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"Footballers' Wives" Remake Still in Play

BuzzSugar — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 06:30:00 -0700

I was pretty surprised back in May when ABC announced its fall schedule without "Football Wives," a remake of the British series "Footballers' Wives" (pictured above). Now, it appears the network is reconsidering its decision to pass on the show: ABC has extended the options on its stars, 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" and "Army Wives," it's been a pretty great summer for wives on TV. If you want to see the original, it's airing this summer on BBC America.

Meanwhile, another British import finally has its leading man. 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," 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.

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Fall TV Pilot Trends: British Imports

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 06:03:13 -0700

It's TV pilot season, when hopeful writers, directors, and actors give the networks glimpses of what could be their next big hits. Few pilots will ever make it to air, and the odds might be especially long over on ABC, which has already renewed many of its current shows. Over the next few weeks, I'll be looking at the pilots and trying to spot the trends that could be coming soon to a TV near you. I've already told you about shows focusing on tough working women and the supernatural, and today I'm looking at British imports.

Many successful U.S. reality shows originated on the BBC ("Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and "What Not to Wear" among them), but the success of adaptations of British scripted shows has been a little less certain. The American version of "The Office" has evolved into a hit, but NBC's attempt at adapting the quirky "Coupling" tanked after just a few episodes.

This season, networks are shipping over a new load of scripted shows to adapt for U.S. audiences, and some sound like they could be great - if they're done right. Here are a few that caught my eye:

"The IT Crowd": The plot of this NBC pilot sounds like something out of a Douglas Coupland book: A couple of socially awkward IT nerds tucked away deep in the bowels of a large corporation come face-to-face with their technophobic but socially savvy new manager, Jen, who sounds like she could be the first woman these guys have seen in years. It sounds like a show GeekSugar would love: The British series apparently features tons of geeky references. I'm most impressed with the cast of strong comic actors, including "The Soup" host Joel McHale (left) and Best Week Ever alum Jessica St. Clair. If the show gets picked up, Richard Ayoade would reprise his role from the British series. Here are some scenes from the British show, including the awesome title sequence.

"The Thick of It": I'm incredibly hopeful about this show, which is an "Office"-style faux-documentary into the workings of a blundering congressman and his staffers. "Arrested Development" creator Mitchell Hurwitz is writing and producing the show, with Christopher Guest of Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman set to direct the pilot for ABC. John Michael Higgins, an alum of both "Development" and several of Guest's films, stars as the inept congressman, with a supporting cast including Alex Borstein and Oliver Platt. Here's a clip of the first few minutes of the BBC series.

Two more, so read more

"The Minister of Divine": Based on the BBC series "The Vicar of Dibley," this Fox pilot centers on a woman known for her wild past who winds up as the minister of the church in her tiny, conservative hometown. The show was named Britain's third favorite sitcom of all time in a BBC poll, but I'm not sure how well its sensibilities will translate to an American audience - especially with Kirstie Alley (at right) in the starring role. Here's a clip from the BBC show.
"Football Wives": This ABC remake of the "Footballers Wives" will be about the wives of NFL players, not pro soccer stars, but otherwise it sounds just as campy as the BBC original. The network is calling it a cross between "Desperate Housewives" and "The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," with the young wife of a new football pro learning the ins and outs of expensive cars, crazy shopping sprees and obsessive fans. Gabrielle Union, James Van Der Beek and Lucy Lawless are among the stars. Here's a promo for the BBC series.

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What to TiVo: Wednesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:50:00 -0800

ABC is new with The Middle, Modern Family, Cougar Town, and In the Spotlight With Robin Roberts: Janet Jackson
CBS is new with New Adventures of Old Christine, Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY
FOX is new with So You Think You Can Dance and Glee
NBC is new with Mercy and Law & Order: SVU
The CW is new with America's Next Top Model
E! is new with True Hollywood Story: Football Wives
Bravo is new with Top Chef: Las Vegas
Comedy Central is new with South Park, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, and The Colbert Report
FX is new with Nip/Tuck
MTV is new with Real World/Road Rules Challenge
Late-night highlights include Robert Pattinson on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS; Amerie on Lopez Tonight on TBS; Seth Green, Heidi Montag, and Spencer Pratt on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on NBC; 50 Cent on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC; Kristen Stewart on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on NBC; and David Duchovny on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson on CBS

What to TiVo: Sunday

BuzzSugar — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:50:00 -0700

ABC is new with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers and Sisters
CBS is new with Amazing Race 15, Three Rivers, and Cold Case
FOX is new with The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and American Dad
NBC has Sunday Night Football
E! has Knocked Up, and is new with The Girls Next Door
Food Network is new with Food Network Challenge, The Next Iron Chef, and Iron Chef America
HBO is new with Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death
Lifetime is new with Drop Dead Diva and Army Wives
MTV has repeats of True Life, The City, and The Hills, and is new with P. Diddy's StarMaker
Showtime is new with Dexter and Californication
AMC is new with Mad Men

What to TiVo: Sunday

BuzzSugar — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:50:00 -0700

ABC is new with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters
CBS is new with Amazing Race, Three Rivers and Cold Case
NBC has Sunday Night Football
FOX is all new with The Simpsons, Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and American Dad
AMC is new with Mad Men
Food Network is new with Food Network Challenge and Iron Chef America
Lifetime is new with Drop Dead Diva and Army Wives
HBO is new with Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bored to Death and Entourage
E! is new with Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami and Reality Hell
MTV is new with P. Diddy's Star Maker
Showtime is new with Dexter and Californication

What to TiVo: Sunday

BuzzSugar — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:50:17 -0700

ABC is new with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and the season premieres of Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters
CBS is new with Amazing Race and Cold Case
NBC has Sunday Night Football
FOX is all new with The Simpsons, Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and American Dad
AMC is new with Mad Men
Food Network is new with Food Network Challenge and Iron Chef America
HBO is new with Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bored to Death and Entourage
Lifetime is new with Drop Dead Diva and Army Wives
E! is new with Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami and Reality Hell
MTV is new with Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew, Popzilla and P. Diddy's Star Maker
Showtime is new with Dexter and the season premiere of Californication