“Wiseguy,” the Stephen Cannell-created CBS hourlong that stills stands with “Columbo” as one of the finest cop shows in the history oft network television, may be remade for NBC.
The network just bought the remake pitch from Alex Cary, a Britisher who helped script Showtime’s so-far excellent first season of “Homeland.”
The original “Wiseguy” followed an undercover FBI agent and Fordham grad named Vincent Terranova, who spent a long stretch in federal prison in an effort to infiltrate organized crime organizations once he got out. (His world-weary FBI boss was played by current “Breaking Bad” icon Jonathan Banks.)
The series told serialized tales, the second of which memorably starred Kevin Spacey as a nutcase zillionaire addict and arms dealer named Mel Profitt.
Network TV remakes usually aren’t long for this world.
Recent reboots of “The Fugitive,” “Dragnet,” “Night Stalker,” “Cupid” “Bionic Woman,” “Knight Rider” and “Melrose Place” never got beyond their first seasons. “V” died quickly once ABC pulled it out of its post-“Lost” timeslot. A remake of another Cannell property, “The Rockford Files,” never got beyond the pilot stage. “Charlie’s Angels” was almost remade twice for TV over the last decade before a third version became the first series cancelled by ABC this season. “Hawaii Five-0” remains strong in its second season, I’m guessing because it follows two of CBS’ most popular shows, “Two and a Half Men” and “Mike & Molly.” “90210” continues to attract tiny audiences for The CW.
Find Deadline’s story on the matter here.
