‘The Griswolds’ TV Series: What We Know So Far

The Griswold family could be making its way to the small screen, thanks to HBO Max. The upcoming streaming service is currently developing “The Griswolds,” a new comedy series based on National Lampoon’s "Vacation" franchise.

The new series would follow the iconic family from the films and explores their daily lives in the suburbs of Chicago. The project will be written by Tim Hobert and is being produced by original star Johnny Galecki through his Alcide Bava Productions under Warner Bros. TV, according to Deadline.

The “Vacation” franchise got its start with the 1983 film “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” following the crazy antics of the Griswold family during their trip to Walley World. The movie was a hit with audiences and critics and helped spawn four sequels, “European Vacation,” “Christmas Vacation,” “Vegas Vacation”, and “Vacation.” The last installment, “Vacation,” served as a soft reboot of the films.

The films were a staple for the careers of Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo, who played parents, Clark and Ellen Griswold. Different actors played their kids over the years, with Galecki portraying their son Rusty in “Christmas Vacation” in 1989.

Prior to the last film, Chase had attempted to bring the franchise back. As reported by IndieWire, he revealed in 2011 that he was penning his own sequel script, "Swiss Family Griswold." That plan never got off the ground. Instead, New Line Cinema decided to make “Vacation,” which was also considered a continuation of the films with Ed Helms playing an adult Rusty Griswold. Chase and D’Angelo also reprised their characters in the film.

There were also ad campaigns released that revolved around Clark and Ellen. The first was made for HomeAway called "Hotel Hell Vacation" while the other one was for Old Navy. The second commercial featured Audrey actress Juliette Lewis, reports Huffington Post.

Even though the upcoming TV series has a script development deal with HBO Max, it is not believed to have been picked up as a series just yet.