Question: Will there be an Ally McBeal remake? We recently watched the original full series (though they would have done well to stop before the final season) and we were taken by how forward-thinking the show was, way ahead of its time. We could use this type of magical realism mixed with a romance backdrop, filled with quirky, imperfect characters. More please! —Marco G.
Matt Roush: There was a report to this effect back in March, but spring and summer and now fall have come and gone since then with no news or updates, so I’m assuming it’s either stuck in development hell for the time being or that wiser minds have prevailed. I would counter that Ally McBeal was very much a show of its time, and while many of its issues would still be relevant, this seems trickier than most to try to recapture that special lightning in a bottle. If this were to be a reimagined remake with a new cast (like ABC’s The Wonder Years), that could be interesting. But it’s hard for me to envision the original players hitting those same neurotic beats without being even more annoying and indulgent than the series sometimes felt the first time around. Still, reviving so-called “intellectual property” is the trend of the moment, so anything could happen. And since Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist went away, I’ve been pining for some musically driven whimsy.
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