The TV List: It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again in TV Land

Going to the movies, we have gotten used to it: Half of the films playing are remakes, sequels or adaptations. Of the top ten grossing movies so far in 2010, seven ("Toy Story 3", "Alice in Wonderland," "Iron Man 2," "Eclipse," "Shrek Forever After," "Karate Kid," "Clash of the Titans") were based on existing material.

This trend has found its way into the land of TV. In the last year or so, the percentage of TV shows that are based on books, movies or even other TV shows has grown exponentially. It all started with the reboots of classic teen melodramas "Beverly Hills, 90210" (reborn as just "90210" in 2008) and "Melrose Place" (which was cancelled REALLY quickly) in 2009. While both shows’ success was far from overwhelming, they drew in a somewhat stable viewership in the beginning who knew of the original. In far-from-secure times like this, the networks seem to prefer the known over taking chances with new ideas.

This year’s fall lineup will be no different. We present 5 shows that aren’t going to be real originals.

"Hawaii Five-0" (CBS)

The Original: "Hawaii Five-o", TV show running from 1968-1980 on CBS.

One of the first and longest-running procedural cop shows on TV, the original "Hawaii Five-o" was set in Honolulu and followed a small police task force that took down Mafia bosses and international spies. That the new version is spelt with a “zero” instead of a letter "o" seems to be the only difference between the original and the remake, which has the exact same plot. It’s not a big stretch – while visually and politically outdated, "Hawaii Five-o" the original still stacks up pretty well against all the cop shows it inspired. Starring Daniel Dae Kim ("LOST") and hot guy Alex O’Loughlin.

Premiered September 20, 2010.

"Nikita" (The CW)

The Original: The French movie "Nikita" (1990), its remake "Point of No Return" (1993) as well as the TV series "La Femme Nikita" (1997).

The remake that makes all other remakes look pale in comparison: After all, if it’s been done three times before, it might be hard to make it feel fresh. The story about a beautiful young woman who becomes a spy against her will has been told in two movies and one TV show before. Additionally, the new "Nikita" has already been compared to "Alias" and "Dollhouse." So can we expect anything really new? It’s doubtful. At least they changed around the story – in its new incarnation, Nikita will go rogue against the agency that turned her into an agent in the first place. Starring Maggie Q ("Mission: Impossible III") and Shane West ("ER").

Premiered September 9, 2010.

"$#*! My Dad Says" (CBS)

The Original: A Twitter feed called “Shit My Dad Says.” Really.

Welcome to the 21st century, where a Twitter feed with quotes of your elderly, cranky pop can earn you a book deal and a TV show. Its author, Justin Halpern, set up the account after moving back into his parents’ house, and posted random, expletive-laden comments his father made throughout the day. This real-life story will be the plot of the show. On the pro side, William Shatner plays the angry dad. On the con side, it doesn’t bode well that the title of the show has been censored (it is officially pronounced "Bleep My Dad Says") when it is based on source material that lives from its four-letter words.

Premiered September 23, 2010.

"Undercovers" (NBC)

The Original: None, really. And too many at the same time.

While not technically a remake or adaptation, this show about a husband-and-wife spy team has been compared to too many series and movies to count, among them "Undercover Blues," "Hart to Hart" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." It’s not a good sign if the first thing you have to say about a story is how much it is like another story. On the other hand, J.J. Abrams who has done fabulous things like "LOST" and "Alias" for TV, produced this and directed the pilot.

Premiered September 22, 2010.

"Law & Order: Los Angeles" (NBC)

The Original: The entire "Law & Order" franchise, which had its start in 1990.

"Law & Order" never dies: While the original series recently got cancelled after two decades, its newest spawn is already waiting in the wings. Taking the concept of showing cops and prosecutors working on the same case to Los Angeles for the first time, this is the fifth spin-off of the successful franchise, including a UK version. Not much novelty is to be expected considering that "Law & Order" is one of the most formulaic shows on television. Starring Skeet Ulrich ("Scream") and screen veteran Alfred Molina.

Premiered September 29, 2010.

Considering that television can be one of the most innovative media when it comes to storytelling, it seems a shame that a certain conservatism has taken over. Of course, some of the most ingenious TV, say, "Dexter," has been based on other material. We will have to wait and see what the networks make of it this time around.