A reality show inspired by Rodney Dangerfield's Back to School is in the works

Variety

MGM Television is turning the iconic comedian's 1986 film into what it is calling a docuseries. Back to School co-starred a young Robert Downey Jr., William Zabka, Ned Beatty, Sally Kellerman and Sam Kinison, with cameos by Oingo Boingo and Kurt Vonnegut. Variety reports that the Back to School series will explore what happens when the "comedian’s character, millionaire Thorton Melon, enrolls in college with his son to keep him from dropping out. In typical Dangerfield fashion, he triggers a series of comedic mishaps on campus." College students will be surprised when their parents become their classmates, living as dorm mates and pledging the same fraternity or sorority. The Back to School reality show counts MGM Television chief Mark Burnett as an executive producer. “I am so excited to take the premise of one of my favorite films into the unscripted world,” said Barry Poznick, MGM’s president, Unscripted Television. “Rodney was a comedic genius and his spirit is very much in the DNA of our show’s approach to a dual fish-out-of-water comedic format for audiences to experience along with our parents and kids. I love that grown-ups are going back to school and we are able to capture this with our new series.” Dangerfield died in 2004 at age 82.