recasting "will & grace"

Since Virtues of Harmony concluded, the "sitcom" has been a dying effort for TVB. None of its trials have worked. Nothing is clicking with the audience. Women On The Run and Welcome To The House both pulled horrible reviews and poor ratings and failed to garner any following at all. TVB is truly feeling desperate at the moment trying to resurrect the "sitcom." TVB is so desperate that TVB Executive Producer Catherine Tsang is the one producing the new series starring Esther Kwan. Producer Tsang was a big supporter of Virtues and she has a say on most series, so I think she has a shot at possibly launching a decent sitcom. Esther is already enough to give it some buzz, but whether or not the momentum can be kept is up to the writing, plot, and the other cast members - Esther alone is not enough for a long-running success.

In my opinion, HK is bored of the "same old thing." Virtues already depleted a lot of family-oriented situational comedy plots in both modern and ancient settings. I think it's time for a change. Hong Kong and the rest of us overseas want something fresh, daring, and witty. If TVB is willing to take the risk, I think a Hong Kong version of the hit American sitcom Will & Grace (W&G) will be able to do the trick.

W&G is a truly innovative and daringly hilarious comedy about a dysfunctional and totally inappropriate relationship between a gay man ("Will") and his best friend ("Grace") and their friends ("Jack" & "Karen"). In the 80's, "Will" and "Grace" actually used to date - until "Will" realized he was gay. The two grew apart and fatefully met up once again and bonded, eventually living together. The couple shares such a strong bond; essentially, they are "soul mates," often finishing each other's phrases. In fact, one critic said the pair was like "a marriage without sex." I actually didn't watch W&G until some time in late 2004. I had heard about it, but thought it was some "gay" show, so I didn't watch it. I was flipping through the channels one day and caught a re-run of it [at that time, I didn't realize it was W&G] and thought it was hilarious. I became interested in the show and would watch it every day since each re-run was a new episode to me. I fell for the show - W&G is such an ingenious half-hour of hilarity and hysteria.

The chance that TVB will produce W&G is so unlikely [the American version has never even aired in HK] because the premise is so "controversial." Besides, I don't think they could ever come up with the zingy, animated, and insane comedy that W&G has. However, if they were to, who would be best to play the 4 main characters? The following are my perfect cast selections for W&G.

Michael Tse as Will Truman

"Will" is an insecure, obsessive-compulsive neat freak. He loves to cook and clean. "Will" grew up in a conservative, wealthy family, so there are obviously conflicts because of his sexuality. Although he's a very capable lawyer and intelligent, he isn't so efficient in his love life and is thus often teased for his numerous failed relationships. "Will" is the most "sane"/"serious" of the group and keeps "Grace" in check. For some reason, Michael seems perfect to play "Will" to me. Michael is a very good actor and he is surely capable of doing "Will" justice. He possesses the comedic talent, charm, wit, and intelligent air to play "Will." Michael Tong seems suitable to play "Vince" - "Will"'s eventual life partner/husband/lover. "Vince" is a gay policeman who's kind of goofy, a bit shy, and not good with words. The role is similar to the typecast roles that TVB used to give Michael Tong before he left, so I think he would fit it nicely.



Cutie Mui as Grace Adler

"Grace" is unlucky in love, very tomboyish, and ungraceful. She's the anti-feminine woman while at the same time still holds onto feminine desires. "Grace" longs for acceptance and love. She's also a little crazy and needs "Will" to help her put things in perspectives. To me, Cutie is the only actress at TVB who can play "Grace." Cutie isn't afraid of making fun of herself [which is a must to play "Grace"] and she can also be loud and crazy like the character. She's awesome in comedy and can do all of the physical comedy and insane antics that "Grace" does. She just fits "Grace" so perfectly. Michael and Cutie have wonderful chemistry as evident from Virtues of Harmony. Chemistry between "Will" and "Grace" is a must; they act like a couple but aren't. For the role of "Grace"'s theatrical mother, I think Nancy Sit would be awesome. Nancy loves to sing and her performances are always so theatrical. I would pick Ronald Cheng to play "Leo" - "Grace"'s husband and eventual true love simply because Cutie & Ronald have nice chemistry and Ronald is also good in comedy.



