I was pretty surprised [0] back in May when ABC announced its fall schedule without "Football Wives," a remake of the British series "Footballers' Wives" [1] (pictured above). Now, it appears the network is reconsidering its decision to pass on the show: ABC has extended the options on its stars [2], including Gabrielle Union, Lucy Lawless, Ving Rhames and James Van Der Beek, which is typically a sign that a project is still in the running.

Maybe, the Hollywood Reporter suggests, ABC's sudden interest in the show can be explained by the fact that other networks — Fox and NBC among them — seem to be ready to snag it for themselves if ABC passes for good. After all, between "The Starter Wife" [2] and "Army Wives," [2] it's been a pretty great summer for wives on TV. If you want to see the original, it's airing this summer [3] on BBC America.

Meanwhile, another British import [3] finally has its leading man [4]. Jason O'Mara — who was initially supposed to play the title character in "Marlowe," another pilot ABC passed on — now will star in David E. Kelley's remake of "Life on Mars," [5] about a police detective who mysteriously travels back in time. I watched some of that show's first season on BBC America last summer and really enjoyed it, so I'm curious to see what happens with the American adaptation.

Source [6]