The series that launched a thousand quotes, almost as many careers and two extremely funny films is set to be remade for a US audience. Yes, Spaced, that sublimely geeky and bloody hilarious show from the talented Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes (formerly Stevenson), is headed for a US TV reinvention. Now brace yourselves for the worse news. Ready?
Sure?
It's being produced by McG. And written by Adam Barr (well, at least it's not Roseanne) who is a former writer on Will & Grace.
Now we're trying to rationalise our deep-seated dread at this suggestion. After all, Will & Grace had some clever writing involved. And the US version of The Office isn't half bad, despite the fact that the naysayers were ranged against it from day one. And McG as a producer is gonna be more restrained than McG as director... right?
But there's no getting past it - this just screams of blasphemy, horror and wrongditude. The Office may have been unglossy, but Spaced is positively grimy and all the better for it - and our Yankee neighbours have a way of making TV too pretty. We're trying hard to withhold judgement (A plague on both your houses! Ahem, we mean, good luck with that) but it's proving harder in this case than normally. Especially since Wright et al are not involved in the show and it's hard to imagine anyone else hitting that note of geeky goodness.
But what do you think? Are we oversensitive? Can it work?
UPDATE: Edgar Wright has posted a comment on his MySpace blog, which confirms that he is not only not involved, but was neither consulted or even told about the project before it happened. You can read the full thing here, but here are some highlights:
"I don't especially want to get into a war of words about it, but I am deeply pained that people think I've sold out and am whoring out our baby to a big network for a pile of dirty cash. This could not be further from the truth.
Someone posted on a forum about me, the folllowing. "Way to screw up a classic, you jackass".
Now when, in twenty years time, I release 'SHAUN OF THE DEAD: THE VERSION YOU'VE NEVER SEEN' with a CGI Jabba and the Spider Walk sequence cut back in, then and only then do I deserve such a slur.
Until then, I have to say it hurts a little. I can't stress enough that I'm not involved and am not going to profit from this new enterprise.
That's the lousy part.
The upside of this, is that I'm genuinely touched and taken aback at the fan response to this news of McSpaced. If the huge-fans-of-our-work-at-Wonderland weren't previously aware that there was a loyal fanbase for SPACED, they surely must be now. "
Let's hope that Edgar's reaction, and the overwhelmingly negative responses from fans around the world will discourage the makers of what we are joining Edgar in calling "McSpaced" from going ahead with it.