Cher Horowitz became a cultural icon for kids that grew up in the 90s and loved the movie Clueless. The main character of the Amy Heckerling-directed film was played by Alicia Silverstone, which made her Hollywood’s it-girl.
Even after 24 years since its release, Clueless still ranks as one of the best teen films of all time. That is why it is not strange that television networks want to reboot the story loosely based on Jane Austen’s novel, Emma.
It was reported by Deadline that CBS TV Studios is developing an hourlong drama series based on the 1995 film. This time around, the show would not have Cher as the lead character. In this new version, Dionne would be the series’ lead, the character that Stacey Dash portrayed in the movie and the 1996 television comedy.
What is the premise of the ‘Clueless’ adaptation?
The Hollywood blog describes the new take on Clueless as a “Mean Girls meets Riverdale meets a Lizzo music video.” The story would still take place at a high school and the aftermath of what happens when Cher goes missing.
“How does Dionne deal with the pressures of being the new most popular girl in school, while also unraveling the mystery of what happened to her best friend, all in a setting that is uniquely 2020 L.A.?” the blog questions.
The premise of the show follows a similar arc to that of another reboot based on a teen film, Heathers. In the Paramount Network series, Heather’s leader, Heather Chandler, is assumed dead and the other two vie for the spotlight. This show also had a thriller twist but proved to be too controversial for television due to the violent nature of the story arcs.
Fans sound off on remake
After news broke that the beloved movie was getting a reboot, fans sounded off on social media. The response was less than stellar as many loyalists still hold the 1995 film dear to their hearts.
“This isn’t even remotely anything like Clueless,” a Twitter user commented. “Stop calling it a Clueless reboot! This is just Euphoria/Pretty Little Liars/Riverdale/everything trendy rolled into one bad CW show.”
“The Clueless reboot is such a moronic idea,” another user sounded off. “It is one of those movies, like Casablanca or The Princess Bride, which should never be remade.”
“Please, please don’t let this Clueless reboot be a real thing,” another fan implored.
“Clueless [is] the word used to describe studio bosses who reboot everything in the absence of any new ideas,” another fan said.
‘Clueless’: The TV show sitcom
The Clueless film was so successful in its time that a reboot was produced for the ABC network. With a bright future in Hollywood, Silverstone did not sign on for the show and actress Rachel Blanchard was cast in her place.
The television series did not follow the film’s timeline and basically reset the events from the movie. Brittany Murphy’s character, Tai, was also recast for the small screen and made into a minor role.
Ratings for the sitcom were less than stellar for TGIF primetime lineup. ABC canceled the show after one season, but UPN picked it up for two more seasons. The show produced a total of 62 episodes in the three seasons it aired between 1996 and 1999.
