The age of TV reboots and revivals has been upon us for a while, but that hasn't stopped any projects from coming down the pipeline. While we wait for projects like MacGyver and Lethal Weapon to air this fall, CMT has now announced the channel is bringing its own TV remake to life. Fittingly, the network has decided to make Varsity Blues a TV show.
If you can remember back to 1999, you might remember a teen movie about a backup quarterback who is tasked with leading the team after the star quarterback is injured. Honestly, if you haven't seen the flick in a while, you may not remember all of the details about the plot, but I can almost guarantee you remember that whipped cream bikini Ali Larter rocked out during the movie.
Is it all coming back now? Great. There's no word if we'll get a similar scene if the TV show moves forward, but we do know the project is being written by the dude who penned the film script, W. Peter Iliff. Paramount TV is behind the potential remake, which, as previously mentioned, has landed at CMT.
If you've been keeping an eye on CMT, the network has been ramping up its production of non-reality originals for some time now. The channel already has done pretty well with the Billy Ray Cyrus-led comedy Still the King, and recently the network acquired the popular drama Nashville from ABC, with new episodes currently in the works. So far, The Wrap reports CMT has only ordered a script for a potential TV version of Varsity Blues, which means there is a long way to go before the drama is ordered to series.
Still, we're pretty sure Varsity Blues would be a great fit for television. In fact, we're nearly positive the southern story would fit in well with the lineup CMT already has. Plus, if CMT wanted to do a night of primetime dramas, the network would only need to line Varsity Blues up with Nashville in order to create one heck of a lineup. In terms of reboots, remakes and revivals, I've seen many far worse ideas.
The original movies starred James Van Der Beek, Amy Smart, Ali Larter, Paul Walker and many more. The interesting thing about that cast is that James Van Der Beek transitioned back into TV a few years ago. His most recent project was CSI: Cyber, which was unceremoniously cancelled by CBS this spring after just two seasons. That means Van Der Beek's schedule is more open right now than normally. Although it was Paul Walker's character Lance that was mentioned to be a coach toward the end of the film, it might be fitting for James Van Der Beek to take on that sort of role in the revival, should he want it. That, too, wouldn't be the worst idea I ever heard.
To find out what is coming to television this fall, check out our TV premiere schedule.
