"THE CONVERSATION" TV SERIES

ANDY:

Variety is reporting that AMC is in negotiations to develop a new original series based on the 1974 film "The Conversation":

Producer Tony Krantz, who has attempted to turn "The Conversation" into a TV vehicle for more than a decade, has retained scribes Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects") and Erik Jendresen ("Band of Brothers") to pen a new script.

The TV project will be set in the early 1970s -- emulating the time period of the original thriller -- and center on electronic surveillance expert Harry Caul, played in the film by Gene Hackman.

"It gives us an opportunity to look back at the 1970s through the filter of 2009," Krantz said. "The issues of privacy and individuality, and issues of spying and listening, are as relevant now as they've ever been. This is the perfect vehicle to tell those stories."

Perfect vehicle, huh? I wonder if they said the same thing about that "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" TV show too.

OK... As much as I hate to admit it, this has the small potential to become a really cool show if they just use the film's premise as a jumping off point and quickly go into a new sort of direction. So far, I've liked AMC's two other series so we'll have to see if lightning can strike a third time.

I kinda doubt it though.