This morning I wake up to my Variety newsfeed and see something so shocking that I very nearly pee myself while squealing like a little girl and crying at the same time... ABC to give 'Cupid' another shot.
My first thought is that ABC is bringing back the best show ever to air on television.
My second thought is that this is wishful thinking, and they have bought the rights to CBS's crappy dating reality show of the same name.
But then I click through to the story, and there it is...
"Rob Thomas to resurrect Jeremy Piven series."
At this point I'm in complete shock. This kind of thing never happens. Television networks rarely (if ever) admit that they've made a massive f#@%ing mistake and set about correcting it. I've written about my love of Jeremy Piven's Cupid many, many times, and the thought of it coming back is almost too much to handle. What's next? They bring back Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me and Arrested Development?
And then I read the story...
Thomas said he was "shocked" by the request -- in a good way. "I'm getting a chance to do what writers never get the chance to do, which is to go back and try to improve a work," he added.
— Wow. Is Rob Thomas high? How can you improve upon perfection? This does not bode well.
Scribe said that while he'll write a completely new pilot, "I'm not going to reinvent it. What they're buying is the show."
— Thank heavens for that! Maybe he hasn't gone insane after all.
There will be changes, of course.
— FUCK!!!!
For one thing, Piven, busy on "Entourage," won't be reprising his role. Thomas also wants to come up with a main title sequence that captures the show's conceit so he doesn't have to explain it every week.
— WHAT THE FUCK?!? CUPID IS JEREMY
New "Cupid" will also relocate from Chicago to Los Angeles, allowing for more high-profile stunt casting.
— Yes, well, if you're destroying the show by not bringing back the lead character, what difference does it make where you put it? Chicago was critical to the grounding of the show, and one of the many, many things I loved about Cupid was the constant location shoots in The Windy City, but whatever.
"The plan is to try to hook some really good guest stars every week," Thomas said.
— I think I want to die...
So ABC isn't bringing back Cupid after all. Not really. My only hope is that we will at least get the original series out on DVD so they can use it to promote the butchered remake.
The hardest thing for me is that I totally trust Rob Thomas, and the new version of the show is undoubtedly going to be brilliant (the guy did create Veronica Mars and the original Cupid after all). But will that be any consolation to me? Probably not. The original series is the best television show ever, and having a new success on what could have been a stunning comeback just makes me sad.
Which brings me to the best show currently airing on television (TONIGHT 8/7c)...
I've only seen the first episode of Pushing Daisies, but it's so brilliant that the rest of the episodes could be crap and the show would still be genius. Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from Bryan Fuller (the guy behind the aforementioned Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me), and I am very interested in seeing where he takes this one.
But the show is on ABC... the network that fucked up Cupid, the best show ever to air on television, so I'm not holding my breath. The morons will probably preempt Pushing Daisies a half-dozen times... change the time-slot again and again... demand changes to the show... then blame viewers for not tuning in before ultimately canceling it after five episodes.
It's what they do.
I wish I didn't love television so much.
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What a bummer. Brining it back without Piven is not worth it. Did they ever decide to release the series on DVD?
I loved Wonderfalls! That is one show that definitely should not have been canceled! All the best shows are, though. Firefly was another great one that they cancelled…
Well, I pulled a few strings and got it back on, but clearly my credz aren’t good enough to get it back the way you want it.
Besides, I’m saving the rest of my string-pulling to get Liz over and give you a massage. Needless to say, I need all the strings I can pull in for THAT one.
I’m hoping Pushing Daisies stays… but who knows. All the good shows never seem to last since it isn’t reality tv.
But this show is so creative how could anyone not watch it?
i should really watch more TV. i am so out of the loop.
Well, I’m glad somebody’s still watching television. Aside from BSG on DVD and catching an occasional episode of Ugly Betty, I’m almost completely off the junk. I don’t know how you find the time.
I can’t imagine anyone else being in Cupid! If they’re so worried about Entourage then they’d realize that it’s not as if you can replace Piven as Ari Gold either because he has that certain something that just brings it to each character that he creates!
I am so looking forward to Pushing Daisies tonight. Sadly, my love for television has me a bit too excited about it ;).
