Whoa, whoa, whoa, Hold the phone. Hold the presses. Hold everything. Deadline reports that AMC is developing a series based on Martin Scorsese's 1990 classic, Goodfellas. Now, before you drop your garlic-shaving razor on the cellblock floor and scream, "Sacrilege!," know this: The show would come from Nicholas Pileggi, who wrote the original Goodfellas screenplay as well as the book on which it was based. So there's some original DNA in there. Still, the question remains: Is there room on the AMC schedule for not just a mobster show, but a mobster show based on one of the most quoted and parodied mobster films of all time? Would a show like that amuse you? Would you find it funny? (I'll knock it off now.)
Since this project is marked simply as "in development," we should probably just back off and let it percolate at its own pace. No point is shoving it in the trunk and stabbing it to death before it even gets a chance to show us what new insights into the lives of Italian-American sociopaths it might bring to the table.
But seriously, how's a TV adaptation of Goodfellas sound to you?
Knee jerk reaction is that someone needs to be whacked for even considering this. But then again, it's AMC and they're probably the only network that could actually pull this off. Still, it depends on what they do with it. If they center it around some other crew or something like that, it could work. But the book and the movie was a full story. There's no blanks to fill and no plot to continue. Trying to remake and expand it as a series would feel like a betrayal of the original. Plus, the original actors are too ingrained with those characters for anyone else playing them to work.
So call me cautiously optimistic at this point.
If it's AMC you KNOW they'll do a good job.
want Sopranos spinoff from goodfellas ?
Hey! There's only one main character in Goodfella who is Italian-American, the other two are supposed to be Irish and can't become mob bosses. Come on Abramovitch, all that tv burning off your movie knowledge?
I say go for it!
AMC is trying to be like HBO. They'll use that as motivation not to screw this up. Breaking Bad is ending. So there will be a spot available. Let's be real though. Breaking Bad will be AMC's greatest achievement.
Over the last few years, every single "MOST ANTICIPATED SHOW OF THE YEAR" has been a disappointment, therefore I shall hold my tongue on the matter and only say this: Good idea, good background; DO NOT SCREW IT UP.
I'd say GoT qualifies as the most anticipated show of last year. You couldn't possible think it was a disappointment, could you?
Nope, GoT totally lived up to its hype... but you know which shows didn't? The Event, Terra Nova and Falling Skies... of course it's network tv but god damn it how crappy is Terra Nova?? I first heard about it in 2009 or something and it was pitched like the next best thing on TV... Spielberg, Dinosaurs, Time Travel... Come to think of it, i should've known...
You're right. The Event and Terra Nova were both extremely hyped and extremely bad. I thoroughly enjoyed making fun of them, but that's about it.
As long as they promise not to end the show with it suddenly cutting to a black screen, I'll definitely give it a shot.
Really Arch_Angel, have you forgotten their recent debacles? If AMC had not given us The Killing and Hell on Wheels I would be all for it. But they have so the question has to be asked. Are we willing to hand them the reigns to such a beloved movie and content?
The Killing was boring and there was little between the pilot and the season finale that was necessary to move the story forward. And I will not be wasting my time on season two.
Hell on Wheels, well that is just boring and horrible.
Ooo alson nearly forget the first half of this season of The Walking Dead.
So I am not sure if I am willing to give them the chance to ruin a movie that I really enjoy. We have seen what I will say about a movie that I just kind of remember from the 90's and then made into a horrible show in The Firm. (Thanks again NBC!) I think if AMC took it and did what they have did to The Killing which I think a lot of people were really looking forward to and Hell On Wheels which I was looking forward to. And now with The Walking Dead. I wouldn't care how good Mad Men or Breaking Bad is. I would stop watching their channel.
Now if they hadn't done what they are doing to The Walking Dead. And if they hadn't have cancelled Rubicon in favor for The Killing and let it become a hit like I think it was going to become. I would be all for it and give it a shot. But they haven't. So they have spent all of their trust for bringing good shows to tv.moreless
- Hell on Wheels is a badass show!
