CBS GREEN LIGHTS NEW "BEWITCHED" PILOT

[Yeziknoradio]

How would you move BEWITCHED into 2011+ ?
Darren works for Google.

Great now I'm torn between a 60's Bewitched and a 2011 Bewitched.

Darren was great where he worked. I loved that episode where he accidentally became a kid and his boss went looking all over the store for him!

I guess they could repeat that same idea over at Google as he...er the kid says "he's over in the break room goofing off..."

If the "kid" is really lucky, the boss could say "oh yes, I guess it is his break time isn't it?" Thanks...

But then, why would the kid be on the property? A store is easier to have just anyone there without thought or question...

 

[gregg75]

Well I hope CBS sees this board, because there must be an interest there in seeing
how CBS can update Bewitched. Maybe they will do Lost In Space next.

I loved the Bewitched cast, one guy picked. They were RIGHT ON. But I doubt any big names
like that would take the risk.

 

[pab]

I loved the Bewitched cast, one guy picked. They were RIGHT ON. But I doubt any big names
like that would take the risk.

Who needs big names? Dick York was a bit player and Elizabeth Montgomery an unknown before the show. (It helps to be married to the producer, ask Majel Barrett Rodenberry.)

Let two new young(ish) actors make their names on the new show.

 

[TexasTom]

Well I hope CBS sees this board, because there must be an interest there in seeing
how CBS can update Bewitched. Maybe they will do Lost In Space next.

"Lost in Space" should be an easy show to improve on, since the original wasn't all that good.

I think that "Hogan's Heroes" would be an interesting show to remake, preferably with a one hour time slot as a sort of comedy hybrid (like "Pushing Daisies" a few years back) to give them an opportunity to come up with even more complicated schemes than in the original series.

As for a "Bewitched" remake that is still set in the sixties...that would be a lot of fun for us TV geeks, but might not attract the overall demographics that CBS would prefer -- so I would expect that any remake will be set present day.

 

[landtuna]

I'm guessing the new "Bewitched" will be yet another rip-off ala C(BS)' "Hawaii 5-0" and the upcoming "Charlie's Angels" from ABC.

I was not a fan of the original H 5-0 and thought it was silly, over-acted and way too stiff in presentation. It did have a great opening though. My wife was a fan of the new version....for about three weeks then lost interest quickly as it was nothing more than a generic cop show set in a film maker's paradise.

We used that experience as background when discussing the new Charlie's Angels. I told her it would be a useless rip-off if: (a) they used a close version of John Forsythe's voice as "Charlie" and (b) Charlie's buddy (played in the original by David Doyle). Apparently, both are true although I understand the voice actor playing Charlie has already quit the show.

Obviously, the first pilot of Bewitched hasn't yet been made but given its original silly premise, even for a comedy sitcom, it seems to be starting its second life with a severe disadvantage.

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

I think that "Hogan's Heroes" would be an interesting show to remake, preferably with a one hour time slot as a sort of comedy hybrid (like "Pushing Daisies" a few years back) to give them an opportunity to come up with even more complicated schemes than in the original series.

I have to disagree. "Hogan's Heroes" is one of those shows that you could NEVER do a remake with......EVER. It was bad enough that in the 1960's, the show managed to go it's entire run without there ever being a Jewish prisioner in the camp.....let alone never mentioning the Holocost. Comedy or not...this show could NEVER be done again.

It's sort of in the same catagory as "Amos & Andy"....another show you could NEVER do a remake of. Imagine the protests from groups like the NAACP for starters.

 

[landtuna]

I agree. "Hogan's Heros" probably achieved the ultimate success for a comedy made out of a POW camp. I don't see where it could have been improved upon except perhaps to remove the always attractive lady spies from Hogan's grasp. Those were just plain silly.

It is interesting that the characters portraying the Germans in the show all came from anti-Nazi backgrounds. Col. Klink (Werner Klemperer) and John Banner (Sgt. Shultz) were Jewish. He accepted the role only if he could play Klink as a fool (which he did, brilliantly). Gen. Burkhalter (Leon Askin) was not Jewish but was a native of Vienna and received numerous awards from his home town for various accomplishments and disliked Hitler intensely. "I'm a man who survived the monster of all times, Adolf Hitler, and I'm still, at my high old age of 93, successful in my profession and that is the pride with which I live and survive." was one of his quotes. He lived until the ripe old age of 97.

