Peacock Pulls Plug on Alicia Silverstone-Led Clueless Sequel Series
As if — Peacock has nixed the Clueless sequel series, even with Alicia Silverstone returning as Cher.
OK, so here’s a twist for anyone who’s been holding out for a Clueless comeback on TV: Alicia Silverstone’s return as Cher Horowitz in a new sequel series isn’t happening at Peacock anymore. I know, total Monet. BUT that doesn’t mean the project’s dead. There’s actually some behind-the-scenes maneuvering still going on, and it’s not time to retire your yellow plaid just yet.
Where’s This Clueless Series Now?
According to Variety, Peacock has bailed on the sequel, but that hasn’t stopped the engine. CBS Studios and Paramount are still pretty sold on the idea, so development is chugging along elsewhere. Translation: someone’s determined to get this thing on a screen, just not on NBC’s streamer. Feels a little like musical chairs among the rights-holders, to be honest, but that’s Hollywood.
The Creative Team (Yeah, There’s a Lot of Them)
- Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl) are on board as writers and exec producers
- Jordan Weiss (Dollface) is writing and exec producing too
- Alicia Silverstone herself is exec producer (not just starring)
- Amy Heckerling (the original movie’s writer/director) is co-exec producing
Kind of a stacked list, which is either wildly promising or the first step in a creative tug-of-war. We’ll see how that shakes out.
What’s It Even About?
Don’t expect to get much: plot details are locked up pretty tight. All they’ll say is that it’s a follow-up to the OG 1995 film. So, Cher’s coming back in some way, but no clue yet if it’s about her as an adult, more Beverly Hills drama, or giving new makeovers to Gen Z. They’re not sharing, and normally I’d complain, but hey, some secrecy is probably wise.
Quick Recap: If You Forgot Your ’90s Homework
In case anyone’s mind is drawing a blank, Clueless was a loose—and I do mean loose—take on Jane Austen’s Emma. Cher Horowitz (Silverstone) was rich, clever, and an expert manipulator of the social ladder at her valley high school. She takes new girl Tai (Brittany Murphy) under her wing for a classic ’90s makeover. As a movie, it was about as ’90s as they come (in the best possible way), and it didn’t stop there. It spawned:
- An actual TV spinoff (with Stacey Dash sticking around as Dionne) that ran from 1996-1999
- A bunch of YA novels and comics
- A stage musical that, yes, was totally a thing
Unpacking Past Clueless TV Flops
If you’re getting déjà vu, you’re not alone: this isn’t even Peacock’s first time at this particular rodeo. Back in 2020, they also tried to launch a Clueless series—that one was a spinoff all about Dionne. If the official description is to be believed, it was meant to have 'baby pink and bisexual blue-tinted, tiny sun-glasses wearing, oat milk latte and Adderall-fueled' vibes, which sounds... well, like somebody had a little too much cold brew in the pitch meeting. The show would have started with Cher vanishing and Dionne stepping up to run the school—and solve the mystery of her best friend’s disappearance. That idea was scrapped after less than a year.
Alicia Silverstone: The On-Again, Off-Again Cher
Silverstone hasn’t exactly walked away from Cher in the years since 1995. She actually dusted off the plaid for a Super Bowl commercial in 2023 (for Rakuten, which will now forever be burned into my brain). For maximum nostalgia, Eliza Donovan even showed up to reprise Amber in Cher’s old debate class. And, because nothing ‘90s ever disappears forever, Silverstone’s also gone viral on TikTok re-enacting some of the film’s classic set pieces. All of this only makes it weirder that a direct Cher-centric show keeps stalling out in Hollywood limbo.
'Despite a lot of fan interest, Alicia Silverstone’s return as Cher in a new Clueless sequel isn’t happening at Peacock, but the show isn’t dead—it’s just looking for a new home.'
So, to sum up: the Clueless sequel show with Silverstone is still alive—somewhere—but not on Peacock. The right people seem interested, but, as always, nobody’s saying much about what’s actually going to happen. Maybe we’ll see Cher back in the halls of Beverly Hills High someday. Until then, break out the knee-highs and keep the faith.