It got off to a rocky start, but the last few episodes have hit the sweet spot of the baseball bat and I'm expecting a home run this coming Sunday. It was always going to be a challenge for a western to establish itself on primetime TV because viewers would obviously consider the relative Deadwoodness of the show, which is quite unfair. It was a relief that it got picked up for season two. The show is a complete success in my book.
- On the other end of the spectrum, The Killing was like that bag of trash underneath the sink that you know you're gonna throw out eventually but you're curious enough to find out how long you can keep it without stinking up the place, or how big it's gonna get. After watching the entire season, I threw away the bag of trash and I'm going to forget about it.
- Gather your pitch forks, gents. I hate Mad Men. There I said it!
The only thing that would make Mad Men interesting for me would be if Don Draper got mauled by a jagerbar (That's Grimm speak for bear), after which hopefully the bear regurgitates Draper and then mauls him again.moreless
First of all, AMC could start airing non-stop re-runs of the first (and probably only) season of Terra Nova, and that wouldn't make me stop watching Breaking Bad. Secondly, I think Hell on Wheels is a very good show and I've thoroughly enjoyed the first season. So much so, I've asked TV.com if I could do a season retrospective after this Sunday's finale. It seems every AMC show at some point or another is labeled "boring". I've seen Mad Men (especially Mad Men), The Walking Dead, Hell on Wheels, and even Breaking Bad be accused of slowness and monotony countless times. I consider these shows to be of the highest quality. It really all comes down to pacing. I'll admit they move slow, but when you reach the intended destination: Fireworks.moreless
All right then, I will give Hell on Wheels another chance. We three seem similar in our likes and dislikes of shows. I will take it under advisement and give it another shot. I only got as far as the first 4. Though to be fair I fell asleep half way through episode 2 and 3. But I will give it one last chance.
As far as Terra Nova goes I wouldn't get mad at AMC for that. Because at the very least it was really fun to critique the next day. However, Goodfellas is in my top 5 movies. If they ruined that I am not sure I could ever forgive them. They took out Rubicon which I thought was fantastic, so that is strike one, The killing was strike two, if they ruined Goodfellas, that might be strike three.
I do hope you get to do a season retrospective or Hell On Wheels, it would be interesting to see what you saw in it that I didn't.
And Crazy, it is all right if you don't like Mad Men. Some shows just aren't for everyone. Which might be the reason Hell On Wheels just isn't for me. I have friends that don't like Breaking Bad. And I haven't pitch forked them yet. Now if you didn't like Psych or Community, then we might have to break out the pitch forks.moreless
How awesome would it be to have a cross-over episode between Psych & Community? The possibilities are endless!
And yeah, I would recommend you give Hell On Wheels a second chance. It gets a lot better after episode 5 in my opinion.
Hell on Wheels is currently the best show on television. Great actors, plot and music. Only SOA and Breaking Bad are better.
Could be good..perhaps in a nod to the original, get Joe Pesci to star in it (his career has been a bit quiet recently and a good TV adapt of arguably the best film he has been in could help).
I miss the Sopranos so much....this might work as a replacement
Would be great to see but where to put it on schedule indeed. I think either on a Monday or Wednesday.
A Goodfellas series could work out well, especially on AMC.
If the show can maintain the same energy, which does include the raunchy language, then I think it would be an interesting idea. They would never run out of stories, so it could have the potential of a "Soprano's" run.
That being said, is it really possible that every single good idea and well written script has been done? Really! I am so tired of the remakes, the off-shoots, the spin-offs, that I am starting to lose interest in TV all together. And believe me, coming from a guy who watches a lot of TV, that comment should scare TV Management!
Just my Thoughts!
We have to be positive, this does sound like a great idea - hopefully no one from the lacklustre - 'The Killling'/'Hell on Wheels' school of AMC development gets involved.
The Killing was a waste of time and money (at least the first season was). I don't think it's worth anybody's time watching season two of the damn thing.
But Hell On Wheels is definitely NOT lackluster, quite the contrary in fact. It hasn't been spectacular but it's been pretty decent.
It's an ambitious endeavour for a western to be successful on TV since everyone expects another Deadwood to grace their screens. I've been pretty happy with it and it's been entertaining enough.
I totally agree with you.
Thank you, Serah Hawke!