Jennifer Aniston is reportedly the next A-lister seeking seconds on the small screen. The Hollywood Reporter’s Lesley Goldberg wrote last week that the former Friends ensemble staple is teaming with fellow movie mainstay Reese Witherspoon for a series revolving around a fictitious morning talk show.
The finer details of the show, and whether anyone will even pick it up, remain to be seen. But assuming Aniston returns to sitcom acting, in addition to executive producing, her perceived success will hinge on the angle a given viewer takes.
As long as no one is holding it too high up the Friends measuring pole, it ought to have a fair shot at achieving respectability. What it does to live up to that standard is, well, up to its own creative minds.
Regardless, Aniston’s former castmate, Courteney Cox, mustered six seasons as both the protagonist and co-executive producer on Cougar Town. Elsewhere, Seinfeld alum Julia Louis Dreyfus cracked the old show’s supposed “curse” via The New Adventures of Old Christine, and is still shattering it with Veep. Former Seinfeld executive producer Larry David later proved his mettle as a lead actor on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Ed O’Neill went from 11 years of Married…with Children to 12 years of minor film credits to (so far) eight years of Modern Family. Rashida Jones has reeled off her supporting success on Parks and Recreation to land the title part on Angie Tribeca.
Aniston may have garnered more movie fame than each of the aforementioned, but those other track records prove that this reported move is far from daring.
In that spirit, the Pucks and Rec writers have selected their own handful of former sitcom staples who would make top-shelf candidates for another go-round, whether that’s behind the scenes, before the camera or both.
Steve Carell
Carell has been focusing on movies since leaving The Office after eight years in 2013, he has been focusing on movies. But his sense of humor and sarcasm is well-suited for television, as he can display his personality more.
In The Office, he often had the opportunity to chime in on events happening in the world and country while the show was being filmed. He also would make numerous references to pop culture, sports and different fads of the time.
In his movie roles, he has not enjoyed as much free reign, so a return to TV would be welcomed by those who enjoy his type of humor. – Andrew Wisneski
Mila Kunis
It has been nearly three years since Kunis cofounded Orchard Farm Productions in association with ABC Studios. But while the former That ’70s Show standout has continued acting in movies and as a voice regular on Family Guy, nothing definitive with her executive-production imprint has come to life yet.
ABC could have an easy sparkplug to the solution in Sarah Hyland, who as Haley Dunphy emitted a mild Jackie Burkhart vibe in Modern Family’s formative years. In multiple interviews over this decade, Hyland has been apt to embrace the comparisons to Kunis.
While Modern Family still has at least two seasons yet to come, it will end eventually. When it does, a new show with Kunis and Hyland as sisters is all but obligatory.
If the two were both full-timers in front of the camera, it may be hard to ward off comparisons to Frasier and its old dynamic of Kelsey Grammer and deuteragonist David Hyde Pierce. But that would be a small price to pay. – Al Daniel
Jerry Seinfeld
Since his eponymous NBC show ended, Seinfeld has tried a few other projects, such as the stand-up documentary, Comedian. He was also the star in the animated Bee Movie, where he reunited with several former Seinfeld mainstays, including Michael Richards and Patrick Warburton.
Despite continuing his stand-up career, Seinfeld could benefit more by bringing his observational comedy back to a wider audience. With his web-based talk series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, now on Netflix, he could think about using that opportunity to parlay back to the small screen, perhaps with a mix of some fellow Seinfeld alums and a new cast of characters. – John Morton
Will Smith
Smith broke into the acting scene with the title role on Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He spent six seasons on the show, and was nominated for two Golden Globes during his tenure.
As the ’90s rolled along, Smith’s performance spring-boarded him from being known as a rapper into someone who is now more well known for his acting. He has since starred in movies like Men in Black, I am Legend and Suicide Squad.
In
order to attract Smith to return to the small screen, a role would likely have
to be made just for him, and he would probably want to direct the program as
well. This would likely make money for the network, though, as the Fresh Prince was a hit, and plenty of people
will want to watch Smith for the nostalgia. – Zach Green
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