NBC Also Rebooting "Say Anything"

It's not bad enough that NBC is working on a Real Genius TV workplace comedy show. Now they're working on a serialized Say Anything sequel.

Deadline reports:

Fire up the boomboxes. Say Anything…, one of the definitive Generation X movies, is being revisited as a series for Generation Ys. The single-camera comedy, from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV, whose film studio sibling produced the 1989 Cameron Crowe movie, has received a script commitment plus penalty from NBC. Justin Adler (Better Off Ted) is writing the project, which is set a decade after the events in the movie, and will executive produce with Kaplan. Crowe has no involvement.

The 1989 comedy drama Say Anything marked Crowe’s directorial debut and solidified heartthrob John Cusack’s status as a leading man. The film chronicled the romance between average student Lloyd Dobler (Cusack) and valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye) during the summer after their high-school graduation. (Watch a trailer below).  Set in present day, the Say Anything series picks up ten years later.  Lloyd has long since been dumped by Diane and life hasn’t exactly turned out like he thought.  But when Diane surprisingly returns home, Lloyd is inspired to “dare to be great” once again, get Diane back and reboot his life.

NO. Noooooooooo. This is seriously bumming me out. NBC, former home of must see TV, is just grasping at straws now isn't it? What's next? The Breakfast Club: 20th High School Reunion? 40 Candles? 

Just watch the trailer and fall in love with John Cusack and/or Peter Gabriel all over again. 

Val Kilmer's "Real Genius" Getting Rebooted

Today's news hurts my soul - NBC has optioned the '80s film Real Genius as a single camera TV comedy. Deadline reports

The project, which has received a script commitment plus penalty, hails from Sony TV, whose sibling label TriStar Pictures produced the movie; Adam Sandler’s Sony-based company Happy Madison; and 3 Arts Entertainment. 

Written by Workaholics co-executive producer Craig DiGregorio and David King (Parks And Recreation), Real Genius is a present-day reboot of the cult film, set as a workplace comedy. The show centers on the relationship between a rock star-like genius — the character Kilmer played in the movie — and a sheltered, naive co-worker. 

Real Genius is an 80s film that I love, and it's one that I've found a lot of folks missed. I've always felt that the popularity of War Games made this film possible. Val Kilmer is just about the only guy you'd know from it - he plays Chris Knight, a science rock star at a gifted student at a university. He mentors his young freshman roommate. Hijinks ensue. The CIA is involved. It's just a silly lovely piece of film that celebrates smarty pants kids. A workplace comedy? I guess NBC wants their own version of The Big Bang Theory because geeks are so hot right now. But you know what? A girl's got to have her standards.

Incidentally, I'd never seen the trailer before and it's hilariously bad. Enjoy!

Next Caller: The Dane Cook Sitcom You'll Never Get To Watch

Did you know that NBC had started filming a sitcom vehicle for Dane Cook called Next Caller? Cook plays a misogynist "shock jock" who suddenly gets a new feminist co-host. Uh-oh! Hijinks and hilarity to ensue! Well, don't worry about it, because it's already been canceled before it even aired. This here clip just about tells us everything we need to know about it anyway:



Based on this clip alone, I can predict how the whole series would have gone down anyway:

• At some point, Dane Cook tells her to "shave your legs and calm down."
• Dane Cook will say disgusting things about women, and his co-host will flip out and give him lessons on being politically correct.
• Dane Cook will suddenly spout feminist rhetoric, and his "bro" fans will have to stage an intervention.
• Feminist co-host will be dumped by a guy, and Dane Cook will tell her to "buck up and act like a guy," leading to a montage of them binge drinking and going to strip clubs together. They will inevitably spend a night together, and there is a "he said, she said" rendition of the story told to everyone.
• Dane Cook will attempt to seduce an attractive female, but feminist co-host will intervene and convince said woman that Dane Cook is just a womanizer, and Dane Cook will be angry that she cock-blocked him.
• The phrase "on the rag" will be used.
• The Indigo Girls will be mentioned, and not in a positive way.

There! Now you didn't even need to watch this series. I hope that Collette Wolfe gets another break, because she is adorable and funny (and was a scene stealer in Hot Tub Time Machine and Observe & Report, among others). NBC, I can't believe you would air this on the same channel as Parks & Recreation. Imagine what Leslie Knope would think!