I thought the television-into-movies trend was going to die in the 90s after Inspector Gadget, The Mod Squad, and Lost in Space annoyed the crap out of everyone. A last gasp like Josie and the Pussycats was understandable, but it's kept on going, and it doesn't get any better. Most of them are a Bewitched level of quality that makes Miami Vice seem like Chinatown.

But Hollywood is just going to keep on trying, and the latest to get the makeover treatment is Father Knows Best. According to Variety, Fox has bought the rights and set Chad and Dara Creasey down to write a script. The film will be a contemporary version focusing on a father whose modern day parenting style clashes with that of his traditional father ... and guess who's coming to live with them and clash over which father knows best? Yep. I expect this to be Gran Torino meets Meet the Parents.

Apparently, every studio has tried to get Father Knows Best on the big screen. It's Fox's turn now, but Universal tried in 1994 with a script by Larry McMurtry(!) and Diana Ossana of Brokeback Mountain. When that fell through, it went over to Paramount who tried to turn it into a Tim Allen comedy.


So, while we wait for the third time to be the charm, it's time to ponder what retro television shows are left. I Dream of Jeannie. Gilligan's Island. I Love Lucy. Adam 12 ... Airwolf? To make things fun in the comments (because seriously, what's all that interesting about Father Knows Best?), cut loose with your predictions and what you think they'll do (or should do) to "re-imagine" it.

My personal pick is Rawhide, redone to be dark, edgy, and bloody. Actually, that might be pretty damn cool ... and a lot more obvious. If you're going to pick a television show to adapt for a film (and hire McMurtry to pen a script), you'd at least pick one that was manly and action packed, right?