CBS’s The Good Wife to be remade by tvN
by javabeans
Cable station tvN has snapped up another hit American TV show to remake into a K-drama (Entourage plans to air next year), and has confirmed procuring rights to CBS’s The Good Wife.
The drama premiered in 2009 to widespread acclaim, and is currently in the middle of its seventh season. Centered around the titular character played by Juliana Margulies, the show’s premise puts her in the aftermath of her state attorney husband being sent to prison following a sex scandal. She returns to her prior profession as a lawyer after leaving it 13 years ago, and the show follows her path of rediscovery as she also balances both her personal and professional lives. The show has been nominated for a whole slew of awards, with some key wins at the Emmys and Golden Globes.
I’m very curious to see how Korea redoes the show, not because of the story (which I could see being adapted readily, with its strong legal-melo elements) but the tone, as well as the challenge of taking something with so many seasons and condensing it into the K-drama single-season format. How much of the show’s plotlines with the remake incorporate, and where will they end the story when American dramas typically write much more open-ended trajectories (so as to milk shows for years and years)? Perhaps they’ll attempt to branch out into a multi-season format, although the last time tvN did that, they ended up backtracking on the idea and scrapping the follow-up seasons (with 2014’s swashbuckling but underperforming Three Musketeers).
Casting is also a crucial element, since the show is all about the central heroine, and I can think of maybe a handful of actresses who could tackle Margulies’ strong, steely character and match her portrayal. Shin Eun-kyung, perhaps? (See: Village: Secret of Achiara, Flames of Ambition.) Go Hyun-jung? (Queen Seon-deok, Daemul.) Kim Hee-ae? (Secret Affair.) Yeom Jung-ah? (My Neighbor’s Wife, Royal Family.)
The Good Wife’s remake will be directed by PD Lee Jung-hyo, who is definitely an experienced talent whose skills I trust after dramas like Heartless City, Witch’s Romance, Because It’s the First Time, and I Need Romance (an interesting mix, I always find). On the other hand, writing is Han Sung-woon, who adapted Israeli drama The Gordin Cell into KBS’s snoozy Spy.
The drama will premiere sometime in 2016.
Via Seoul.co.kr
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Tags: cable programs, remakes, The Good Wife
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1 Stranger
December 22, 2015 at 8:40 AM
I think Lee Young-ae would be the most perfect lead if she ever accept...
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sparks121
December 22, 2015 at 12:46 PM
Oh, I was thinking the same. LYA can definitely do strong and steely. She likely won't accept even if she's cast, though, as she's already in Saimdang and probably won't do back to back dramas.
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2 Adal
December 22, 2015 at 9:14 AM
Ah....lol!
I wonder how the whole 'wild' American 'tv' lifestyle will translate to a conservative Korean audience. They would have to tone it down a lot, and probably remove a lot of the elements that made The Good Wife a hit with American viewers. It'll be interesting to see. But as I have always said when the question of Korean dramas being adapted for American audiences came up, this may end up not being the same drama after all the changes are made to adapt it for a different audience.
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sel
December 22, 2015 at 8:16 PM
Idk! I think a lot of the plot points of the good wife aren't that wild...I mean a few minor recurring characters are def twisted, but not much integral to the plot is unimaginable for korean drama I don't think. Have you seen the show Adal? I know u were speaking generally, but if you have I'd be curious what elements you think they might change.
All I can think of is Kalinda maybe?? I bet they'll just take away the less kdrama-friendly aspect of her though lol.
But yeah, super interested to see what changes they make. Your point about toning down the wild reminds me of when Skins was remade for american TV. I never saw the remake but by all accounts it was horrible. I can't imagine an American show geared at general teens having that kind of grit that Skins had, though I wasn't a fan of it, and the grit was like the whole aesthetic of that show. I wonder how kdrama-Alicia will stand, she's such an anchor for the TGW. Not to mention the law part of it all...please pull through dramaland and do a shitton of research or have stellar consultants.
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Adal
December 23, 2015 at 7:10 AM
@sel
Have I seen the show? lol. I wouldn't have made the comment if I didn't. I've been following the show since its inception 7 seasons ago. What I found most fascinating about the show were the dynamics between Diane, Will, bi-sexual Kalinda (my favorite person in the whole cast and it's a huge shame she's gone), Cary, Alicia's open marriage with hubby, Eli Gold and his antics and a slew of other colorful cast members: attorneys and clients. I'll admit that for this show, the "wildness" was as much as a draw as the plot and the cast because it rarely felt as extreme or gratituous as some of the HBO or Showtime dramas, maybe because it is on prime time tv, although after a while the 'everyone sleeping with everyone else got old'.
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sel
December 23, 2015 at 9:21 PM
Ia, the dynamics are awesome. Tbh will/alicia got old pretty fast for me, but most the characters are great. I wonder if some of the famous recurring clients would be on the remake. Like imagine Colin Sweeney adapted into the kdrama version lollll. That would actually be fascinating.
The good wife is also great about keeping the law aspect of the show believable and also fun, I hope the remake concentrates on that too. I'm still like dubious cos of the law fails of current kdrama. Maybe shows like I Hear Your Voice can kinda get away with it, cos even though the law is a big part, it wasn't the sole focus of the show sorta?? But The Good Wife is so much about Alicia finding her footing professionally and recreating her life, I feel like the show won't be able to stand the same without a lot of care for the law aspect.
