*Yvette Nicole Brown is speaking out about the criticism of the forthcoming series “Good Times” animated series.
We reported earlier that an animated reboot of the 1970s sitcom “Good Times” is coming to Netflix from Carl Jones, Seth MacFarlane, and NBA star Stephen Curry.
The original sitcom aired for six seasons on CBS from 1974 to 1979. It was television’s first African American two-parent family sitcom. Norman Lear produced the show, which centered on the Evans family, who lived in a poor, black neighborhood in inner-city Chicago.
Jones modernized the setting, transitioning the Evans family from the 1970s to the 2020s, according to the news release. Curry and “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane are executive producers on the adult-animated series.
Brown, who voices the wife and matriarch, Beverly Evans, said in a post that the animated series is “edgier and more irreverent than the Good Times of our childhood.”
The announcement of the new “Good Times” animated series sparked backlash due to concerns about preserving the original show’s legacy and the portrayal of Black stereotypes in 2024.
Brown said the series is “still a show about family, fighting the system, and working to make things better despite where you start out in the world.”
“I’ve spent my whole life shining a light on the things that matter & calling out the systems that keep a boot on our necks,” she explained to fans and critics of the new series in a message on social media. “At times, I take parts in projects that do the same — even if they are irreverent or risky. Coming for me as if that’s wrong is a fool’s errand.”
In another post, the actress added, “You don’t have to like the projects I choose, agree with my decision to do them or support me now or going forward. But your displeasure will not stop me from doing the projects I think have merit despite them being tough to swallow for some, at first.
“Now get out there & write your screeds about a show you’ve seen just a two-minute trailer for. Go off as if you know the fullness of the journey or the message we’re trying to share about the systemic barriers WE still face no matter our station in life.”
The series stars J.B. Smoove (Reggie Evans), Yvette Nicole Brown (Beverly Evans), Jay Pharoah (Junior Evans), Marsai Martin (Grey Evans), Gerald “Slink” Johnson (Dalvin Evans) and Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola (Lashes by Lisa).
This version of #GoodTimes is edgier and more irreverent than the Good Times of our childhood, but it’s still a show about family, fighting the system and working to make things better despite where you start out in the world. That 100% lines up with my values. https://t.co/4lNRbMhxK2
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) March 27, 2024
The “Good Times” official synopsis reads: An animated reboot of the Norman Lear series finds the latest generation of the Evans family, cab driver Reggie and his wife, the ever-aspirational Beverly, scratching and surviving in one of the last remaining housing projects in Chicago along with their teenage artist son, Junior, activist daughter Grey, and drug dealing infant son, Dalvin. It turns out the more things change the more they stay the same and keeping your head above water in a system with its knee on your neck is as challenging as ever. The only thing tougher than life is love, but in this family, there’s more than enough to go around.
Watch the trailer below.
All ten episodes will be available on Netflix on Friday, April 12.
READ MORE: ‘Good Times’ Animated Series is Coming to Netflix | Watch Trailer
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