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EXCLUSIVE: Stephen J. Cannell’s 1980s series Wiseguy is getting a contemporary reboot at NBC. The peacock network has bought a new take on the crime drama, which will be written by Alex Cary (Homeland). The project, from 20th Century Fox TV and studio-based Chernin Entertainment, has received a script commitment with penalty.
A re-imagening of the original series, which Cannell co-created with Frank Lupo, Wiseguy centers on a disgraced former cop who, while serving time in prison, cuts a deal to work undercover for time off his sentence. The show begins as he’s being released — now he’ll put the connections he made behind bars to good use in the field as he helps the police take down a criminal organization. 
Cary, who is under an overall deal at 20th TV, will executive produce with Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope. The original series, which ran on CBS for 4 seasons from 1987 to 1990, starred Ken Wahl as Vincent “Vinnie” Terranova, an undercover agent of the Organized Crime Bureau, a fictional division of the FBI, whose cover was working as syndicate enforcer after a stint in the New Jersey penitentiary. The show, which had a lead change in the final season with Steven Bauer replacing Wahl and featured a standout performances by Kevin Spacey and Jerry Lewis, was an early pioneer in the introduction of serialized elements to a crime procedural, with each season consisting of several arcs, and in the use of runaway production for cutting costs. WME-repped Cary, born and raised in London, spent 7 years in the British Military until moving to Los Angeles after the Gulf War to pursue a writing career. His first staffing job was on FX’s The Riches, followed by gigs on In Plain Sight and Lie To Me. He currently serves as a co-executive producer on the Showtime/20th TV drama series Homeland. This broadcast buying season has been light on reboots of classic series. Wiseguy joins CBS’ Bewitched remake and the CW’s contemporary version of the 1980s drama Beauty And The Beast.
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and don’t forget that Steven Bauer took over for Ken Wahl in the last season……
Seriously Why didn’t they try to Reboot Crime Story. That came out before WiseGuy and still held together after all these years.
Wiseguy was one of the best shows on television in its day. There was one HOT scene between Wahl and Patti d’Arbanville that must have given censors the sweats. Crime Story had a good start, great cast but went off the rails somehow. Still, as a period piece with Boardwalk Empire doing so well? Maybe.
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Maxxine, did you miss the above while reading?
why????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK, I’ll bite. But can they top bad guys like Ray Sharkey, Kevin Spacey, Tim Curry and Jerry Freaking Lewis?
Jerry Lewis wasn’t very nice, but he wasn’t a bad guy.
I used to watch the show for Ken Wahl, but what great guest stars and writing. It really was a terrific show.
I could be wrong, but I thought the premise was he was a good cop right out of the academy and was contacted by OCB (Organized Crime Bureau) to go deep under cover. So they had him perform some crime that netted him 5 years in prison. He gets out of prison and friends and family won’t even talk to him. That lays the foundation for him beginning to identify with some of the criminals he’s tasked to aprehend.
Yep. You are indeed correct.
I believe the description given was for the new version of the show.
It seems to me the article is trying to say it is the retelling of the story of a disgraced cop. if that is the intended meaning, then the article is wrong, because Terranova was a good cop planted in the prison system. That is a huge element of the story. If they have cast that aside, which seems unclear here, it could just be a mistake by the writer here, but if that is the case, that would be a major mistake in the retelling.
Unlike Rockford, I think this is a show that could be redone, but I also think it was one of the great television shows, and as mentioned, was groundbreaking, and was responsible for some great performances by an incredible cast of guest stars. So the bar is set pretty high.
If people from Homeland are involved I am encouraged, but will withhold judgement. If you guys are going to do it, please do it right.
don’t forget that Steven Bauer took over for Ken Wahl in the last season. That is factually correct!
Okay Maxxine, I’ll bite. Why is Steven Bauer so important to you?
Good luck finding a Kevin Spacey to embody a Mel Profitt. That was genius casting.
ali, you are right kevin spacey killed on wiseguy. wiseguy paved the way for the sopranos.
Dont forget Joan Severance as his sister-MMMM, hot, huh?
OMG. REMAKE REBOOT REMAKE REBOOT. What the fuck is happening to this industry? This is insanity!!!
Yes, Remake… Reboot… Sequel… No originality. As a script reader, I know that original material is out there. Most original material are from unknown or “new” writers. Nobody is willing to take a chance these days. Studios can hedge their bets by using the same movie stars and name directors over and over, but when it comes to writers… they MUST make that extra effort find original material from unknowns, if they’re smart.
Ah Mr. Greenblatt, the bloom is off the rose and you are showing the frayed edges of someone who’s even behind the USA network.
You’re wrong about that. He’s taking creative risks with Smash and Awake.
