With all the streaming services and new channels arriving, there has been a fresh demand for new content – a lot of it driven by nostalgia and that dreaded term "established IP". The latest to raid the back catalogue is WarnerMedia's incoming HBO Max service, which has put a TV spin-off from the National Lampoon's Vacation films with Big Bang Theory acting veteran Johnny Galecki on to produce.
The Middle's Tim Hobert will run the show, which brings the iconic family (originally fronted by Chevy Chase as accident-prone Clark) home from their various travels and explores their daily lives in the suburbs of Chicago... So... National Lampoon's Staycation? The actual title is The Griswolds, and while Galecki played Rusty in 1989's Christmas Vacation, there's no word on whether he'll step in front of the camera for this one.
The history of the Vacation franchise, which was originally spawned from a biographical short story by John Hughes, is littered with one or two stone cold classics and a few misfires. The more recent sequel/reboot with Ed Helms as a grown Rusty scored some mixed reviews. Whether the show can work is unknown, but its home on a streaming service means it won't be quite as subject to ratings pressures. That's no guarantee, but does provide a little more security.