Leslie Jones Shares Why She Chose to Remake Supermarket Sweep

Leslie Jones has shared the story of why she chose to take on the Supermarket Sweep remake. When the project got announced, people were very excited about the prospect of a return for one of yesteryear’s niche shows. D23 caught up with the Saturday Night Live alum to talk about how things are going and how the first season went down. In a coronavirus pandemic world, shooting those episodes can’t have been easy. But, the cast and crew were able to take a bunch of necessary precautions. From 1990-95, the show was a fun half-hour on Lifetime and there’s nothing that doesn’t get another chance these days. So, why not kick the tires on a show fronted by a beloved comedian and the zany hijinks that can ensue when you let people loose inside of a supermarket.

Jones said, “I wanted to update it: bring some new music to it, bring some color to it, bring some jolts to it, bring activity to it. I had that feeling of wanting to make people feel what I felt when I used to watch the old show.”

“This show has a human being who grew up loving this show and wanting to remake it. Instead of hiring talent to do the work of the host, Leslie found out who owned the intellectual property that is Supermarket Sweep and went to them and said, ‘Hey, I want to make this show. I want to produce it with you. I want to host it.’ What is different here is Leslie Jones. It’s her love of the old show shining through for 2020—and she brings a lot of personality,” executive producer Alycia Rossiter said.

When the hit 90s series remake was announced, Jones was all too thrilled to take the reins. She talked more about her vision for the new version.

“I’ve always dreamed of being on Supermarket Sweep,” Jones added. “Seriously, I tried out for the show years ago; and after getting turned away, I knew I’d have to take matters into my own hands. being able to bring the iconic game show back to life on ABC is my ultimate redemption story!”

ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke also addressed the reboot, “Supermarket Sweep is the perfect addition to ABC’s strong lineup of classic game show revivals, and we struck gold having Leslie Jones as the host and executive producer. The original version was one of my all-time favorites. I can’t wait for it to be reintroduced with Leslie’s fresh and unique take on the classic supermarket race, which will undoubtedly appeal to an entirely new generation of viewers.”

Have you caught Supermarket Sweep yet? Let us know in the comments below!