“That is a dream of a lot of people at ABC. I’m hearing that there’s a remote possibility of something. It’s at the very beginning [stages],” Burke told The Hollywood Reporter at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour. “Happy Endings was certainly one of my favorite ABC shows.”
The Chicago-set sitcom, created by David Caspe, followed six young adults trying to figure out—yet often failing at—adulthood. Never a rating success, the show had a fiercely loyal fan base. After ABC canceled the sitcom, there was initial hope another network would pick up the series, but nothing panned out.
Burke brought Erin Wehernberg, formerly with Warner Bros. TV, over to ABC in November with the intent on giving new life to ABC’s comedy lineup, and the two recognized Happy Endings as the type of comedy they’re looking to create at the Disney-owned network.
“One of the things Erin and I bonded over when she came over to take over comedy development was a desire to do a show like Happy Endings, which led to a conversation about Happy Endings,” Burke said. “So, I think she’s exploring what’s possible.”
Caspe said in 2016 that he would be willing to do a reboot, but only if they got the network support (and money) needed to do it right.
“People will call, we’ve had a few offers, but it’s not ‘come back and do it your way,’” Caspe told pajiba.com, a pop culture website. “It’s like, let’s just do a cold open. Or let’s do a few episodes using found footage or make it a TV movie and shoot it handheld, to save money … things like that. But no one has come to me and said let’s make real episodes: ten episodes that look like the show was and to actually be what the show was and get everyone back, with the right budget. If that happens? Then I would totally do it. It would be so fun…”
Reaction to the news of a possible reboot excited many fans on social media.
“I hope the rumors ABC will reboot Happy Endings are true. Such a great show. It deserves another shot,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Don’t toy with my emotions this way,” another wrote.
“Don’t phunk with my heart!!!!!!!!”
Also in the works for ABC is a spinoff of Fresh Off the Boat, which is about to start its sixth season, in addition to expanding a lineup of comedies that includes more than just family fare.
“We’re looking to build on the success and taking lessons from our past in terms of what really defines an ABC show,” Burke said. “On the comedy side, broadening that to include what defines an ABC comedy. We have a great family comedy business, but I’d also like to see us stretching into ensembles that aren’t just based in family. That’s a goal.”
Family comedies currently on ABC include Modern Family, The Goldbergs, American Housewife, The Conners and Single Parents.