Louis Yuen as Jack McFarland

"Jack" is the shallow, vain, stereotypical, super flamboyant gay man. He dances, he sings, he acts - he's basically a busybody with really nothing to do and has no goals but to sleep with men. He's very self-centered, narcissistic, and full of himself. He's kind of dumb and bitchy too and obsessed with being gay. The actor who plays "Jack" must be very flexible and comfortable with himself because "Jack" does a lot of crazy physical actions and is very gay. I think Louis is the best man for the job. He is so comfortable in his acting and is willing to do anything when it comes to comedy. I loved it when he dressed in drag or acted as a woman in Virtues - he's too funny! Of course, the subplot when his character turned "gay" in the modern version also caused me to choose him for "Jack." Louis' character turned from super macho to super feminine - and the transition was so natural on Louis' part. Therefore, I'm confident he's the only one at TVB who could do "Jack" justice and bring in a lot of laughs.



Stephanie Che as Karen Walker

"Karen" is a gold-digging, pill-popping, alcohol-drowning, money-loving, and just all-around nut. She loves criticizing people, especially "Grace," and has a wonderful sense of humor. She leads a rich life thanks to her obese, never-seen, billionaire husband. Although Karen can seem insensitive, obnoxious, selfish, mean, and doesn't care about anyone's problems but her own, in truth, she cares about her friends and has a soft side that she hates to show. She may act like a flake and say one thing, but she'll do another and pull through for the people she cares about. She "works" for "Grace" to amuse herself and get some time away from her husband and step-kids. Stephanie would be wonderful as "Karen." She can pull off the wacky expressions and zingy lines that the character has; she has such a knack for comedy! Stephanie is a delicious comedian. The only downside to Stephanie is that she lacks the "killer rack" that is signature of "Karen." However, I suppose they can reuse the hilarious "42-inch legs" joke [about her] from Virtues rather than the "killer rack." Celine Ma would be perfect for "Rosario" - "Karen"'s maid. "Rosario" and "Karen" always get into hilarious fights and their bantering is so funny - they share this love/hate relationship. Celine and Stephanie had such great comedic chemistry in Virtues that is so perfect for the maid/boss relationship of "Rosario" and "Karen." "Jack" and "Karen" form their own version of a "Will" and "Grace" pair of sorts, so the two must have great comedic chemistry. Stephanie and Louis were hilarious in their scenes together in Virtues [the time when her character fell in "love" with his] and I think they can definitely pull off the hilarious "Jack"/"Karen" relationship and chemistry.

I would love to see TVB do this series with the cast members I've chosen. The comedic talents of the leads are just great and everyone blend in and work wonderfully together, hence Virtues' own 4-year success. If only... Who would you guys choose for an HK version of Will & Grace?

recasting "grey's anatomy"

Grey's Anatomy is one of the hottest shows right now in the US. When it premiered last spring, no one expected it to become such a hit - mostly because it was yet another "doctor" series. Surprisingly, Anatomy was fresh and put a new spin to the medical genre. It was funny, quirky, poignant, and creative - proving that with a great script and cast, a genre done over and over again can have new life. TVB has done their share of medical dramas as well - most renowned is the Healing Hands trilogy (equivalent to America's ER - or so they claim).

TVB has yet to do a medical drama mixed with comedy. I have a feeling that it won't be long before Anatomy gets adapted by TVB for a Hong Kong version. Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives have both been "re-done" by TVB. The HK Sex was horrible, but the HK Housewives looks promising (however, when compared to the original, it is not on par). TVB loves following the "hottest" shows trying to create hits of their own, so I think Anatomy has a good shot at being remade by TVB. If they do decide to do an HK Grey's Anatomy, I would hope they would use the following as cast members.

Myolie Wu as Meredith Grey

As the title character, Meredith narrates all of the show's monologues and is the "main" focus. She's sarcastic, pessimistic, and is a realist. Despite her tough exterior, Meredith is actually quite soft and easily hurt. She's emotionally unstable, even though she pretends that she's okay regardless of whatever happens to her. Her mother used to be a great surgeon until she had Alzheimer's and started to deteriorate. Meredith had a one-night stand with Derek, thinking that she'd never see him again... but he turns out to be her superior at the hospital! Their relationship develops from passionate feelings into true love, but, there's one big thing preventing them from being together - his wife. Meredith can get pretty whiny and emotional at times, so this is partially why I picked Myolie. Myolie can definitely do the whole whiny, emotional, and vulnerable character.

