The Boondocks (canceled TV series)

The Boondocks is an unproduced American adult animated sitcom created by Aaron McGruder and loosely based upon his comic strip of the same name.[1] Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, it was conceived as the second television series based on the comic, following the 2005–2014 TV series that aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block for four seasons. The series was set to premiere on HBO Max before development failed to get off the ground.[2][3]

The Boondocks
GenreAnimated sitcom
Black sitcom
Created byAaron McGruder
Based onThe Boondocks
by Aaron McGruder
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
Production companiesSony Pictures Animation
Rebel Base Productions
Release
Original networkHBO Max

Premise

The show was originally set to begin with a black family, the Freemans, settling into the fictional, friendly and overall white suburb of Woodcrest and follows them as they fight the regime of Uncle Ruckus, who rules over the community government.[4]

Development

The original Boondocks television series premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on November 6, 2005 and ran for four seasons and 55 episodes until its conclusion on June 23, 2014.[5][6] During its first season, McGruder put the strip on a 6-month hiatus beginning in March 2006. He did not return to the strip the following November, and the strip's syndicate, Universal Press Syndicate, announced that it had been canceled.[7] McGruder was not involved in the show's fourth season. Adult Swim stated, "a mutually agreeable production schedule could not be determined."[8]

On February 6, 2019, McGruder revived the comic strip on Instagram, with the help of former supervising director Seung Eun Kim. A series of one-shots were posted to Charlamagne tha God's Instagram page.[9] On May 29, 2019, voice actor John Witherspoon announced on Joe Rogan's 1305th episode of The Joe Rogan Experience that the series would return.[10][11] A few months later, Witherspoon died on October 29, 2019.[12][13] At Annecy 2019, on June 12, 2019, Sony Pictures Animation announced it would be producing a "reimagining" of The Boondocks to be co-produced with Sony Pictures Television.[14][15]

On September 18, 2019, it was announced that the reboot had been picked up with a two-season order for WarnerMedia's then-upcoming streaming service HBO Max. It was also announced that McGruder would return as showrunner and serve as executive producer along with Norm Aladjem, Seung Kim and Meghann Collins Robertson. The series would premiere with a 50-minute special, with each season consisting of twelve episodes.[2][16][17][18]

On February 3, 2022, it was revealed that the development of the series had been canceled.[19] However, it was reported that Sony was looking at alternative options.[20] On February 28, 2023, Gary Anthony Williams revealed in an interview that the reason for the reboot's cancellation was that it took too long to make. Williams also revealed he had finished voiceover recordings for eight episodes as Uncle Ruckus before the cancellation.[21]

References
  1. Evershed, John (2020). Adult Animation Finally Breaking Free of its Comedy Shackles (PDF) (Report). High Concentrate. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020 – via Squarespace.
  2. @WarnerMedia (May 27, 2020). "#HBOMax is here! 🥳 Our groundbreaking streaming platform features iconic and beloved programming from across the WarnerMedia portfolio, a roster of new Max Originals, & fan-favorite acquired franchises & films" (Tweet). Retrieved May 31, 2020 – via Twitter.
  3. "Boondocks Star Reveals Sony Pictures Has "Pulled the Plug" on Reboot". Comic Book. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  4. "The Boondocks reboot in the works with original series creator". Entertainment Weekly.
  5. "Aaron McGruder interview: Complete transcript". The News Tribune. Interviewed by Bill Hutchens. Tacoma News, Inc. November 6, 2005. Archived from the original on May 27, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  6. McGruder, Aaron (2005-11-03). "Aaron McGruder". The A.V. Club. Interviewed by Nathan Rabin. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  7. "Return of 'Boondocks' comic strip delayed". CNN. September 25, 2006. Archived from the original on September 29, 2006.
  8. Moore, Frazier (18 April 2014). "'The Boondocks' Back For Final 'Offensive' Season". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  9. Rao, Sameer (8 February 2019). "ICYMI: Aaron McGruder Resurrects 'The Boondocks' Just in Time". ColorLines. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  10. "The Boondocks Confirmed to Return for Season 5". Comic Book. Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  11. PowerfulJRE (2019-05-29). "Joe Rogan Experience #1305 – JD & John Witherspoon" (Podcast). Retrieved 2019-05-31.
  12. Haas, Mariah (November 12, 2019). "John Witherspoon's cause of death revealed". Fox News. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  13. "John Witherspoon Dies: Comedian & 'Friday' Star Was 77". October 30, 2019. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  14. "Sony Pictures Animation Reveals Bold, Expanded Production Slate at Annecy 2019". Animation World News. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  15. "Sony Announces Reboot of 'The Boondocks' With Creator Aaron McGruder". Complex. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  16. Andreeva, Nellie (September 18, 2019). "'The Boondocks' Reboot Gets 2-Season Order By HBO Max". Deadline. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  17. Perine, Aaron (March 21, 2021). "The Boondocks Reboot Confirmed For 2022 Release Date". Comicbook.com. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  18. Ankers, Adele (March 22, 2021). "The Boondocks Reboot Seemingly Pushed to 2022 Release – IGN". IGN. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  19. Perine, Aaron (February 3, 2022). "Boondocks Star Reveals Sony Pictures Has "Pulled the Plug" on Reboot". Comic Book. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  20. Del Rosario, Alexandra (2022-02-04). "'The Boondocks' Reboot Not Moving Forward At HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  21. 'Uncle Ruckus' Actor Reveals Why 'Boondocks' Reboot Was Canceled - CH News, retrieved 2023-04-04
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