Two new seasons of “The Boondocks” will stream exclusively on HBO Max, the latest in a string of TV series revivals that companies are ordering to stand out from their competitors.
The two-season revival will include 24 episodes and will launch in fall 2020 with a 50-minute special. All 55 episodes of the original “The Boondocks” will be available on HBO Max when the SVOD service launches in spring 2020.
The new series will follow the adventures of self-proclaimed “Civil Rights Legend” Robert “Granddad” Freeman and his two rambunctious grandsons, Huey and Riley. The family has recently moved to an idyllic community in suburban Maryland only to see it taken over by the tyrannical Uncle Ruckus and his bizarre neo-fascist regime. Life under Ruckus turns out to be an everyday struggle to survive.
Aaron McGruder, who created the original series and the comic strip it was based on, is returning and will serve as showrunner for the two-season revival. McGruder noted that the new seasons tackle contemporary social and political issues.
“There’s a unique opportunity to revisit the world of ‘The Boondocks’ and do it over again for today,” McGruder said in a statement. “It’s crazy how different the times we live in are now – both politically and culturally – more than a decade past the original series and two decades past the original newspaper comic. There’s a lot to say and it should be fun.”
It’s been a particularly busy week for revivals of popular television series. NBCUniversal shared an array of details about Peacock, its upcoming AVOD streaming service, on Tuesday, including news that “Battlestar Galactica,” “Saved by the Bell,” and “Punky Brewster” would all be getting reboots on the platform. WarnerMedia also dropped a bombshell Tuesday by announcing that HBO Max would be the streaming home to “The Big Bang Theory.” Other shows that will exclusively stream on HBO Max include “Friends,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” and “Pretty Little Liars.”
A specific release date and pricing for HBO Max are still under wraps. Previous industry chatter suggested that the upcoming streaming service could launch at a price point of $16-$17 per month and bundle HBO, Cinemax, and a library of Warner Bros. films and shows. AT&T is expected to share more details about the service during an event at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank on October 29.
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