Louis Koo as Derek Shepherd

If Louis wants to break back into the world of TVB, playing "McDreamy" would be his best bet. Derek is Meredith's "McDreamy" because of obvious reasons for her. He represents the idea guy for her physically and emotionally, thus being "dreamy." Derek is smart and suave, so that's why I picked Louis. Besides, I don't think any of the girls would mind him being TVB's "McDreamy" - isn't that right? Honestly, I don't like Derek much because he's so indecisive that it's frustrating.

Lau Dan as Richard Webber ("Chief")

Who else but the veteran Lau Dan to play the chief of the hospital? Richard is basically the "father" of the interns and everyone who works at the hospital. He's the one in charge and has the power. Lau Dan is so great in the fatherly roles and he is such an awesome actor in general. I can think of no one better to play the Chief. (I didn't include Lau Dan's picture because he doesn't have one that fits the "theme" of pictures that I'm going with this recast. However, I'm confident that everyone knows who he is. He's been around for two decades. If you don't, here's a clue - he was the emperor in Virtues of Harmony.)

Raymond Lam as George O'Malley

George is shy and sensitive, but very bright. He's not the "typical" guy because he's not crude, rude, promiscuous, or any of that. He lives with Meredith and Izzie and had a crush on Meredith since the first day. He likes her a lot, but is afraid to tell her his feelings because of her situation with Derek. Because of his rather "soft" nature, George is initially mistaken for being gay, but he's not. I think Raymond would be able to portray George quite well because Raymond looks like the sensitive guy to me.

Linda Chung as Cristina Yang

Cristina is very serious about her career as a surgeon. Her mindset is based on her job and she places everything else (relationships, love, etc.) beneath it. However, as the series progresses, she becomes softer, more "human," and shows her weak, vulnerable, and sensitive sides more. However, she's still one tough, cold, and serious cookie. Like Meredith, she's sarcastic, realistic, and pessimistic. She's also quite the tomboy. She and Meredith hate being the "typical" girl. Linda gives me the impression that she is very mature and intelligent, so I think she will fit Cristina's personality. Also, she has experience playing the "cold exterior" roles ("Ah Lam" from Virtues of Harmony II & "Sandra" from Always Ready), so I think she should do well. I'm not so sure if she can bring out the sarcastic, funny side of Cristina though. However, I would like to watch her as Cristina most.

Bernice Liu as Izzie Stevens

People are surprised when they discover that Izzie is a doctor because she seems too pretty (and thus, not "smart" enough). In fact, she used to be a model - she modeled to pay her way through medical school. Izzie is very pretty, sweet, and kind of reckless. She's also a bit klutzy at times, but she's very likable and is another capable surgeon. I think Bernice would be able to play Izzie's cute and bubbly personality well. Besides, I think she's the only TVB actress that would be able to pull off the "Look! Oh my god! Breasts!" scene that Izzie had when came into terms with her modeling days. That scene would be a sight to see.

Sheren Tang as Miranda Bailey

Sheren proved that she could be hardcore in War and Beauty. Bailey is very sarcastic and has a tough mouth and attitude. She won't take any crap from anyone. As the leader of the interns, she makes sure they get their jobs done right. I think Sheren would be awesome as Bailey. I love Bailey for her remarks and attitude. She is too hilarious and very lovable.

Steven Ma as Preston Burke

Burke can be serious about his work, but he's very kind and much more "emotional" than his girlfriend, Cristina. He's a very amiable surgeon who gives his all to his work. Steven is an excellent actor and would totally be able to do the role justice. He has the intelligent and professional look required to play Burke in the hospital, but he also looks down-to-earth enough to bring the softer side of his character when he's with Cristina or off-the-job. Besides, I think it would be cute to see Steven and Linda as a couple again.

Ron Ng as Alex Karev

Alex is like the jerk that you're friends with, but you don't know why. He's cocky, arrogant, and is quite ignorant and immature at times. He's also a player. However, these traits are just his front. In fact, Alex is not that bad of a guy. He has to be "hard" because of his background (where he grew up, etc.). I don't mean to be typecasting Ron, but he just looks like the tough, cocky guy. Izzie and Alex had a fling at several points in the series (and I'm still hoping they will get together again), so I would love to see Ron and Bernice act as a couple.