Events such as the Vietnam War hadn't yet polarized politics and the citizens of America in 1965 but since then we have become a much more serious nation. After the events of the past decade I doubt a show like Hogan's Heros would be a success (never mind that production costs would probably doom it from the beginning).

But maybe one of the networks would be willing to drum up a "reality" show. Something like "So You Think You Could Survive A Concentration Camp"? :

 

[landtuna]

It's sort of in the same catagory as "Amos & Andy"....another show you could NEVER do a remake of. Imagine the protests from groups like the NAACP for starters.

The NAACP might indeed be indignant at the suggestion of another "Amos and Andy" but I'll bet the general public would love it (assuming something like the original players could be found and not the Chris Rock or Eddie Murphy variety).

The radio version of "AnA" was one, if not the most, popular show of its day even though the main characters were played by white actors. When it transferred to TV it again became one of the most popular shows, this time with an all-Black cast.

Unfortunately, in the early 50's this kind of comedy was seen as stereotyping the Black culture and characters like the Kingfish and Andy were seen as idiots by many Blacks. The nation hadn't yet seen white characters such as Archie Bunker or the many silly sitcoms with Black lead characters. What was unacceptable in 1950's America became acceptable two decades later.

I believe if the right cast were available and the stories could be updated it might be possible to have another hit. It doesn't seem like we are in the age of sitcoms though.

Personally, I love the old TV series and if they never update it that would be fine with me. There are just some things that should never be touched.

 

[therealjm12]

Re Hogan's Heroes: My Father was a WW II vet and hated it. That being said..... The show is about an prisoner of war camp not a concentration camp. BIG difference. The German's made at least a half hearted attempt to treat their prisoners humanly. Remember, the German military were not Nazis, they were not the Gestapo. They were concerned about the way their troops would be treated by the Allies. It was at least one time Hitler's generals stood up to him.

Not only were cast members Jewish, but many of the producers and crew were too. Gee, Jews in Hollywood, who would think? I'm sure they kept a close tab on the contents of the show. It was a quality program. Excellent acting & filming. I would like to see a feature film of Hogans Heroes with an ending. Not Stalog 17.

Indecently, the real life commandant of the stalog that the movie The Great Escape is based on, cried like a little girl when he learned that the Gestapo had murdered the surviving escapees. He probably would have be executed, as well, for his emotions, but it was the end of the war.

 

[landtuna]

Re Hogan's Heroes: My Father was a WW II vet and hated it. That being said..... The show is about an prisoner of war camp not a concentration camp. BIG difference. The German's made at least a half hearted attempt to treat their prisoners humanly. Remember, the German military were not Nazis, they were not the Gestapo. They were concerned about the way their troops would be treated by the Allies. It was at least one time Hitler's generals stood up to him.

It was a "Luft" Stalag (German Air Force POW camp). The Luftwaffe was allowed to provide POW camps for captured Allied airmen. These camps were generally run a bit more humanly than those of the Wehrmacht (army) or Gestapo (state police).

Indecently, the real life commandant of the stalog that the movie The Great Escape is based on, cried like a little girl when he learned that the Gestapo had murdered the surviving escapees. He probably would have be executed, as well, for his emotions, but it was the end of the war.

Not quite. The "great escape" took place the night of March 24-25, 1944. The war in Europe did not end for another 13 months. In March of '44 Hitler and his top generals still believed the "super weapons" coming on-line (V-2, jet aircraft, nuclear bombs etc.) would still change the direction of the war.

 

[FreddyE1977]

"Lost in Space" should be an easy show to improve on, since the original wasn't all that good.

Find a girl who looks as good as Marta Kristen and put her in one of those skin-tight
silver space suits, and you'll have a good start! ;D

I had a professor in school who I believe may have been a holocaust survivor.
He was from Europe and had lived through the war anyhow. He would refer to
Hogans Heroes quite scornfully as "that demented parody".

