‘Car Wash’ Comedy Series Based On Movie In Works At NBC With Malcolm D. Lee Producing

The cult classic 1976 Universal Pictures film Car Wash is getting the small-screen treatment from producer Malcolm D. Lee (“The Best Man” franchise) and writer Opey Olagbaju (Bob Hearts Abishola, Close Enough). A comedy series of the same name is in development at NBC from Universal Television.

Set at a modern-day DC car wash, the TV series focuses on an immigrant family’s generational and cultural clashes between father and son and their eclectic group of employees.

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The logline reveals many similarities to the original film while using the TV format to make the story much bigger. The Michael Schultz-directed film follows the lives of a group of friends from Los Angeles who work at the Dee-Luxe Car Wash and the interesting characters they interact with one Friday in July.

Many notable names were part of the large ensemble cast including Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Franklyn Ajaye, Bill Duke, Pepe Serna, Sully Boyar, the Pointer Sisters and Garrett Morris, to name a few.

While it’s way too early to speculate on casting, there are still many cast members that could certainly cameo like Ajaye, Duke, Serna and Morris, should Olagbaju want to appeal to fan nostalgia.

Olagbaju is a Nigerian American writer and comedian who has written on popular shows like CBS’ Bob Hearts Abishola, Hulu’s This Fool and the Max animated series Close Enough. He executive produces with Lee, who is best known for writing and directing his popular The Best Man franchise including his latest entry, Peacock’s The Best Man: The Final Chapters. In addition to Olagbaju and Lee, Dominique Telson will also EP. Her recent credits include The Best Man: The Final Chapters and the indie film Good Girl Jane. Michael Allen is set as the co-executive producer of the Car Wash TV series.

Lee is repped by Independent Artist Group and Del Shaw.

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