In Hollywood there are a few things there will never be shortages of – writers and actors, are two of them. Year after year people flood into this city carrying with them ideas of new shows, movies, and careers. And at the same time, year after year we watch production houses reached into their vaults and pulling out dead shows, with the intention of remaking it for this generation.

Sometimes it works.

The remake of 1997’s USA hit, La Femme Nikita, staring Peta Wilson as a Section agent wrongfully accused of murder, turned into a super assassin. Along with, Roy Dupuis as Michael, her handler she fell in love with. Eugene Robert Glazer as Operations, the head of Section and Alberta Watson as Madeline, Operations go to psychotic. In 2010, La Femme Nikita was plucked from its resting place and simply renamed Nikita, by Craig Silverstein, who tweaked the original concept and built on it using the idea, “What if Nikita got away and went rogue with a big chip on her shoulder?” and that brought us the Nikita we know today, staring Maggie Q as our new femme fatale.

Even Alberta Watson saw the brilliance of the new series, joining the cast as Madeline Pierce, a Senator and part of Oversight – the people handing out the assignments to Division, in season two. Joining Xander Berkely as Percy (Operation), Melinda Clarke as Amanda (the new Madeline), Shane West as Michael (who never whispers Josephine, sadly) and last but not least, Aaron Stanford filling in the role of Seymour Birkhoff (previously portrayed by Matthew Ferguson). The reworked Nikita may have started out bumpy, but quickly found it footing – taking down one division episode at a time, paving the way for Nikita to reach Percy, the man who created her.

In November it was announced that Bryan Fuller (Pushing Dasies) was working with Bryan Singer (House) to remake an American Classic – The Munsters.
Back in 1964 The Munsters was a golden little gem that was lost in the sea of The Addams Family – but it rose to cult status over the generations. In 1987 it was decided to reboot the series under the name “The Munsters Today.” Because you’ve been losing sleep over the last 21 years as to what happened to those lovable Monsters at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. And it failed.

Then again in 2007 – “My Fair Munsters” was filmed and never aired…

They say “3rd the charm,” but is it?

Now the show is being re-envisioned to be a “dark drama” and not the ½ hour comedy we know and love. The idea is simple – little Eddie Munster doesn’t know he’s a werewolf and his family is protecting him, so they keep a low profile and move around a lot, ending up at 1313 “Mockingbird Lane” (the new title of the show.) They’re hiding… they’re just trying to be human… Being Human… another remake.

I have very little faith that Mockingbird Lane will be good, but that said, I never thought Being Human would be interesting, and now I’m thoroughly addicted. But, the difference is, Being Human was, and still very much is, original.

The remake of The Munsters, on the other hand, doesn’t sound, or feel, original. It feels like current Hollywood is desecrating the memory of old Hollywood by digging up a Pop Culture Icon and perversely twisting it into something it was never intended to become.

Like I said, people talk about all the actors and writers who flock to L.A., with their “next big” dreams and ideas. Maybe we should give some of them a chance rather then continuing to gamble on rehashing the past. Maybe, in that sea there lives the next Friends or something no one has thought of. Yes, some of these remakes work wonderfully, but is it really the only way?

Aryn Youngless is a writer and blogger, based out of Los Angeles, CA. Currently she contributes to WeHeart-TV.com, maintains WeeklyAdventuresOrdinaryGirl.com and is on twitter at @weeklyadventure. Her current favorite shows are Being Human (both US & BBC), Doctor Who, Falling Skies, Nikita, Parks and Recreation, Happy Endings, Downton Abbey & Project Runway – though she only ever really talks about Being Human & Nikita.