When I heard there was a show that was recreating old sitcoms with different actors, I was intrigued. After all, most new TV sucks, so why don’t go to some tried-and-true scripts and give them a new twist? Especially when two of those shows are Saved by the Bell and What’s Happening!! (that really gives credence to the name The Rerun Show, eh?).
The show takes a half-hour sitcom, cuts the script down to 15 minutes, and then adds a few of its own touches (mainly exaggeration). But, apparently, the original scripts and dialogue are followed pretty closely.
I checked out the premiere, which featured episodes of Diff’rent Strokes and The Partridge Family (featuring Danny Bonaduce!). I have to say: it’s pretty good. The man who played Mrs. Garrett was outstanding (and will get to reprise his role when the cast does a Facts of Life episode) and there were enough nods to the original show and the real-life actors’ tribulations to keep things fresh. The humorous exagerrations weren’t over-the-top and the sets were relatively true to the original.
This will be a show to keep an eye on… it’s better than 95% of the shows that NBC has debuted in the last two years and deserves at least a chance to shine.
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