Jessica Hsuan as Addison Shepherd

Everyone was upset when Addison appeared at the end of season 1 and introduced herself to Meredith as Derek's wife. The perfect romance between Derek and Meredith was thus shattered. Addison could easily have been the bitch and earn the audience's hatred because a lot of people pretty much hate her at the start. However, the series develops her quite nicely. She's not bitchy or evil - she's just a desperate wife who wants her husband back because she made a grave mistake. Addison is very smart and is quite nice; basically you want to hate her, but can't find a reason to. She tries very hard to make her marriage work. I picked Jessica because I think she would be able to win the audience over with her portrayal of the role. You want to hate Addison, but you end up liking her as a character. Also, LJ fans would love to see Louis and Jessica reunite as husband and wife, right?

recasting hk "desperate housewives"

New series See Lai Bing Tuen (師奶兵團 - literally translated as "Housewive Army") is said to be based on the American hit Desperate Housewives. The American TV shows stars Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, and Eva Longoria. Who are the HK counterparts to these four hot housewives? They are Sheren Tang, Cecilia Yip, Kiki Sheung, and Leila Tong. From casting alone, you already know that the "hotness" that the American show has to offer is gone, which is a good thing because who really wants to see Kiki Sheung do a bed scene?! But nope, TVB is still going to try to put some "hotness" into the series - the very first scene will have all four (yes, all of them) housewives in bikinis. Erm...

I highly doubt See Lai will be anything like the original Housewives. Gone are all the delicious affairs, murders, mystery, intimate scenes, skin, and so on. Instead, we're definitely going to get very common stories about real Hong Kong housewives dealing with their daily struggles in life, marriage, and family. It will not be a crafty dramedy like Housewives, but another TVB series focusing this time on the lives of housewives. As much as I love Sheren, she's the only one out of all four who is worth watching to me. Kiki is a good actress, but I'm not all that excited about watching her scenes and Leila seems out-of-place. I've never seen Cecilia before, so no comment on her. I suppose the cast is suitable for a series about real HK housewives, but what bothers me is that TVB specifically stated that this is their version of Desperate Housewives. It's just... not.

It's a real shame that TVB didn't want to do a truer version of Housewives with all of its glamour because they have the perfect set of actresses for the roles. The following are my choices for an HK rendition series of Desperate Housewives.

Kenix Kwok as Susan Mayer

Susan is a very vulnerable and klutzy character. She's also very immature and senseless at times. She always finds herself in bad case scenarios and bad luck seems to follow her. She divorced her husband when she found out that he was cheating on her, so now Susan is a single mother. Kenix was very funny in Love Bond, so I'm sure she can pull off the ditzy and cute physical comedy that is required for the role of Susan. In some ways, Kenix resembles Teri Hatcher (partly because both are way too skinny!). The two most important men in Susan's life are her ex-husband, Karl, and her main love interest, Mike Delfino. I'm going to go with Michael Tao for Karl and Frankie Lam for Mike. Karl and Susan have very nice chemistry together and it's funny because they're divorced and yet they're in a much better place than when they were married. Karl's character is somewhat of a jerk and really immature and playful, so I think Michael would do nicely with the role. Michael and Kenix would do this love/hate "pairing" nicely. Mike and Susan have an on-again off-again relationship, but it's magical when they're together. Being a real-life married couple, the two have great chemistry and look so nice together. I think they would do the Mike and Susan romance well. Frankie can carry a mysterious and rugged aura, which is needed for Mike's character.

Melissa Ng as Lynette Scavo

As the mother of four children all under the age of six, Lynette is a crazed mother desperate to have a little peace. Lynette used to be a very successful businesswoman until she met her husband and decided to leave it all to become a housewife. At first, they were only going to have one child, but she kept getting pregnant and they ended up having four. Lynette is often frustrated because she finds motherhood so impossible. She's sarcastic, controlling, and a bit insecure. I think Melissa would do well as Lynette. She has the right look for both mother and working woman. For the role of Lynette's husband, Tom, I'd pick Sunny Chan. While I have yet to see Melissa and Sunny together, they look nice in the pictures from Love Guaranteed. Tom's character is somewhat like a big kid and I think Sunny can be pretty goofy.

Maggie Cheung as Bree Van De Kamp

The role of Bree requires a very competant actress because she's so complex and has many layers. She's very tense and likes to keep a facade of perfection. She wants everything to appear "perfect," but her life and marriage is far from ideal. She's anal retentive and hides the imperfections and problems of her life with domestic chores and perfection, sacrificing the interior for the exterior. Bree's character has a lot of issues and goes through many issues - from her husband wanting a divorce to her son hating her guts. Maggie is a superb actress with both dramatic and comedic talent that would do Bree justice. I think Maggie also looks a little "icy," which is great because Bree is supposed to be cold. I think Maggie would portray Bree's mental problems and gradual breakdown well. Steven Ma would be excellent for the role of Bree's husband, Rex. Rex is very laid-back and intelligent and I think Steven would do so well with the role although I couldn't imagine Steven having a fetish like Rex's character does! Maggie and Steven have nice chemistry, which is an added bonus.

