Huey Lewis To Star in Mockumentary-Style Sitcom ‘Whatever Happened to Huey Lewis’ For Fox
If you’ve ever wondered: “why hasn’t anyone pitched a Curb Your Enthusiasm-style mockumentary sitcom about beloved 1980s pop singer Huey Lewis in which the News leader tries to figure out what life looks like after hearing loss with the help of his eccentric friends and clingy family?”
Well, your prayers are answered, because according to Deadline Fox has ordered the show Whatever Happened to Huey Lewis, in which Lewis will star and executive produce a half-hour sitcom and play a fictionalized version of himself. The single-camera comedy is a co-production of Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, late night talker Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot and Fox Entertainment Studios; Kimmel and Lewis are longtime fly-fishing friends.
The show is being written and executive produced by Kirker Butler (Only Murders in the Building) and the news comes six years after Lewis revealed significant hearing loss as a result of Ménière’s disease. This will mark the second time that Lewis’ life has inspired a spin-off production, coming on the heels of the brief two-month spring 2024 Broadway run of The Heart of Rock and Roll, a jukebox musical revolving around the band’s catalog.
In addition to being the voice of such indelible hits as “I Want a New Drug,” “The Heart of Rock & Roll,” “Power of Love,” “Heart and Soul,” Hip to Be Square” and “If This Is It,” Lewis has also dipped into the film world, from his uncredited cameo in 1985’s Back to the Future, to appearances in Robert Altman’s 1993 Hollywood send-up Short Cuts, as well as a starring role in Duets with Gwyneth Paltrow. Lewis also played the lead role of Billy Flynn in Chicago on Broadway in 2005 and 2007.
Gil Kaufman
Billboard
