The BBC's two-part remake of John Wyndham's Day Of The Triffids has attracted a stellar cast: Dougray Scott as hero Bill Masen, Joely Richardson, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave, Eddie Izzard and Jason Priestly. The script has been written by Patrick Marber (Closer) and is now filming. The story concerns a world where the majority of the population have been blinded by a meteor shower, allowing walking carnivorous plants to slowly takeover.
Richard & Judy's New Position is likely to be axed by December, following its lowest ever viewing figures: a truly pathetic 8,000. That's a 90% decrease since R&J transferred to new digital channel Watch from Channel 4, with 100,000. The couple used to enjoy ratings of 3 million at Channel 4, but were lured to Watch because of a big pay-deal and more creative freedom. A recent change of timeslot from 8pm to 6pm doesn't seem to have helped matters, and the couple don't seem to have retained their Channel 4 audience. There is widespread speculation that Judy Finnegan will retire when New Position ends (to write books), leaving her husband to pursue a solo career.
Matt Smith is being paid £1 million for a three-year contract on Doctor Who, when he takes over as the Time Lord. David Tennant (who Smith is replacing) is reportedly on £1 million per year, so this new deal will save the BBC a lot of money.
ITV2's superhero comedy No Heroics is going to be remade by Will & Grace's Jeff Greenstein, who hopes to create an American pilot for ABC. The sitcom was mostly ignored in the UK (being a low-budget, minority channel project), but creator Drew Pearce could get the last laugh if his idea becomes a big hit in the States. Mind you, superhero comedies on television have a bad track record. The Tick, anyone?
And finally... veteran TV director David Nutter is helming the pilot of ABC's The Witches Of Eastwick adaptation; a fantasy drama about three women with supernatural abilities who summon the Devil to their sleepy town. The script has been written by Josh Friedman (who recently worked with Nutter on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.) Nutter himself has become the go-to guy for television pilots in the States, having directed 14 that all got picked up for series.
Remember ITV1's Lost In Austen last year? The fantasy costume drama about a modern girl who is transported into the fictional universe of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice? Well, it seems you can't keep a good idea down for long. British director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) is developing a movie version, that he will produce. No word on casting yet, but wouldn't it be funny if Gemma Arterton (who appeared in the series, fairly briefly, as Elizabeth Bennett) is promoted to lead for the movie, in light of her post-Bond fame? Of will they get a loudmouth Yank to play the lead, for maximum fish-out-of-water potential?
