Hamilton creator and Marry Poppins Returns actor Lin-Manuel Miranda has joined the cast of an upcoming, animated special set in the world of the Pop TV series One Day at a Time. The series, once cancelled at Netflix, was revived by Pop TV after the National Hispanic Media Coalition praised the show as “a guiding light – the true north in and for an industry grappling with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusivity.” Produced by the legendary Norman Lear, One Day at a Time is a contemporary reimagining of a series he had on TV in the 1970s. The classic series ran for nine seasons on CBS.
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Lear has almost seven decades of experience in Hollywood and has four Emmy wins for All In The Family (1971-1979). His other credits include The Jeffersons (1975-1985), Good Times (1974-1979), Maude (1972-1978), Mary Hartman, Marty Hartman (1976-1977) and Sanford and Son (1972-1977). He also has an Oscar-nomination for co-writing the 1967 comedy Divorce American Style. Among Lear’s many awards is a Kennedy Center Honor.
The new One Day at a Time launched in 2017 and has been critically acclaimed. Created by Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce, the series stars Justina Machado as a divorced Cuban-American raising her children and living with her mother, played by Rita Moreno.
The current take on One Day at a Time was about halfway through its 13-episode fourth season when production was halted due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The animated special is an attempt by producers to keep production going in a form that can be done while social distancing. Former guest stars Gloria Estefan and Melissa Fumero will return to reprise their roles in the special, which is set to air in June.
“As we all know, it’s hard to keep One Day at a Time off the air. During this unprecedented time, we wanted to find a way to keep our family — on camera and behind the scenes — together and create more entertaining content for our fans who are self-distancing at home,” co-showrunner Gloria Calderón Kellett said in announcing the special. “This animated special gives us an exciting opportunity to imagine the Alvarez family in a colorful new way while continuing to tell important and relevant stories.”
According to THR, the special is called “The Politics Episode” and will center on a visit from Penelope’s (Justina Machado) conservative cousin Estrellita (Fumero), Tia Mirtha (Estefan) and Tio Juanito (Miranda). With the presidential election looming, they won’t be able to avoid fighting over politics.
One Day At A Time: The Politics Episode will air on June 16 on Pop TV.
