Posted in: ABC, CBS, CW, NBC, TV, YouTube | Tagged: columbo, Friday the 13th, the a-team, wkrp, x-files

Rami Malek/Columbo, Kerry Washington/A-Team & More: New Old Show Takes

We find ourselves living in a television age of reboots, reimaginings, restarts, sequel series, and every other possible phrase available to get the point across that an older property is definitely worth revisiting again. And with no takes on LA Law, Night Court, How I Met Your Mother, and more still on the way, we thought we would jump head-first into the series pitch moshpit with some ideas of our own. So from Columbo going Mr. Robot with Rami Malek and The A-Team getting a whole lot more "scandalous" with Kerry Washington to WKRP in Cincinnati going online, Friday the 13th: The Series going the "pawn" route, and two takes on The X-Files that would definitely be "out of this world," here are five new ideas for five old shows that would definitely grab our eyeballs' attention.

"Columbo": Go with 3-5, 90-minute-episode seasons and don't mess with what works. We see who the murderer is in the beginning, and then we get to enjoy the journey Columbo takes to prove their guilt. But when it comes to who should be sporting the trenchcoat, we have a new name to throw in the mix. While we're still high on Mark Ruffalo taking on the role, there was something about Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) hosting NBC's Saturday Night Live that made us a believer in him for the role, too. Watch (or rewatch) the episode and tell me you can't imagine Malek doing the turn before telling the suspect he has "just one more thing." In fact, as we write this? We're going to give Malek the edge because the more we think about it, the better the visuals get.

"The A-Team": Okay, this is one that we're pretty big on. Kerry Washington (Scandal) takes on the John "Hannibal" Smith role as the leader of a special military unit (a diverse group so we can remind Hollywood that women can lead more than just groups of other women) framed for a crime they didn't commit. But because of their past records, they're given the opportunity to be placed into new lives & identities- with their real personas now listed as "killed in action." But even living new lives, they can't escape their desire to fight for justice so they do so clandestinely while keeping their current identities secure (because the government isn't offering them a second chance). The overarching storyline could be them investigating who framed them and why.

"WKRP in Cincinnati": Obviously, we're not going the terrestrial or even satellite radio route. Instead, we're looking at "WKRP.com" being a pop culture website with coastal editorial offices and writers at satellite "home offices." Think about just how deep into pop culture a show like that could go, plus we can have separate personal storylines with the writers and editors across the country. And in the middle of it all? TV Editor Ray Travis, a charming, slyly witty guy who wears his heart on his sleeve with a "Ted Lasso"-like approach that hides a heartbreaking, tragic past. And just to be clear? Any similarities you may be vibing off of this is a "you" issue and I have no idea what you could be talking about. Moving on…

"Friday the 13th: The TV Series": Okay, think about a mash-up of the righteously under-rated syndicated series and (wait for it) History's Pawn Stars. A young man inherits his father's popular & prosperous pawn shop on the Las Vegas strip, only to discover the pawnshop became successful after selling the items that were included in a large haul his father acquired from the New Orleans pawnshop Curious Goods when it closed up for good (under mysterious circumstances which could be a series-long tie-in to the original). Now, the son must atone for the sins of his father by getting those items back. But in the age of the internet and social media, that mission has now gone global.

"The X-Files": Okay, I know there are folks out there already arching their brows and digging out the pitchforks & burning torches. But for the long-running, popular FOX series, we have two quick-pitch ideas. First, that the department within the FBI isn't an outsider but a respected-yet-secret division specifically charged with the strange & supernatural. But no aliens- at least not yet. Because the big twist would be that we would learn that this Fox Mulder has been an alien all along. Did he know or is it breaking news to him at the same time the viewers learn? Haven't decided on that yet. Our second idea would be doing a take on The X-Files done in an oral history format like Max Brooks' novel World War Z, with "re-enactments" and "found-footage" techniques added in for mockumentary authenticity. Who's the "footage" for? What's the focus of the "documentary"? So many overarching mystery possibilities.

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