Today, I’m raising my cup of coffee to the ’90s. Who knew so many series from my youth would be providing fodder for new stories in my uh, not so youth? Case in point: a Xena: Warrior Princess reboot is in the works and so is a series inspired by the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And those are just two examples. Read more about them in today’s TV-Cap and get an update on the Heroes Reborn premiere, Sesame Street’s new home, and more.
This Is a Story. Will Smith’s life is about to get flipped-turned upside down again. He’s working on a television series that has the spirit of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (I’ve embedded the theme song from the ’90s series above in case your Friday needs an earworm). Smith’s upcoming show isn’t a straight-up reboot of Fresh Prince, but more of a similar family comedy with the same vibe and the fish out of water concept. Even though it will have new characters and a different setting, I still think it will be known as a Fresh Prince reboot. [Nerdist]
Let There Be Light. The metahuman known as Doctor Light will appear in Season 2 of The Flash. The series showrunner Gabrielle Stanton confirmed that their Doctor Light will be the female version of the character from the comics. That means she’s likely Kimiyo Hoshi. They haven’t revealed who they’ve cast for the role, if anyone yet. [Comic Book Resources]
Gang in Gotham. Because the citizens of Gotham City don’t already have enough problems, they’ll have to deal with a gang of arsonists in Season 2 of Gotham. The dangerous Pike Brothers will be led by Joe Pike, and Leo Fitzpatrick (The Wire) has been cast as the character. He has a recurring arc, so Pike will be around for at least a few episodes. [Deadline]
A Different Kind of Home. When you think about Sesame Street, your next thought is probably about HBO. No wait, that’s not accurate at all–not yet, anyway. You’ll soon be thinking of the two topics in tandem, but Sesame Workshop has just made a deal with HBO to make the next five seasons of Sesame Street available on the network and on their streaming services. HBO gets a nine month exclusive on new shows before they trickle down to PBS and other member stations. The deal means Sesame Street gets money to keep chugging and it means we get 35 new episodes a season rather than 18. Huh. [Nerdist]
CBS Scores. A television adaptation of the 2001 film Training Day is in the works from Antoine Fuqua, writer Will Beal, Warner Bros. TV, and Jerry Bruckheimer Television. The crime thriller has garnered interest from the big networks, but CBS nabbed it and they’ve ordered a pilot. Deadline reports the series will pick up 15 years after the events of the movie. [Deadline]
Crazy Twist. Are you watching USA Network’s Mr. Robot? If not, I implore you to get to the internet this weekend and find a way to catch up. It’s the best show of the summer–it’s bold, cerebral, and intense. And also, it’s sometimes insane. The word “insane” is definitely an accurate adjective for the most recent episode, “White Rose.” Read Samantha’s recap and relive the big reveals.
A Grand Entrance. NBC wants to make a statement with the premiere of Heroes Reborn. They’re delaying The Blacklist’s Season 3 premiere by a week in order to give the Heroes revival a two-hour premiere. The limited series will debut on September 24 at 8:00pm. [Variety]
Banking on Laughs. If any network needs a boost in the comedy department, it’s probably NBC. They’ve recognized the holes in their programming, and they’ve ordered a couple of new comedies to fill in the gaps. They’ve given a 13-episode order to Parks and Recreation creator Mike Schur’s female-led comedy called A Good Place. They’ve also picked up a pilot from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock; that one is untitled but will also be led by a female character and focus on a mother-daughter relationship. All the ladies. I support this. [ScreenCrush]
If a #Xena reboot gets made, it's because the fans are beautiful, hardcore nutballs who want what they want.
— Lucy Lawless (@RealLucyLawless) August 13, 2015
Back in Business? Remember a few weeks ago when we all got excited about the possibility of a Xena: Warrior Princess reboot and got our hopes shot down by Lucy Lawless? Well, prepare to be cautiously optimistic again because NBC has confirmed a reboot is in the works and that they’re looking for a writer. The news came from NBC’s entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt at the Television Critics Association press tour.
He said, “We’re in the early stages of developing a new take on Xena and we’re looking for a writer. We want to do it.” It’s not necessarily a continuation of the previous series, and Greenblatt said the only way Lawless would be involved in front of the camera is if she’s actually playing Xena and they’re not positive if they want Xena in the reboot. He said Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert will produce the series. [Nerdist]
Would you want a Xena reboot without Xena? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
