Animated ‘Bewitched,’ Kids ‘Wheel of Fortune’ in the Works at Sony (Exclusive)
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Sony is reaching into its vast catalog of TV properties to develop programming aimed at young viewers.
The studio’s Sony Pictures Television — Kids (formerly known as Silvergate Media) is developing animated takes on classic sitcoms Bewitched and The Partridge Family. It’s also delving into its library of game shows and unscripted series, with early takes on kid-centric versions of Wheel of Fortune and Shark Tank.
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“There’s such a vast history at Sony Pictures Television with properties that we could play around with and reinvent, introducing a whole new generation of kids to them,” Joe D’Ambrosia, executive vp and general manager of SPT — Kids (and a member of The Hollywood Reporter’s 2023 Kids Entertainment Power List), told THR.
The Bewitched update would focus on Tabitha Stevens, the 13-year-old daughter of witch Samantha and human Darrin. She juggles two lives attending middle school while also being secretly enrolled in a magical academy run by her grandmother, Endora — D’Ambrosia describes the premise as “Hannah Montana meets Harry Potter.”
Bewitched, which ran from 1964-72 and has had an endless afterlife in syndication, also spawned a 2005 feature film starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. CBS, NBC and ABC all took a shot at reboots of the premise in the 2010s, but none of them came to be.
The Partridge Family, meanwhile, would focus on a Black family from Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood that operates a food truck. They travel throughout New York’s five boroughs to serve up treats and tunes. As with Bewitched, there have been attempts to revive or reboot the show over the years, notably with a 2004 VH1 reality show that searched for the cast of an updated scripted series. The reality show, In Search of the Partridge Family, featured Emma Stone winning the role of Laurie — but the sitcom that was to follow never made it past the pilot stage.
Both animated projects are in early development and did not have writers attached prior to the Writers Guild of America strike.
On the unscripted side, Sony is in early talks about kid-focused iterations of Wheel of Fortune and Shark Tank. The former would likely incorporate some twists into the gameplay, including physical and comedic challenges to earn letters or buy vowels.
“Our mission is straightforward and clear,” D’Ambrosia said. “We’d like to be known as a premier content creator for kids who build new global franchises for Sony, like the SPT scripted team has done with Cobra Kai, the game show division has accomplished with Jeopardy! and the international team with The Crown, but in the kids’ space.”
Additional reporting by Julian Sancton.
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