Pop TV will air a standalone animated “One Day at a Time” special later this spring, the network announced Tuesday.
The episode comes as physical production on the multi-camera comedy was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Production on the special will be done remotely, with the episode scheduled to air later this spring.
“In my 97 years, I’ve never known of a multicam comedy to animate a single episode as a special. Even this I get to experience,” said executive producer Norman Lear.
Per Pop, the episode “centers around Penelope’s conservative family visiting. Penelope dreads that with the election coming up, they won’t be able to avoid fighting over politics. The Alvarez family spends the episode discussing strategies of how to get through it, illustrated through fantasy sequences.”
“As we all know, it’s hard to keep ‘One Day at a Time’ off the air. During this unprecedented time, we wanted to find a way to keep our family – on camera and behind the scenes – together and create more entertaining content for our fans who are self-distancing at home,” said executive producer and showrunner Gloria Calderón Kellet. “This animated special gives us an exciting opportunity to imagine the Alvarez family in a colorful new way while continuing to tell important and relevant stories.”
Jonas Diamond, executive producer and co-owner of Toronto’s Smiley Guy Studios, will oversee animation on the special. The cast will all voice their own characters and will be joined by celebrity guests to be announced at a later date.
“One Day at a Time” is produced by Act III Productions, Inc., Snowpants Productions and GloNation in association with Sony Pictures Television. Kellett, Lear, Mike Royce, and Brent Miller are executive producers.