So this is a fucking headline. Are you kidding me, NBC? Is anyone over there literate? The logline goes, “a modern-day police procedural about Det. Jay Gatsby, a devilishly charming investigator with a con-man’s gift for reading human behavior, and decorated New York State Police Det. Nicole “Nicky” Carraway, who was born to be a cop but dreams of becoming a writer.”
Two white guys are turning THE GREAT GATSBY into a genderflipped police procedural, because nothing says LAW & ORDER quite like a novel about a spineless closeted man and his passing Jewish gangster best friend. But don’t worry, Nick Carraway will become Nicky Carraway, so it won’t be so gay when they inevitably hook up. LE ABSOLUTE SIGH.
I spent the last five months talking about nothing but mystery movies with Silver Screen Sleuths and how completely compelling mystery fiction is when it’s brought onscreen only for people to turn two of the least-cop-like characters in literature into cops. COPS! JAY GATSBY AS A COP. CAN YOU IMAGINE.
So, here we go. A brief list of existing, well-known IP that would make incredible TV shows. Some of them are even public domain if you’re that averse to paying living people:
- TRAVIS MCGEE with Lucas Till
- THE CONTINENTAL OP with Matt Berry
- COLUMBO with Mark Ruffalo
- Elly Griffiths’ BRIGHTON MYSTERIES with Jason Isaacs and like anyone else
- Philip Marlowe with Alden Ehrenreich
- Easy Rawlins with Damson Idris
- Philo Vance with Colman Domingo (don’t tell me this isn’t perfect)
- Lord Peter Wimsey with Sam Claflin
- Kopp Sisters with Maggie Gyllenhaal as Constance
- Harlem Renaissance Mysteries with Joy Sunday
This is stuff I just pulled off the top of my head. Why are you doing this to us, NBC. Why.
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