 

[vchimpanzee]

My dream cast for a Bewitched remake:

Reese Witherspoon - Samantha

Jim Carey - Durwood, oops, Darin

Shirley McClain - Endora

Nathan Lane -Uncle Arthur

Carol Burnett - Aunt Clara

Jason Alexander - Larry Tate

Anthony Hopkins - Maurice

I like these except for Jason Alexander. Alec Baldwin would be better, but I hear he has a job.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Dr. Bombay has a daily medical show on tv. (Yes, Dr. Oz is indeed a warlock)

Wouldn't he be Dr Mumbai today? ;D

I understand the actor is still alive. He and Erin Murphy are the only surviving cast members.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I say give the remake a chance.

You'd rather see a return of Sabrina?

I'd love it! I don't have cable, so I can't watch her show with Joey. Whose sister Blossom has made a major positive impact on "The Big Bang Theory".

 

[vchimpanzee]

Like many other posters I am appalled that the networks are re-hashing old shows from the 1950s and 60s just because they can't come up with new ideas.

No one can replace Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha. Dick Sargent tried to replace Dick York but failed in my opinion; not that it was Sargent's fault that York had to leave the show because of health reasons.

I never cared for Dick York. I don't think I watched the show before 1999 when "Screen Gems Network" paired this show with "I Dream of Jeannie", but I could be wrong. I liked Dick Sargent better.

 

[Mark Giardina]

Dr. Bombay has a daily medical show on tv. (Yes, Dr. Oz is indeed a warlock)

Wouldn't he be Dr Mumbai today? ;D

I understand the actor is still alive. He and Erin Murphy are the only surviving cast members.

I believe that the actor who played Dr. Bombay (Bernard Fox) recently passed away.

Fox played numerous roles, including a bumbling English butler who happened to be traveling through Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show.

His last movie role was that of a World War I pilot in the Mummy.

 

[pab]

I understand the actor is still alive. He and Erin Murphy are the only surviving cast members.

And the twins who played Adam Stephens.

 

[therealjm12]

I believe that the actor who played Dr. Bombay (Bernard Fox) recently passed away.

Not according to Wikipedia, IMDb or the Dead or Alive site. http://www.deadoraliveinfo.com/dead.nsf/fnames-nf/Fox+Bernard
Still taking in oxygen at 84!

 

[Markxxx]

The problem with remakes is they have to have a unique angle, especially today, when you can see the old shows in reruns and on DVDs. I am firm in my belief that Elizabeth Montgomery was 90% of the reason that show worked. With another actress playing that part it would've turned into a joke show. Especially the early episodes, "Bewitched" was simply a show about newlyweds and the magic was a twist.

Let's look at "Dusty's Trail," a pale remake of "Gilligan's Island." While "Gilligan's Island," was no heavyweight in terms of scripting it was popular and constantly in reruns. When "Dusty's Trail" came out it was going head to head with "Gilligan's Island" in reruns.

You couldn't help compare how bad "Dusty's Trail" was.

I have never seen "Amos & Andy" on TV, but I have listened to them on OTR and that show was not offensive anymore than some slang "black" words thrown in.

The reason it was opposed is that it was "How white people thought black people talked," whether or not they actually talked or not. On OTR, "Amos & Andy" was annoying as the plot (after it became more of a comedy, it didn't star out that way), was so redundant. Kingfish would have a "plan" to make money. Andy would fall for it every single time. Then by the end Amos came along and being the good one, talked Andy out of it, and Kingfish got what he deserved. Rinse and repeat for next week, where Andy conveniently forgets how many times Kingfish has screwed him over previously.

Outside of slang, the radio "Amos & Andy" wasn't offensive, at least not anymore offensive than what was on OTR at the time. I mean I am a WWII buff but now-a-days, it seems awfully odd to hear Gracie Allen making fun of the Japanese, (or Japs) as they were termed. But in terms of WWII, I don't think there was anything offensive, at the time, about the jokes.

So to remake a show you need a new angle. Too often writers forget this. Look at "Friends," which was a clone of "Seinfeld," which spawned, "These Friends of Mine," (Later "Ellen"), "the Drew Carey Show," "The Norm Show" (later "Norm") which were all the same. And "Seinfeld," probably was taken from another show, I"m too lazy too think of.

 

[gregg75]

There are quite a few Amos 'N Andy episodes on YouTube. I'd suggest you look
at Andy Buys A House (or Lot). I've had some blacks say they thought the show
was very entertaining and it was all they had back then. My brother said he saw
an exact copy of an Amos episode on Sandford & Son.