Paramount+ Announces ‘The Game’ Reboot With Original Cast

According to Deadline, Brock Akil will return as executive producer alongside Black Lightning‘s Salim Akil, original executive producer Kelsey Grammer and Tom Russo of Grammnet NH Productions. The Game reboot, which will be a half-hour program, will also have American Soul‘s Devon Greggory as showrunner and writer. As opposed to the original San Diego location, the show will now take place in Las Vegas and tackle Black culture through the lens of pro-football.

“Fifteen years ago, I created The Game and am so proud of the success we had, and that I was able to create characters and stories that resonated with so many people,” said Brock Akil, as reported by Deadline. “I couldn’t be happier about leaving my beloved characters like Tasha Mack and Malik Wright in the hands of Devon, Wendy, and Hosea, who I know will build off of the rich foundation the show has.”

The Game originally aired in 2006 as a comedy-drama series on UPN/CW and was originally created by Mara Brock Akil. The show chronicled the lives and careers of the players and wives of the San Diego Sabers, a fictional football team based in California. The original cast included Tia Mowry as Melanie, Pooch Hall as Derwin Davis, Brittany Daniel as Kelly Pitts, and Cody Bell as Jason Pitts.

In 2009, The Game was canceled by The CW and was later renewed for a fourth season via BET in 2011. Once picked up by BET, the show broke cable records and became an hour-long dramedy as opposed to the original half-hour primetime programming. The 2011 season premiere wrangled in a record-breaking 7.7 million viewers, making it the most-watched sitcom premiere in cable television history. After being revived by BET, Lauren London and Jay Ellis joined the cast as Keira Whitaker and Bryce “Blueprint” Westbrook. Other additional cast members throughout the show’s history included Brandy, Rick Fox, Drew Sidora, Mehcad Brooks, and Barry Floyd as Tee-Tee.