'70s sitcom 'Good Times' headed to the big screen! Dyno-mite!!

There's a Good Times movie in the works over at Sony. You mad, bro? Why bother? Let's face it, television adaptations are a nuisance that everyone has to get used to because they're never going to stop. Every now and then you get one that clicks, like 21 Jump Street or The A-Team. But just as often you get crap like Dark Shadows or Bewitched that totally misses what made the shows beloved to begin with.

But a Good Times remake is going to be tough to pull off without it becoming like just another in a string of bad urban comedies. Nobody wants it to be Johnson Family Vacation or anything, right? The 1970s sitcom, a spinoff of Maude, was notable for being one of the first to center exclusively on a poor African-American family, dealing with the hardships caused by racism and wealth inequality. It's probably best remembered for introducing many people to a young Janet Jackson (watch out for the elevator shaft, Penny!!!), and for Jimmie "J.J." Walker's iconic catchphrase, "Dyno-mite!!!"

There is reason to be cautiously optimistic, though. Scott Rudin is producing, and he generally has a good track record. More importantly, it's being written by Phil Johnston, who brought us the underrated Ed Helms comedy, Cedar Rapids.  The plan is to set the film in the racially charged 1960s.

I wonder if they'll pull the classic Good Times bit where a white person comes over and is mortified at using one of their drinking glasses. Oh, it never got old. Until it did. I used to watch the show all the time as a kid, and remember it stacking so much hardship on them that it became unbearable to watch. The movie will likely be a lot easier to handle. [Deadline]