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TV bites: 'Hawaii Five-O' remake greenlit, more 'Undercovers' casting
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CBS has given the official go-ahead to a remake of its classic 1970s cop series "Hawaii Five-O."The pilot, from "Star Trek" and "Fringe" writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and "CSI: NY" executive producer Peter Lenkov, will be an updated version of the original series, about a state police unit in Honolulu. The show got a preliminary order in the fall, and it's now been given the OK to begin production, the showbiz trade papers report.
CBS has had the project on its mind for a while. It first took a swing at a remake in 2008 with "Criminal Minds" executive producer Ed Bernero, then got into business with Orci, Kurtzman and Lenkov last year.
- Elsewhere in pilot-land, NBC's "Undercovers" has added to its cast, and FOX has greenlit a pair of projects.
Jessica Parker Kennedy ("Smallville," "Santa Baby 2") has joined the cast of J.J. Abrams' "Undercovers," about a married couple (Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who work for the CIA. She'll play the younger sister of Mbatha-Raw's character, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Ben Schwartz has also joined the cast as a young CIA agent who looks up to Kodjoe's character.
At FOX, the new projects are "Midland," a drama set in the oil business and written by Kyle Killen ("The Beaver"), and an untitled comedy from writer Adam F. Goldberg ("Still Standing," "Fanboys") about a group of computer hackers.
- AMC is developing a miniseries based on one of the great political scandals of the 20th century, the Teapot Dome affair.
"Black Gold: The Teapot Dome Scandal" will be written by "John Adams" scribe Kirk Ellis and is based on a book by Laton McCartney. It will tell the story of how oil barons helped engineer the election of Warren G. Harding as president in exchange for access to oil fields in Wyoming.
The project is in the early stages of development. There's no word yet on casting or an airdate.
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If they get the casting right on the Hawaii Five-0 project it could be really good. I just wish it were another network other than CBS. CBS acts like they can do no wrong, but one of these days they're going to fall out of the top spot in primetime just like NBC did.
I've been going to an Undercovers blog for really quick updates on the show... heard about all this casting news days ago on there: http://www.undercoversblog.com
Why another remake? Why another crime show? Can't we get some diversity in programming?
Reminds me of the 90's show One West Waikiki
Where are they ever going to find someone with Mc Garret hair?
here we go again...lets spend money to remake a show, instead of coming up with something new or giving orginal shows that they had (moonlight, point pleasant, new amsterdam, etc)a chance at making it. nice
Oh God,not another remake! Hollywood it starting to show a definite lack of creativity.
I hope the CBS "Hawaii Five-O project comes along fast I can;t wait to see it.
CBS should learn from NBC, that you can't remake old series, just because they were good in their time. Though the original Bionic Woman didn't have more then 2 or 3 seasons.
If Bionic Woman and Knight Rider remakes couldn't work, who's to say a Hawaii Five-O would?
Conan O'Brien has the McGarett hair. I'll bet he could be a badass.