A Veritable Dilemma

On the one hand, the American Life on Mars is almost certainly a disaster waiting to happen. Above and beyond the fact that the American TV landscape is littered with the corpses of reworked British shows, the head writer is David E. Kelley, a man who never met a melodrama, or overworked sentence, he didn't like, and whose idea of humor is over the top shenanigans with CGI thrown in. I had pretty much planned on giving the show a miss.

On the other hand, Niall just pointed me to this SciFi Wire report that Colm Meaney is being considered for the Gene Hunt role.

I might actually have to watch the damn thing.

Comments

Colin Greenland said…
Your selfless sacrifice will not go unappreciated.
August 16, 2007 11:35 PM
Fred said…
I'll reserve all judgment until I see it, but Colm Meaney's involvement would be an encouraging sign.

I think it's a genuinely worthwhile adaptation -- there are more than enough interesting differences between the 1970s England and the 1970s United States -- but I, too, am troubled by David E. Kelley's involvement. Not because I hate him -- well-written melodrama has its place -- but because...well, he lately seems to be straying far from the "well-written" part, and his sensibilities seem far removed from what Life on Mars is (and what I'd hope is remake would be, too).

But the thing may never even air, so I'll wait and see. Honestly, what's the worst that could happen? It's awful?
August 17, 2007 5:06 PM

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