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3 Miky
December 22, 2015 at 9:15 AM
curious how will redo the show adding the korean flavour to it and how much of the plot as it is in 7 season there...not really familiar with the writer previous projects but i'll check it out more because it's tvN,i'm curious about the cast...
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4 joykim
December 22, 2015 at 9:19 AM
She looks like kpop star Brody B
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5 Kween Ramyeon
December 22, 2015 at 10:11 AM
It's amusing that after years of groaning over how America remakes brilliant Korean, Japanese and European content for American audiences, and totally butchering them in the process, that American shows are being remade now. I know this isn't the first example, but it's the first I've heard of since my foray into Kdrama.
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Jessica
December 27, 2015 at 4:48 AM
I think the difference is how the original is acknowledged. There are already quite a few kdrama remakes of Chinese and Japanese shows, but they always heavily acknowledge the source material and encourage their viewers to watch the original as well.
But Hollywood has a tendency to actively hide the source material. And in some cases, even completely say it wrong, like the American director saying The Departed was inspired by a "Japanese" film.
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6 mary
December 22, 2015 at 10:38 AM
Ugh no to that Spy writer. :((( She made such an interesting premise become boring!
Can't we have the guy who wrote Misaeng for TV? Or any writer from OCN? The writer for Punch?
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7 tiacait
December 22, 2015 at 11:23 AM
This worries me. I think this show would be a better fit for JTBC than TvN, which I think would be more willing to embrace the show's political themes and artistic style. And The Good Wife is one of the few shows here in the US that has even improved as the years have gone on - season five has some of the greatest episodes of television full-stop - and the dense relationships between Alicia, Will, Peter, Kalinda, and the rest of Lockhart Gardner will be difficult to unpack over the course of 16/20 episodes total.
That said, if this show does move forward, Kim Hee-ae would be PERFECT to play Alicia Florrick. She can play that perfect mix of steely exterior, harsh wit, and soft underbelly like no other actress (except Juliana, of course).
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8 Georgie
December 22, 2015 at 2:28 PM
can't wait to see if we get a korean kalinda. ahhh.
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dramacf
December 23, 2015 at 10:27 AM
If I know better they'll pretend she doesn't exist since her character disappeared in the series anyway...
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9 graey
December 22, 2015 at 2:32 PM
Rude Young Miss-Ae is a multi-season drama(with more than 10 seasons I think). But I'm not familiar with that drama(is it a sitcom?). I kinda doubt that they'd do many seasons for a legal-melo. Maybe a one-off 50 eps drama?
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10 vanillasalt
December 22, 2015 at 3:11 PM
will they make this Will share the same fate as the other Will? wah
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11 rinoak
December 22, 2015 at 3:39 PM
Hey! I liked SPY. (Maybe it was for Kim Jae-Joong, sure, but I DID like it.)
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mary
December 22, 2015 at 11:12 PM
I did like some of its elements too! But we can't deny that the writing was disappointing. I kept waiting for it to peak or something but it stayed in the "huh" category. :((((
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rinoak
December 23, 2015 at 8:28 PM
True, true, the writing was disappointing but I never hoped for much since I've never seen the show it was based off of and it was fun seeing Yoo Oh Sung being crazy as Ki Chul. Not as crazy as his Ki Chul in Faith, of course, (seriously, he had the same name in both dramas and was also in a movie called, The Spy, isn't it weird?) but still, entertaining on the whole. That is, with low expectations, of course.
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12 Nathan
December 22, 2015 at 5:48 PM
Kim Hee-ae would be a perfect fit for Alicia role.
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13 B.
December 22, 2015 at 6:13 PM
I could see Kim Hyun Joo for Alicia's role as well if she will step away from the weekend dramas. She was great in Cruel Palace and stands out as a strong, kickass career woman in I Have a Lover even if the show itself is makjang.
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14 DramaDevourer
December 22, 2015 at 6:49 PM
I'm hearing that this is Good Wife's last season on CBS, so that might help with how they decide to go with the plotlines. Plus there's plenty of potential for meta commentary with LMJ among other famous wives.
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15 Pookie1
December 22, 2015 at 7:57 PM
Can anyone else imagine Ra Mi Ran as the heroine?
I know she's not as much "eye candy" as other actresses but I totally would believe that she could deliver from her big range of emotions.
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16 Cedric
December 22, 2015 at 10:03 PM
Dibs on Kim Hyun Joo/ Go Hyun Jung. Wild card will be Son Ye Jin since she mentioned about attempting bisexual roles...
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17 bd5
December 23, 2015 at 4:15 AM
Really too bad about "Three Musketeers" not following thru w/ its additional seasons as it was more entertaining than the typical sageuk.
It did a good job w/ the pace and keeping things interesting (and not rehashing plot-lines as longer sageuks tend to do), tho it did have its flaws - such as the female antagonist being way too capable of causing mayhem and destruction, among other things (kinda hard to believe one woman could cause so much damage - needed an explanation for that such as having "mystical" training).
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18 gaeinalee
December 23, 2015 at 4:37 AM
As long as Will's character is as charming as the US Will, alive and have happy ending, I'm good. Now, how would I know it all before start watching it? @_@?
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19 Mvenchabench
December 25, 2015 at 9:03 AM
Not to say I called this but perhaps tVn should hire me for consultation. https://eastwestcommonality.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/shows-adapted-from-k-dramas/
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20 G
March 13, 2016 at 12:34 AM
I hope they have the Will Gardner character, :)
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