Who’s the Boss? Revival: EP Mike Royce Offers Update on Freevee Sequel
Who’s the boss? The question at this point is more if and when the Who’s the Boss? revival will get a green light.
The original Who’s the Boss? family sitcom debuted on ABC in 1984 and starred Tony Danza as Tony Micelli, a former ball player who took a job working as a housekeeper for businesswoman Angela (Judith Light), moving into her Connecticut home along with his daughter Samantha (Alyssa Milano).
The prospective follow-up — penned by One Day at a Time executive producer Mike Royce and ODAAT writer Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz, and in development at Freevee since June 2022 — takes place 30 years later, with Samantha now a single mother and living in the same house from the original series. Danza’s Tony would enter the mix “to take care of my children,” Milano shared a year ago, “because I get a job that makes me travel a lot.”
EP Mike Royce, as a guest on the latest episode of sister site THR’s TV’s Top 5 podcast, was asked what he has heard about the revival’s status, and he said, “I have heard that we’re gonna hear. That’s been the case for a while.”
Ahead of the months-long writers strike that began in May, Royce & Co. had turned in a pilot, a script for a second episode, and a bible “for a show that you can say in a sentence,” he quipped. At this point, with the WGA strike in the rear view mirror but the holiday season now upon us, “I’m assuming after the new year, at this point, we’ll learn the fate of [the revival],” he said. “Everything is handed in, so we’re just awaiting a decision.”
On Monday, Danza appeared on The View as part of Taxi‘s 45th anniversary reunion, where he chimed in about the status of the potential revival. “It’s been up in the ether for so long. I’m hoping it happens now!,” he told the hosts. “At some point you’re like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it!,’ so I’m just waiting to hear like everybody else.”
Milano at the time of the November 2022 interview referenced above had seen at least one script which she said was “really funny.”
“I was very skeptical about this,” Milano admitted. “And then I spoke to Tony [Danza]… and I got kind of excited.”
The involvement of original series co-star Judith Light, to any degree, remains TBD, though Milano ventured last year, “I’m sure she will [return].”
In other news, the original is available to stream on Hulu.
I’ll watch it; I loved this show. Many of the jokes were recycled in other shows, like the love declarations under anesthesia or accidentally opening the shower curtain while someone is showering, etc. That’s how iconic it was. And Judith Light is and will always be the MVP.
The revival of “Mad about you” was great too, but it went so much under the radar nobody even knew it existed. I hope it won’t be the case with this one.
I would watch. They re-make everything else so why not this.
Its not a remake, though.
As a fan of the original show I would love to see this come back to life. Tony danza, Judith light, and Alyssa Milano have never disappointed me in any of the projects I’ve seen them in… I think single mom Sam could lead to a lot of potential storylines
Mona was the best part of the show, and sadly Katherine Helmond is no longer with us. Without her, I wouldn’t really be very interested in this.
Exactly my piont taken it wouldn’t be the same without Mona just like it wouldn’t be the same without Loren Bry or Cloud Dancing in Dr Quinn Medicine Woman if they had of brought that show back. Even if Judith Light that played Angela Bower cameback it still wouldn’t been the same without Mona. Mona made the show it’s like The writers trying to bring back The Fresh Prince of Bel Air without the actor that played Uncle Phil or The Cosby’s Show without Bill Cosby himself or his parents the actor and the actress that played his parents his parents are dead or bringing back A Different World without Mr Gains it wouldn’t be the same without them.
you’re right – it’s won’t be the same and that’s the point – it’s a continuation of the story and character’s lives – for a new generation of fans and all the original fans. and it’s a very safe bet they’ll of course reference Mona
if people want “the same” they can just watch the original show
Exactly one of my favorites in the original when Angela started having romantic feelings for Tony when was interested in another woman. Mona wanted Angela to out bet her. And she had confessed her feelings to a and Shrink Dr Bellows lol
Maybe before you put it on a shelf you might want to give a try, you just might like it. Mona was great and she was apart of the show, be she’s gone, the show could still work out and be just as good even with out Mona. There’s be plenty of episodes where Mona was not involved and it still was good.
I will watch, if they are maing a new show it might work but if they try to copy the original it could be a disaster.
they already did a reboot. it’s called Melissa and Joey. Mona even showed up.
I don’t think there’s a big audience for this show. Who’s the Boss was popular back in the 80s because there weren’t a lot of options.
Much like Murphy Brown and Mad About You, we watched it back in the day, but nobody’s clamoring for a reboot or sequel.
Also, like others have mentioned, Mona was by far the best part of the show. She’s gone. And, where’s Angela? Why is Sam living in Angela’s house? Where’s Jonathan? Who cares?
Prediction: like the Coach reboot (which was also missing their best character, Luther), this will not get picked up to series.