Pull Your Finger Out, Networks

Showtime has just announced it will be remaking the late 80’s show In The Heat of The Night, which starred Carroll O’Connor. This show was actually a television adaption of the Sidney Poitier film of the same name – which, itself, was based off a book – again, of the same name.

Does anyone remember back in the day of VHS when you would try to make a copy of a VHS copy? How it got all fuzzy, slightly out of focus, and the quality just generally lacked the original? That’s what Hollywood is now doing with all sorts of things. Showtime is remaking a remake of remake of a novel. Good stuff. Cue the sarcastic slow clap.

This is just one of a slew of remakes/reboots to be announced by networks and studios. We have an upcoming Rush Hour television series, based off the Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan film of the same name, and currently on the air is the Broadchurch remake for FOX, Gracepoint, and reboots of Dallas, and Beverly Hills 90210 – among many others.

I have no problems with things being remade, or revamped. I’m a huge fan of Bates Motel – which is essentially a prequel to the Pyscho film. Sounded terrible in the press, but after watching it I realized the writers and producers have developed their own world within Hitchcock’s to tell THEIR tale. The problem I have is the lack of imagination in doing most of these remakes. What possibly can be done with In The Heat of The Night that wasn’t done nearly 30 years ago? Not much. And I dare to guess that Hollywood doesn’t care to do anything with it. “Let’s just trudge out a name of something that everyone knows, and they’ll watch it in hoards, right?”

WRONG. With a world where original programs and content is being produced for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and online video services we, the audience, have more choices than ever about what to watch. And when.

The big question at the bottom of all this, for me anyway, is why are major networks struggling to find that originality bone in their overpaid bodies?

I don’t know, is my answer. Is it a case of panic? VOD services are taking a lot away from the big four, and that can’t be sitting too well with them. Does the only solution seem to be to play it safe? That doesn’t make sense to me. Audiences have proven that if there’s original, and possibly off kilter, fare out there – they will watch it. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you’ll never please all of the people, all of the time. Take a risk, see what happens. Take a chance on that unknown writer who has stacks of weird, funny, offbeat shows in their back pocket. You obviously can’t do much worse than the current crop of news shows that’s been trotted out in front of us this season.

Before the UpFronts this year, Hollywood Reporter ran a story about how Hollywood was struggling to fill showrunner/head writer roles for new shows. Doesn’t that seem to say it all? If you constantly go for the same pool of talent, that pool is eventually going to run dry. Then what? Are we not going to have new shows next year because there’s not enough ‘qualified’ or tried and tested people to fill those shows’ writers’ rooms? I doubt it. Perhaps we’ll get stuck with even more bullshit in the form of reality shows, and talent contests – because hell, we need SO many more of them. *eye roll*

I guess this is turning more into a plea to Hollywood to let us new kids in the door. We have ideas, we have voices, and we’re the ones that are slowly, but surely, turning your channels off for the more fun/quirky shows found on cable or in the vast space of the internet.

What’s everyone’s thoughts on this latest batch of remakes?