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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Question: What did you think of the Knots Landing reunion? It had very much the same setup as the Dallas one, but I think this one was a lot more successful. Maybe it's because the cast seemed to genuinely like each other. Seeing the clips really made me miss it, and as much as I love Desperate Housewives, it can't compete with Knots. As crazy as the plots could sometimes get, the characters were always believable, and I think that is what put it above the rest.
Answer: The Knots reunion was indeed better than the Dallas debacle, but then, the show itself was better than Dallas through most of their concurrent runs. Knots was always my favorite of the classic '80s prime-time soaps, and even when I was alone on that critical limb, I was never ashamed to declare myself a fan. It was the most consistent, the most sustained, the best acted and written and (within reason) the most realistic of the evening soaps, yet also deliciously campy when it chose to be. There's little question that
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