A prime time animated television show featuring The Blues Brothers is being developed and pitched to networks and online TV services by Elwood Blues aka Dan Aykroyd and Judy Belushi, widow of John Belushi aka Jake Blues. Former Saturday Night Live writer Anne Beatts, who was part of that show’s original team, has partnered with them on the project. Bento Box Entertainment, the Emmy-winning animation house behind Bob’s Burgers, is also on the team.
“The show will be the Blues Brothers living in America and utilizing all new technology to make and promote their own records, seek out and record new artists and avoid law enforcement – and all while fighting for truth, justice and a better breakfast sandwich,” says Aykroyd, now 64. It will feature preexisting Blues Brothers recordings as well as newly recorded versions of classic blues, soul and R&B songs and continue to follow the two singers and their band on their comedic adventures.
Aykroyd and John Belushi created The Blues Brothers as an SNL sketch in 1976, and subsequently spun it off into a touring act and 1978 live album, Briefcase Full of Blues, that went #1 and sold 3.5 million copies. A hit movie featuring the characters, The Blues Brothers, was directed by John Landis and released in 1980 (a sequel, Blues Brothers 2000, with John Goodman playing Belushi’s role, was a flop). Over the past decade Aykroyd and Judy Belushi have made previous attempts to launch a Blues Brothers cartoon series to reestablish and expand the brand. The two have also formed a record label, Blues Brothers Records, that will record aspiring blues artists and be distributed by Universal Music Group’s Blue Note label.
Also developing an animated music TV series is famed producer and record label executive T Bone Burnett. Titled Drawn & Recorded, it will tell insider tales from the history of recorded music narrated by Burnett. Initial episodes are being produced but no distributor has yet been announced.
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationI, for one, think this is an AWESOME idea! It will introduce a whole new audience to the Blues genre of music. And, I’m sorry, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!