Though John Belushi’s death in 1982 had a surprisingly small impact on the continued existence of the Blues Brothers brand, Dan Aykroyd understands that he has to be ready for the day when no more old white guys are willing to put on Wayfarers and sing some jazzy tunes with him. That, presumably, is why he’s now developing an animated Blues Brothers series that could allow the characters and their music to survive for all of eternity—or at least for as long as people are interested in a Blues Brothers cartoon.
This comes from Deadline, which says Aykroyd is working with John Belushi’s widow Judy Belushi and Bento Box Entertainment (the animation studio behind Bob’s Burgers, Brickleberry, and Bordertown) on the series, which is aiming for a primetime slot and is being shopped around to TV networks this month. The Blues Brothers show will reportedly follow “the music, mayhem, and comedy adventures” of original Blues Brothers team Jake and Elwood, with Deadline also noting that “music will be a main character in the new series.” The plan is for every episode to have “a score and soundtrack curated with the soul, blues, and R&B classics and hits performed by the Blues Brothers,” in addition to “new performances recorded specifically for the show.” Aykroyd adds that the show will be be about the Brothers “living in America and utilizing all new technology to make and promote their own records, seek out and record new artists, and avoid law enforcement.”
Back in 1997, Aykroyd and Judy Belushi tried to get a Blues Brothers cartoon going on UPN (remember UPN?), but it never went to series.