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Greg Grunberg on 'Alias' reboot: Not without Jennifer Garner
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According to a Web report, a "reliable insider" says there had been talk at ABC about creating a reboot of J.J. Abrams' spy series
"Alias," which was canceled in 2006 after five seasons.Zap2it caught up with star (and longtime friend of Abrams) Greg Grunberg to get his take on the possible "Alias" Version 2.0. While he thinks that a remake done the right way "would be very, very cool," he's not sure that it could be pulled off without one key player.
"I like to think that I'm not replaceable," he jokes. "But in honestly, the one person that really made that show what it was, that's Jennifer [Garner]. She's so much the face of 'Alias' that it would be impossible to reproduce the success of the show without her."
"With someone else, it would just be another 'La Femme Nikita', you know?" he continues. Of course, come fall 2010, The CW's "Nikita" fills that niche.
"I mean, why remake it at all?" he laughs. "Why not just do something else exactly like it, with other actors and a new name? To me, there's no one else who can play Syndey Bristow but Jennifer."
Greg isn't alone in that opinion, of course. When co-star Michael Vartan spoke with Zap2it, he had this advice for ABC: "I would say, 'Go with God' and do something else. There's only one Jack Bristow and Sydney Bristow."
We're inclined to agree. Besides, "Alias" only ended in 2006. We're not even done mourning the loss yet.
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I agree - it's too soon to be doing a remake. Ditto for Nikita. But there's already talk of remaking Battlestar Galactica, and that one just ended. So people really have run out of ideas. Why can't they do a TV series based on Modesty Blaise instead?
I agree with the idea of why make a remake at all???
What's the point at this point?
Do something similar with new people and a new name! I will soooo watch no matter what they do because that's just how I am but a remake just doesn't sound like a good idea...
Call up Amy Acker, ask her if she'd like to be Peyton again and do a show revolving around the BAD guys that were on Alias!!
Come on - there is always a show that shows the bad guy losing, but from the good guy perspective. Let's see how these bad guys overcome adversity and keep going!
totally agree. I'm still watching my Alias dvds all the time. ABC just shouldn't have canceled it when they did. Stupid on their part.
Does anyone remember the rumors when Alias was first canceled about doing a spin off focusing on the "bad guys" with Sloane and Sark?? That would still be cool to see.
I also don't get the point of a remake. I agree with Greg. Just do a spy show with a similar premise with different actors and different characters. J.J. Abrams is doing another spy show, follow his lead. Be at least a little creative!
There is only one Sydney Bristow.
Isn't that what "Undercovers" is? Because when Alias ended, Vaughn and Syd retired. And in "Undercovers" the new folks come out of retirement
actually, I think if they do Alias, it should be about something related, in the same world as but not about Sydney
I just think these writers can't come up with an original idea anymore. alias was a hit but i stopped watching towards the end. too often networks cancel shows before they hit their best material. it is like shooting yourself in the foot. it took seinfeld a few years to gel. not all shows are an instant hit.
I defintely think it's way too early for an Alias remake. They had their finale only 4 years ago.
I kinda feel bad for ABC since basically all of their new shows failed last season.
If they wanna make a remake work; they should put all of their concentration on the new Charlie's Angels so that it doesn't end up like their new Eastwick.
Imo if ABC would have just freakin left Alias in it's time slot and put Lost on after it and moved that stupid Desparate Housewives to Wed. in the first place we'd probably still have Alias and Lost would have had 1 more viewer. I still will not watch ABC by choice just because of this. And to be honest ABC could have had 3 hit shows not 2. And Since Alias put ABC back on the map (If anyone remembers, until Alias, ABC was always last in the network ratings then was in #1 because of Alias. but then got the boot because they didn't know to move the new ratings buster to a new time slot and leave the one where it brought them the success in the 1st place. Alias brought ABC back into the ratings war @ the time. Before that there were no hit shows on the network, but then they screwed the fans that gave them their ratings back by putting a good show on a bad day. BAD ABC!!! (I miss Bad Robot, but good luck getting me to watch ABC after that BS!) I Was an Alias watcher from the 1st commercial I saw. I just hope the new Nikita is good enough to take ABC's viewers away from what other drivel they have in that time slot! Cause to be honest ABC has only had 2 real drama hits. And Cable has so many other b-class or no class celeb/real peep reality shows!!!
Should have never moved Alias ABC. It was your bread and butter and I'm sure I'm not the only fan who feels ripped off by the way a really good show was treated. If anyone makes a like Alias show, it won't be ABC. The Execs are too stupid to know a good thing when it bites them!!!