Jack – if you’re going to continue to post the exact same thing whenever Bob or NBC are being discussed, please at least change your name. It’s painfully obvious you work for someone at NBCUni.
The show was pulled off the air, Ken broke his leg and production ground to a halt. Then it was canceled subsequently re-booted a year or two later with Steven Bauer. If I’m not mistaken the whole premise of the show was a set up. Vinnie was not a felon. He worked for the OCB and was sent to prison to establish street cred. When he was released he went undercover inside different mob organizations. When the mobsters checked his prison credentials were real, could be checked and verified.
Was this when Ken broke his neck that resulted in his not being able to do acting anymore? I loved watching Wiseguy. I can’t choose just one series, though. Debbie Harry, Tim Curry, Kevin Spacey, Paul Winfield…
I can’t imagine a redo on this show. They WON’T be able to top the original. I’m just sayin’…..
Used to love that show. At least for the first several seasons. Kevin Spacey was awesome. They did have some great guest stars as noted.
“Only the toes knows”.
Great writing. It’s gonna be hard to match.
Pass. I don’t see them being able to match the complexity, great dialogue and pathos of the original.
However, it would be hilarious if they use “Knights in White Satin” for the theme song…
Wow. I loved Wiseguy. I thought it couldn’t go on after Ray Sharkey was killed off (the Knights in White Satin scene was some of the best t.v. ever, but you can’t see it with the music now because Mr. Cannell said they wouldn’t pay for the rights for video– sad). But it did go on with some awesome guest stars.
This do-over or retread version whatever– how is Vinnie going mix with the mob if he’s a known cop? Btw, they should never have killed off his brother Pete. Vinnie’s family was grounding for him.
Maybe to update this version it could be Vinnie Terranova in Terranova.
NBC won’t learn – how much money and development time did they waste trying to “reboot” and “remake” Rockford Files? And in the end because it turned out so lame – they didnt even put it on the air. And so now they wanna try with “Wiseguy”?? All they do is alienate the core audience that was fans of the original and to younger people the title means nothing. So if you wanna do a show in the flavpr of Wiseguy, go ahead but leave originals alone.
AS NBC owns the rights, why not restore the original and run IT!!!!
Although I agree with the comms on why unknown writers aren’t giving a fair shot these days, when the same old b.s. is recycled over and over again by…more talented writers?
I agree with at least this show being re-booted.
I caught the original series in syndication 2 years ago while overseas…and the writing and acting and directing were all top notch. Ray Sharkey and Spacey were just great casting.
And Ken Wahl did much more with certain emotive looks and no dialogue to show his range in many scenes. Just a great example of what TV can be. Will see what happens with this reincarnation.
No doubt due to the success of Breaking Bad, which has one of Wiseguy’s leads.
Yay Wiseguy! Oh…..NBC. Never mind…
whatever happened to ken wahl? missing in action for sure.
Grease that ratings slide up baby!!
Judging from the past, these television reboots have worked out well for all of the networks.
Oh Jeez. Really? I mean – Really?
Didn’t NNC learn anything with the past
few years of trying to remake Bionic Woman,
KnightRider, etc…? Or – can’t they watch
the other nets fail with their remakes and
just say NO? Yuk!
Alex is a really great person – I’ve worked with him – wish him nothing but success!
the Dream continues his reign.
The only good news in this is they might finally release a “real” version of the original show on DVD. The versions out now have a shredded version of the 4th season when he investigates the music industry.
After seeing what they’ve done to Prime Suspect, I have no desire to see this. Wiseguy was a great show. The premise is a good one — why don’t they take the same premise, give it a new name, and introduce it as a new show? If they use the title “Wiseguy” then they dishonor the old show and the new Wiseguy gets canceled in a few weeks anyway. It’s what was done to “Cracker” and so many other shows I can think of. In fact, why don’t they just buy up the old Wiseguy and re-air it — it’s bound to get better ratings than 90% of the other sorry shows they’re airing. Leave the classics alone — let them remain classics.
By the way, I might like the new Prime Suspect if it had a different name. It has nothing whatsoever in common with the great Mirren Prime Suspect, so all they did was tarnish the name of a classic. Thanks, NBC.
What I want is for a network chief to issue the following edict to his development people for next year’s buying season: No remakes and no reboots, and no new legal shows, medical shows and forensic procedurals. (So what does that leave in the way of 1-hour drama? Quite a lot, actually)
And yeah, I know. This dude wouldn’t last very long at his job, blah blah blah. But wouldn’t it be something if some brave soul attempted what I just suggested? Wouldn’t that person’s network become exponentially more interesting in 2013? Damn right. And dare to dream…