Another classic sitcom could be getting a modern update, courtesy of a “Modern Family” star.
NBC is developing a potential reboot of the ABC comedy “Coach,” with Ty Burrell attached as an executive producer with the intent to star, according to Deadline.
The prospective series hails from Daniel Libman and Matthew Libman — who co-created Peacock’s Adam Pally/Stephen Curry comedy “Mr. Throwback” — and would notably take a single-camera approach, which differs from the multi-cam operation of ABC’s original “Coach” series. Burrell would play a legendary coach who returns home to Minnesota to “rebuild his alma mater’s basketball program and reconnect with his community,” per Deadline.
A Coach revival attempt has been made before
“Coach” originally ran on ABC from 1989 to 1997 and starred Craig T. Nelson in the title role. For all nine seasons, Nelson played Hayden Fox, head coach of Minnesota’s fictional Screaming Eagles college football team (and, later, coach of a fictional NFL expansion team called the Orlando Breakers). The main cast also included Jerry Van Dyke and Bill Fagerbakke as assistant coaches Luther Van Dam and Michael “Dauber” Dybinski, respectively, as well as Shelley Fabares (who died earlier this year) as Hayden’s wife, Christine.
The potential Ty Burrell-led “Coach” reboot will be NBC’s second attempt at bringing the property back for more episodes. In 2015, the network handed a 13-episode, straight-to-series order to a “Coach” sequel series that would have found Nelson reprising his original role. However, the project was later scrapped during production a few months later, with sources citing behind-the-scenes creative issues as reason for the cancellation.
Are you intrigued by the idea of a brand-new “Coach” series? Give us your initial thoughts in a comment below.