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In 2008, there was an underground roar bubbling over the news that Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes, and Edgar Wright’s Spaced was getting a (Spaced (TV Movie 2008) - IMDb) produced by McG. As Pegg explained in an official statement, he wasn’t against the idea of American remakes, but he wasn’t happy with how this one was coming about. In the push to get the show made, they’d all signed away future rights, and Warner Bros. went ahead without so much as a consultation. However, although they didn’t contact the trio behind the scenes, Wright’s and Pegg’s names were used to promo the remake, while completely disregarding the essential contribution by Hynes. Classy, eh?
Ultimately, the series was quashed only a few months later – a true blessing – but not before a pilot was made. Thanks to the wonder of the Internet, Pegg found a clip from it and tweeted the YouTube link today (check it out after the jump). The Americanized version starred Josh Lawson and Sara Rue as the faux married couple, with Federico Dordei playing the creepy artist neighbor, and Will Sasso in Nick Frost’s fighting-obsessed role. The best comparison I can make is that the U.S. Spaced is the real-life embodiment of what Michael did to Lelaina’s documentary in Reality Bites. You know – the swirling heads on pizza, drama for marketing, and other atrocities.
Just goes to show you – the implementation is just as important as the idea.
Continue reading Watch This: A Peek at the Doomed ‘Spaced’ Remake