I have never seen Cupid, so I’m excited about this. I also need to hunt down bit torrents of the original Cupid, even if I can’t imagine a show that’s better than VM.
By the way…
HORATIO CANE DID NOT DIE!
(cue maniacal laughter)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHHAHAAHAHHAAAHAHAHAHAH
GAH!
I KNEW IT!!!!
Lying bastards!
🙂
Sorry 🙁
I am interested to see Pushing Daisies tonight. I saw the pilot earlier this summer, I need to watch again tonight to see if they’ve changed it much. It’s such a bizzaro show though, I’m want to see where they are going to take it after the pilot
Does “Pushing Daisies” remind anyone else of those Splenda commercials? I love it, but the episode made me kinda sad.
I’m looking forward to Daisies, too. Here’s hoping it’s as good as you keep saying.
If they can revive The Bionic Woman they can revive anything. I think it’s time for a Bridget Loves Bernie remake with Bridgette Nielsen and Bernie Mac.
OK, just got done watching Pushing Up Daisies. Something about it was ‘off’, but I think I’ll give it another shot – After all, the narrator is the same guy who reads the Harry Potter books-on-tape 🙂
If the guy who wrote this is the same guy that wrote Dead Like Me, I have to wonder what it is with his obsession with death… Is Wonderfalls about death too?
A newer version is usually not as good as the original. Even if Piven was in it, I’d be suspect of the new Cupid. Remember, ABC is the network that brought you Caveman.
I freaking LOVE this show!
Well, maybe it won’t suck that much. Just think of it as a new show rather than a resurrection of an old one. Maybe that’ll take the sting out?
I haven’t watched the Pushing Daisies, but my sister says I should so I GUESS I’ll look at it. I’m not enchanted with my television so much anymore.
I remember vaguely Cupid, but honestly, I liked it, didn’t love it. I do like Pushing Daisies a lot. It was visually gorgeous and if you’re a lucky duck like me and have HD, it is amazing to watch. AMAZING.
I’m having a great time with Dirty Sexy Money, too. I’ve seen two episodes and loved them both. Great acting, good lines, interesting characters. I think it’s going to hold up well.
Otherwise, I’m addicted to The War and have watched every episode twice and am now moving on to the third viewing. Episode 1 is on right now. It is the most brilliant film I’ve seen in years. It makes the Civil War boring. If you missed it, CATCH IT NOW.
You know, I hate when stations pull that junk! Yuck!
I’m excited about “Pushing Daisies” (which is currently waiting for me to watch it on the vcr!) so I’m glad you can give a good review!
Pushing Daisies was great – they show it a day earlier up here in Canada (on Tuesday instead of Wednesday). It had a little bit of an Amelie feel to it – with the narration, vivid colours, emotionally stunned character etc.
I’m hoping ABC keeps it going. From what I’ve seen so far the critics love it, but the critics also loved Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me and Arrested Development. We all know what happened to those shows. Oh well. Fingers crossed.
Why do networks go through so much trouble and expense to “birth” these programs, then treat them like red-headed step-children once they start airing the finished product.
For me I have found the Fox Television Network to be the biggest offender. I am so disgusted with the slipshod treatment Fox has given so many of the shows I loved that I have sworn an oath to NEVER watch another new show on that network again … I don’t care how many people declare it to be brilliant. I will enjoy other entertainment media. When I purchase a book, CD or movie on DVD, you can’t cancel it, FOX! Bwah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!
The second worst offender, in my experience, is the ABC Television Network. I am almost to the point of swearing them off.
Who knows, I may come to the point soon enough when I live a television free life. Hmmmm … that may not be a bad thing.
That is a very weird story about Cupid. It makes you wonder what is going on behind the scenes. Why bring it back and change everything? It’s not as if it has such a huge fan base that the name “Cupid” means a whole lot? Another sign of the network’s growing desperation.
Why can’t Britain have awsome-sounding TV shows like this!
Funny… every time I’m watching shows like “The IT Crowd” and “Coupling” I always ask myself why the US can’t have awesome shows like this!
TV will break your heart. We should have learned this by now. But we will never stop loving it…
Also:
Wonderfalls + Tim Burton + Amelie = Pushing Daisies