Story highlights
Last aired in 1994, two new editions of "In Living Color" will air in 2012, Fox says
Except for Keenen Ivory Wayans, it will feature an all-new cast of comedians
The earlier show gave rise to characters Fire Marshal Bill and Homey D. Clown
It was a launching pad for the Wayans' brothers, Jim Carrey and Jennifer Lopez
The landmark sketch comedy series “In Living Color” – which became famous in the early 1990s thanks to characters like clumsy Fire Marshal Bill and the dour Homey D. Clown – has been revived nearly two decades after it last aired, the Fox network announced Friday.
An updated version of the program will air as “two half-hour specials in the spring of 2012,” the network said in a statement. The exact dates of these shows have not been released.
Keenen Ivory Wayans, the original series’ creator and executive producer of the coming edition, will host the new episodes. Except for him, these shows will feature a new cast of “fresh, young talent,” according to Fox.
The show was a jumping-off point for several now mainstream performers like Jamie Foxx and Jim Carrey, as well as Jennifer Lopez and “Dancing With the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba – who both were part of the “Fly Girls,” the show’s dance troupe. It also was a home base for several members of the Wayans family – Keenen, Damon, Kim, Marlon and Shawn.
The half-hour show aired between 1990 and 1994, during which time it was widely seen as groundbreaking for having a nearly all-black cast of comedians.
“The iconic series put a hip, edgy spin on popular culture and featured characters and sketches that became part of the American vernacular,” the Fox release said.