Unlike feature films, television has a bad track record with remakes. But with that, it's a mystery why anyone would want to re-create a hit show rather than finding a concept that didn't work and reintroduce it as something better.
CBS isn't taking much of a risk, at least creatively, by relaunching "Hawaii 5-O" (10 p.m. today, WVLT, Channel 8). The original was a hit that ran for more than a dozen years and was never distinct among the police shows of the day.
The violence was as strong as network TV would allow back then - and in retrospect it seems as if it had more gun play then than what we see now. The characters were colorless but serviceable.
For its run and popularity, "Hawaii 5-O" can hardly be regarded as classic television.
Still, if CBS wants to bring back a police drama - and do we really need another one on the air? - it could have done worse than reviving "Hawaii 5-O." The first one was so mechanical that bringing it back is a matter of simply filling in blanks.
Alex O'Loughlin revives Det. Steve McGarrett with ease and a certain 21st-century savvy while Scott Caan, as Det. Danny "Danno" Williams, needs to tame his swagger. The two have that same macho buddy-cop chemistry that makes "NCIS: LA" a hit.
Comig off the worst is Grace Park, whose gutsy detective has as much testosterone as her male counterparts.
This "Hawaii 5-O" is a bit more fun and slightly more over the top, even to the point where the law enforcers working as a new elite unit try to think of a spiffy name for themselves. Too bad the Justice League or the X-Men were already taken.
Rating: HHH (out of five)
n Comedy. Once a leader in sitcoms, CBS has failed to produce a high-brow one in recent memory. "Mike & Molly" (9:30 p.m. today, WVLT, Channel 8) might fit the bill over time.
Billy Gardell plays overweight cop Mike Biggs (original name there), a lovable loser who is interested in Molly Flynn (Melissa McCarthy). They meet at a support group for people with eating issues.
Molly's from a maddening family who makes fat jokes and seem unaware that she's cool with herself, no matter her size. Mike's work partner likes to zing fat jokes, too, making this potentially sweet romantic comedy a bit too harsh.
Gardell and McCarthy have a heartfelt chemistry that goes a long way. If only the other characters weren't so cruel to Mike and Molly, maybe watching their relationship wouldn't make for such a rocky road.
Score: HHH (out of five)
Terry Morrow may be reached at morrowt@knoxville.com or 865-342-6445.
© 2010, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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