It looks like we have some bad ideas bookending this week as we kicked off with Monday's news of a rumored remake of Casablanca and now we have another doozy: the possible remake of the 1986 hit Short Circuit. While the rumor has floated around for several years, Variety now reports that the film rights have been acquired and the writers are hired, which means this train has officially left the Read more

It's only Monday morning and already we have a Bad Idea of the Week! And yes, this is entirely rumorific right now, but the mere thought of it is so appalling to me, I had to vent. Madonna. Remaking. Casablanca. Of course, the remake — possibly set in a modern war zone like Iraq — would be a starring vehicle for the Queen of Pop herself. Apparently, a "source" told the Daily Mail, "Madonna Read more

It's a fact that falling can be funny. Look no further than Charlie Chaplin — or, for a more modern example, all those falling videos on YouTube. But would you watch a show that was nothing but people falling, over and over again, on purpose? ABC is about to find out: The network is picking up a reality show called Wipe Out, from the folks behind Fear Factor, that will feature "the most Read more

I can understand how the people in charge of the making-money part of show business are blinded by dollar signs when anyone says the words "High School Musical." The Disney Channel's made-for-TV movie starring Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens is a goliath that quickly moved from a massive ratings success to a global franchise phenomenon. It's not surprising that the powers that be are eager ride Read more

I'm all for people changing their looks and lifestyles on TV. I'm a "What Not to Wear" disciple, and come fall, I'll be cheering on "The Biggest Loser" contestants right alongside Fit. But something about this new CMT reality show is just rubbing me the wrong way. Called "I Want to Look Like a High School Cheerleader Again," the show will take 10 former high school cheerleaders and try to get Read more

What's almost worse than making remakes of beloved '80s films? Making sequels to beloved '80s films! Especially when it's a sequel to a John Hughes movie that might be made 21 years after the first one and probably won't be directed by Hughes himself. That's right, folks, apparently screenwriter Rick Rapier has written the script for Ferris Bueller 2: Another Day Off in which Bueller, now 40 Read more

Here's the story of this TV season in a nutshell: Networks put on new shows. Networks cancel new shows. Networks promise to bring back the canceled shows so dedicated fans can get some bit of closure. Well, now we can add a new step to the process: Networks cancel the canceled shows again, further frustrating fans who had waited months for the supposed resolution and now are unlikely to get it at Read more

Here's an idea that just makes me sad: VH1 could be developing a reality show called "America the Ugly," following unattractive women who get thrown into the glamorous world of fashion and modeling. The show is said to be a real-world version of "Ugly Betty," starring Becky Southwick, the acerbic model manager from "The Agency." Now, I actually enjoyed Becky's cutting comments on "The Agency" — Read more

I've written a lot about reality TV going too far — remember "The Baby Borrowers"? — but it's nothing compared to this: A Dutch TV station is launching a show in which three patients will compete for a dying woman's kidneys. (Update: It turns out the show was a hoax! See the link at the bottom of this post for the full story.) Called "De Grote Donorshow" — that's "The Big Donor Show" to Read more

A while back, when NBC first announced its summer schedule, I noticed a listing for a show called "Age of Love." It was a dating show, but NBC hadn't released any other hints about its premise. Now the details are out — and they're awful. Here's how NBC describes the show, which will premiere June 18: 31-year-old Australian tennis superstar Mark Philippoussis will attempt to find true love Read more