ABC is shifting the sophomore season of“The Wonder Years” to the summer. The comedy, which had originally been announced to return in midseason, wasn’t included in ABC’s midseason.
Instead, new sitcom “Not Dead Yet” is filling the one available slot on Wednesday’s four-comedy lineup (the only sitcom block currently on the network), launching at 9:30 p.m. ET behind “Abbott Elementary” (taking over for “Home Economics,” which ends its season run). With no room for any other half-hour, that necessitated “The Wonder Years” move to summer. A premiere date will be announced later.
Although the show won’t return for a bit, ABC confirmed a list of guest stars for Season 2. Besides previously announced guest Patti LaBelle, the show will also welcome Wayne Brady, Tituss Burgess, Donald Faison, Phoebe Robinson and Bradley Whitford, among others.
Brady will play Melvin, described as “Bill’s older brother, a blowhard who is super-successful and insufferably smug about it, including being favored by their father.” Burgess will guest as Lonnie, “a drag performer with Southern roots who befriends Bill and Dean when they’re in New York.”
Faison will appear as Terrence, “Cliff’s (Allen Maldonado) gregarious frat brother and real estate agent. Since the housing act passed, he is pushing hard for Cliff to be among the first Black families to buy a house in Eastdale, an all-white neighborhood.” Robinson is Jackie, “Lillian’s younger sister and Kim and Dean’s favorite aunt. A mischief maker and rule breaker who’s usually a magnet for trouble.”Whitford is Alan, “Dean’s music teacher, who surprises Bill with his knowledge of the jazz music scene.”
“The Wonder Years,” which was inspired by the original 1980s series of the same name, follows the story of the Black middle-class Williams family in Montgomery, Ala., during the late 1960s, as seen through the lens 12-year-old Dean and recounted by Dean as an adult.
Don Cheadle narrates as Adult Dean Williams, while Elisha “EJ” Williams plays young Dean Williams. Dulé Hill and Saycon Sengbloh play parents Bill and Lillian Williams, while Laura Kariuki is Dean’s sister, Kim. The show also stars Julian Lerner as Brad Hitman, Amari O’Neil as Cory Long and Milan Ray as Keisa Clemmons.
Saladin K. Patterson is showrunner and executive producer alongside Lee Daniels, Bob Daily and Jacque Edmonds Cofer. 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios, is the studio.
Brady is represented by ColorCreative, CAA, and Tom Hoberman. Burgess is represented by CAA, Namoff & Company and Peikoff Mahan. Faison is represented by UTA and Fuller Law. Robinson is represented by UTA, Sechel PR and Granderson Des Rochers. Whitford is represented by Greenlight Management and CAA.
