Question: [Quoting from my Dec. 12 column]: "Pasadena's quick fade means that it probably had little to do with the genesis of Housewives, but watching it now, it clearly was ahead of its time. If it were being pitched and produced today, chances are it might actually have succeeded." So why not recast it (or keep as much as the original cast as possible — I bet Dana Delany needs the work) and put it back on the air? Fox could start with a shot-for-shot remake of the original 13 scripts, or a "reimagining" of the original scripts, or completely new scripts that keep the same premise, the same characters and the same tone. Networks pour millions into new shows, most of which fail, so why not bring back Pasadena, which failed before but would likely succeed now? I don't understand why networks only try ideas once. Memo to Fox: Resurrect Pasadena!
Answer: First off, Dana Delany (one of my all-time faves, dating back to the China Beach glory days) is back at work already, cast in the
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In the good old days — say, a month ago — Nightline (weekdays at 11:35 pm/ET, ABC) spending a week in war-torn Iraq would have been something truly special. But Ted Koppel is gone, and with him goes a tradition allowing for context and perspective.
Instead, in the first week of a jumbled Nightline makeover, three correspondents/anchors jousted for airtime most nights. In the process, Terry Moran’s first-person stories — highlighted by a ride-along on a dangerous night patrol with U.S. and Iraqi troops — were just part of a very mixed bag.
The new Nightline isn’t terrible, but it no longer seems as essential because it feels so much less distinctive. In look and tone, especially when ill-chosen coanchor Martin Bashir revs up his strident tabloid engine, this Nightline lite resembles an uneasy cross of (yawn) the evening news and (yuck) a 20/20-style newsmagazine. Given its multitop
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