Damon Wayans wants to bring back iconic sketch show 'In Living Color': 'The time is right'
TV is certainly in the midst of a reboot trend. Wayans himself is playing the Donald Glover role on Fox's remake of "Lethal Weapon" this fall.
But with The CW currently airing a reboot of late-'90s/early-2000s sketch show "Mad TV," there's an even bigger argument for an "In Living Color" return.
"I still believe that it should've been an institution like 'Saturday Night Live,'" Wayans told Business Insider at the Television Critics Association press tour this week. "If you just think about all the talent that came through 'In Living Color' that are famous today: Jennifer Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, a global, iconic actor/comedian. But there's still more talent to be found."
The show aired on Fox from 1990 to 1994. Created by Wayans' brother Keenen Ivory Wayans, the show's predominately black cast set it apart from mainstream television and other sketch shows. It also controversially parodied life in low-income black neighborhoods, another big difference from other shows of the time.
Aside from other Wayans family members, Carrey, and Foxx, "In Living Color's" cast included David Alan Grier and Tommy Davidson. It also featured dancers known as the Fly Girls. Oscar-nominated actress Rosie Perez acted as choreographer, with Lopez and "Dancing with the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba as dancers.
"There's still more talent to be found," he said. "I see them when I'm in the comedy clubs. If we had 'In Living Color' on, these people should go through there, because it was great training ground."
He also thinks YouTube stars could do very well from on a show like "In Living Color."
"I watch YouTube and I'm looking for [talent] and it's not consistent," Wayans told us. "All these years, they're uploading 10 billion videos a week on YouTube and I can't find anything consistently funny. There's something wrong. There's no filter. Who's locating the talent? Nurturing the talent? It should he more consistent... The time is right."
Keenen Ivory Wayans and Fox did try to bring the show back in 2013, but they felt that there was a lack of talent at the time and the project was killed. Damon Wayans should speak to his brother.