned for the judge said Wednes- racetrack could accom- days,” Peter Office, a music
ter dueling claims about Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, day that Amplifi presented modate. Organizers envi- festival planner who works
whether the festival was on New York, and is billed as a “convincing testimony” sioned 150,000, but Superfly with Amplifi Live, testified at
or off. “once-in-a-lifetime” tribute that it was trying to stem its said 65,000 was the “safe the hearing. q