Dan Aykroyd is working to bring The Blues Brothers back to the small screen with a new TV series based on the comedy music duo he formed with late funnyman John Belushi.
Belushi performed in character as lead singer 'Joliet' Jake Blues, with the Ghostbusters star as harmonica player Elwood Blues. The pair, as The Blues Brothers and backed by a number of noted bandmembers, made its debut as a musical guest on U.S. sketch show Saturday Night Live in 1978 and the actors went on to release an album and star in their own Hollywood film.
Belushi died in 1982, but Aykroyd continued to make festival appearances with the band and they made a movie sequel, Blues Brothers 2000, but it was a box office flop upon its release in 1998.
Now the actor is trying to pitch fresh plans for The Blues Brothers to U.S. TV executives with the help of Belushi's ex-wife, Judy, who co-owns the rights, according to trade paper Daily Variety.
She says, "I think these are great American characters. We want to keep them alive. We chose to introduce them as new characters but do it in a way that they have some history, have some life behind them."