TVSquad reports the surprising news that CBS is developing a remake of the Quinn Martin series THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, which starred Karl Malden and Michael Douglas as two SFPD detectives. Screenwriters Sheldon Turner and Robert Port are writing the script and Simon West is attached to direct if it goes to pilot. Can CANNON and BARNABY JONES be far behind?
Yes, these shows might be returning!
But I’m also wondering about combining shows the way “Law & Order” combined the detective show with the courtroom drama show.
How about a merging of “Murder, She Wrote” with “Rockford” and “Diagnosis: Murder”?
There would be the detective that figures stuff out (Jessica) along with the tough guy who goes up against the bad guys (Rockford) along with the hospital drama and mysteries (Mark Sloan).
If two shows can work (L & O) then why can’t three? The best moments of three plots make it in while the others are deleted.
I always loved the announcer on Quinn Martin shows. Very dramatic, especially announcing the title.
Do you know of a remake ever working?
I live for a remake of Cannon – he is so relevant today’s supersized population.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and DR. WHO come immediately to mind…and the movie versions of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, MAVERICK, THE FUGITIVE and THE BRADY BUNCH.
The American remakes of THE OFFICE, ALL IN THE FAMILY, and STEPTOE AND SON (aka SANFORD AND SON) were far more successful than their British originals.
I already spoke to the remake question in my redundant comments at TV Squad, but I’d like to add this, if I may: back in the day, shows like STREETS were what were called “anthologies in disguise” – the stories were mostly about the guest stars, with the regulars reacting to them and their situations. Most of the QM shows were like that, as were many of the doctor & lawyer & detective shows back then. Nowadays it’s different: the shows tend to be star-centered, with the guests kept to the side as much as possible.(at least, that’s how I read them). That’s not to say that one approach is better than the other – whatever works for your show. The problem arises when you take a show that was successful one way and try to do it the other way; most times it just doesn’t work (the recent TV remakes of THE FUGITIVE, NIGHT STALKER, BIONIC WOMAN, and especially DRAGNET are prime examples). Permit me to ask you as someone in the trade: is there any show in the past – one that was done right the first time – that you’d want to remake (or “re-imagine” or “update” or whatever)?