Disney Channel has greenlit a multi-camera sitcom that is part scripted and part improvisational, Variety has learned exclusively.
The hybrid series is called “Just Roll With It.” Filmed before a studio audience, the series follows the blended Bennett-Blatt family. Blair, played by Kaylin Hayman, often a rebel without a cause, is the polar opposite of her strict, regimented, ex-military mom, Rachel, played by Suzi Barrett. Ramon Reed plays Owen, a born athlete with a taste for scheduling and organization, who is always trying to clean up his creative and charismatic father and morning radio show host Byron, played by Tobie Windham.
At the sound of a horn, the actors break from the scene and go backstage while the audience decides which of three outrageous stunts will take place next. Once votes are cast electronically, the actors return to the stage to continue the scene, waiting for the next surprise, which could be anything from being asked to eat a disgusting sardine, grasshopper and ice cream burrito to a man falling through the roof of the Bennett-Blatt home.
“The multi-camera sitcom format has worked as a staple of TV for decades. So naturally, we aimed to totally upend it,” said Jonas Agin, vice president of original series for Disney Channel. “By introducing an element of audience-interactivity that subverts the expectations of not only the viewers but also the cast, ‘Just Roll With It’ is a true step in the evolution of comedic storytelling.”
“Just Roll With It” is a production of Kenwood TV Productions, Inc. Adam Small and Trevor Moore serve as executive producers and co-showrunners.