You can make the argument that television has lapped film as the best medium for entertainment at the moment. I’m not talking about reality shows or talent competitions, but the shows that have challenged the status quo of what is possible in a 30- or 60-minute format. Current programs like Breaking Bad, Community, Homeland. Or the likes of The Sopranos, The Wire and The Shield.
Speaking of The Shield, it appears that that show’s creator, Shawn Ryan, is trying to revitalize Beverly Hills Cop for a television audience.
Both Ryan and Axel Foley himself Eddie Murphy are pitching the idea of an hour-long series to the big four networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX) this week. Deadline is reporting that the show would serve as a sequel to movie franchise of sorts only it would center on Foley’s son who moves to Beverly Hills to escape the shadow of his legendary dad. (Hmm, that seems like the last place he would want to go considering his father’s past exploits.)
Murphy is set to reprise his role as Axel in occasional recurring guest appearances.
There’s no shortage of police procedurals on television, but it seems that most with a tinge of comedy are relegated to cable outlets, specifically USA (Burn Notice, Psych). However, ABC does have Castle, which is light entertainment and CBS has Elementary this falls, which updates Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famed Sherlock Holmes placing him in current day New York.
The Pulse: With the right casting, I could see this spinoff series working. Who would you want to see play Eddie Murphy’s son? If I had my pick, I’d go for Community‘s Donald Glover. He seems like a spot-on choice. Plus he’s already played an amateur sleuth in the film Mystery Team. Now all he needs is a gun, a badge, and to work on that signature Axel Foley laugh.
