His Trifecta (not 3-Peat, because that is trademarked)
Perhaps this is to make up for Arrested. Perhaps it’s because his mind is filled with so many ideas. Whatever the reason, I’m just glad we’re on the receiving end of TWO MORE shows from Mitch Hurwitz and Maeby’s Tantamount.
So while we wait for the animation wizards to take their sweet time drawing the characters of Sit Down, Shut Up for a spring premiere, Mitch has provided us impatient ones with some live-action comedy goodness that may take less time to get onto the Fox airwaves:
UNTITLED D.A.R.P.A.
Hurwitz is producing an untitled pilot based on one of his own ideas. Writer Jeff Rake describes it as “a one-hour, high-octane action dramedy.”
Inspired by the government’s real-life Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, it centers on, according to Rake, “a Pentagon-based inventor who decided he couldn’t live another day standing on the sidelines while Rome burns and accordingly set out put his inventions to very real use, behind the back of friends, family and the entire U.S. government.”
It will be directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (y’know, the guys who won the Emmy for directing Arrested?).
AB FAB
Hurwitz is also producing an American remake of the beloved British comedy Absolutely Fabulous.
Christine Zander is writing it, and one of the exec producers will be the original’s comedic mastermind (as well as the original Edina Monsoon herself), Jennifer Saunders.
Although this one will be set in Los Angeles, it will still have the same concept of two substance-abusing fashion and fad-obsessed 40-something best friends desperate to stay hip and youthful while they hide their exploits from the dour and disapproving eye of Edina’s teenage daughter, Saffy.
I have actually witnessed something similar to this Ab Fab scene on the streets of L.A., so maybe this remake is right on the money…:
Tags: Ab Fab, Arrested Development, hurwitz, rake, russo, Sit Down Shut Up, zander
October 7th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
I can so see Kirstie Ally as Edina.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:08 am
AB FAB remake? Oh joy of joys!
::happy dance::
October 28th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Makes me happy to hear Saunders is on board, but who could possibly re-create her and Joanna’s epic hilarity? I do say, someone’s suggestion of Kirstie might actually be spot on. Or as close as you’re gonna get. Now for Patsy… maybe Diana Scarwid? As long as they can make her look less pleasing to the eye anyway, because she’s absolutely stunning. Hm, yes, this could work. Christine Zander sounds promising from her previous work. Though, I wish Saunders would lend her brain here and there.
October 28th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
[cont…] And Felicia Day as Bubbles, please.
October 29th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Back one last time! CHRISTINE BARANSKI as Patsy.
Obviously I am obsessed with casting this show now….
December 22nd, 2008 at 8:29 am
[…] Sources:FutureFox BlogAb Fab Wiki […]
January 29th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Okay, so I was relieved to see that Mitch Hurwitz (of Arrested Development genius) is on board, and even MORE relieved to see that Ms. Saunders herself will have a hand in it, but still. . .
PLEASE DON’T DO IT, FOX! Ab Fab is the last great British comedy to not get completely ruined by American network television. I almost cried when I read this yesterday. I mean, will there be cocaine? Orgies? Lacroix? And who, please WHO could possibly do a better job at Pasty than Joanna Lumley? Nobody, that’s who! NOBODY!
I suppose I’ll just have to trust in Hurwitz. I think I’m going to write Jennifer Saunders and see if she knows what they do to British TV over here. . .
January 31st, 2009 at 11:02 am
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I am an Ab-Fab junky and there is absolutely no one else that can be Patsy or Eddie or Saffy. Also, you can’t ‘americanize’ the british humor.
Just shoot me now!!
February 7th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
I am a huge ab fab fan!! I think it sucks they are going to Americanize it however. This is like taking a great piece of art and changing it for a crayon painting out of a coloring book. I will be watching it but I don’t have high hopes. Please surprise me.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
This is terrible!! remaking the classic abfab will make a mockery of the old, actually funny show. Fox, have you not noticed that all of your remake shows and very few of your sitcoms actually go anywhere? it’s because they suck. PLEASE don’t do this, maybe it will get ratings, but it will ruin the humor for everyone who watched the original. Jennifer Saunders, my hero! please come to your senses and stop this, nothing set in L.A. with rich idiots can compare to the original classic humor. AHHHH I can’t bear the thought. I will boycott FOX for the rest of my life. The Simpsons is shown on other networks, and that is all you have to offer.
February 18th, 2009 at 5:10 am
I thought Roseanne bought the US development rights to AbFab… will she be involved as well?
February 26th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Didn’t they already have this show? And wasn’t it called, “Cybill?” And didn’t Christine Baranski already play “Patsy” but her name was “Maryann?” Come on FOX that was ages ago. Keep up.
April 8th, 2009 at 3:59 am
Oh no! British shows are untouchable! The English are so much more clever than we are! Americans only ever mess their shows up! Like that disastrous remake of “The Office!” Or, if you know your TV history, “Three’s Company,” “Sanford and Son,” and that piece of junk “All in the Family!”
A good show can be based on or inspired by anything. With the right talent and a little bit of luck, any premise can make for great TV. I think this team has a decent shot at making a very funny version of Ab Fab. If they fail, it won’t be because it was a remake of a Britcom, it will be because the vast majority of creative endeavors are failures.
May 8th, 2009 at 4:00 am
Hey Mellissa…you have got to be kidding!!! You don’t like “THE OFFICE” and you call “ALL IN THE FAMILY” junk ? It sounds like your taste in comedy is G - RATED !!!!
May 16th, 2009 at 10:05 am
I also feel that to replace Jennifer and Joanna with anyone else would just not work. Those two ladies could make the jump across the pond into a new Ab Fab situation comedy, very successfully, but it would probably have to be them doing it - as the characters they played before. Of course, failing that, Christine Baranski would be the only one who could play Patsy as convincingly as Joanna Lumley. She too, is an amazing actress! For the Jennifer Saunders role, there is this incredible lady whom I have never seen before, who now plays the blonde lead in “Parks and Recreation.” She is one of the most talented comedic actresses I have ever come across!