Gigi Lai as Gabrielle Solis

Standing in a very Gabrielle-like pose in this picture, Gigi proves she is perfect to play Gabrielle. Gabby is very self-centered, materialistic, and bossy. She's full of spunk and attitude. She rose from poverty after having been raped by her stepfather and became a very successful runway model. She tries to hide her loneliness, problems, and sadness through materialism. By having a lot of stuff, she wants to prove to the world that she is "happy," but she doesn't really know what it is that she wants. I think Gigi would portray Gabrielle's selfish and materialistic character well but also would be able to show her hidden sadness. For the role of Gabrielle's husband, Carlos, I'll probably go with Bowie Lam. Carlos is very protective, impulsive, and jealous. I think it would be a new role for Bowie. Bowie and Gigi would do nicely as a husband and wife. I'd pick Raymond Lam to play Gabrielle's under-age lover, John, who she has an affair to fill in the void of her loneliness. Raymond seems to have chemistry with almost everyone that he pairs with, so I think Raymond and Gigi should be able to pull off the sparks between John and Gabrielle.

Sonija Kwok as Edie Britt

Sonija is gorgeous and in this very sexy photo, she shows she has what it takes to pull off Edie. Edie is Wisteria Lane's most infamous "slut" and arch nemesis/rival of Susan. She's confident, sexy, very upfront, and frank about everything. She's bitchy and can get real nasty when someone pisses her off. To me, Sonija is very sweet and beautiful, but I think she could do bitchy well. Susan and Edie have many bickering scenes and I think (hope) Kenix and Sonija would have good chemistry fighting with each other.

recasting hk "sex and the city"

Inspired by Asia's recasting articles...

I started to watch a Sex and the City re-run airing on a local channel while flipping through the TV one day, over two years after it concluded. I had heard about it before and always had this idea that the series was trashy, but curiosity got to me, so I decided to watch it. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it. The dialogues were zingy and witty - a hilarious and smart series! What if, 10 years from now, TVB's 20-something actresses are still unmarried, which is crazy, but, what if? We'd have a group of very hot 30-something single women - perfect for an HK version of the American sitcom, Sex and the City.

TVB tried to do an HK version of Sex with their failed 2005 sitcom Women On The Run, but that series didn't do Sex justice at all. TVB got the "image" of the ladies in the themvideo and the casting of Christine Ng right, but everything else was wrong, but I won't go into that. Even if TVB can't get the comedy and drama exactly right, we can at least have an attractive cast to look at for eye candy!

Myolie Wu as Carrie Bradshaw

Clearly the leader of the younger actresses, Myolie would do a great job as the main character of Carrie. She can be fun, smart, sexy, and not afraid to speak her mind. Plus, Myolie looks like she could be a writer to me. The role of Mr. Big, who Carrie ultimately ends up with, should go to Ron Ng. While Ron's acting is questionable, he looks convincing as a businessman (ala Revolving Doors of Vengeance) and I think Mr. Big's personality (somewhat of a jerk, indecisive, cocky, and jealous) could be played by Ron adequetely. Ron & Myolie look like a nice couple too, so it's an added bonus.

Bernice Liu as Samantha Jones

Out of all the younger actresses, Bernice has the most sex appeal. She's pretty, flirty, and fun - a definite Samantha. Bernice has this perfect balance between being sexual and sensual, which would work well for acting as Samantha. Samantha ends up having a relationship with someone younger than her, so perhaps Raymond Lam would make the cut? Although Raymond and Bernice are around the same age, I think that Bernice looks more mature than Raymond, so he could pass for being "younger" than she. Smith, the name of the character Samantha ends up with, is an actor and he has a passion for acting, so I think Raymond would fit the role nicely seeing how he takes acting most seriously out of all the young actors.

Linda Chung as Charlotte York

Pure and sweet, Linda could pull off Charlotte very well. In fact, I think Charlotte's personality matches Linda's. Linda strikes me as the optimistic, romantic, dreamy, naiive, elegant, and traditional girl - characteristics that make up Charlotte's character. Steven Ma would make a perfect choice to play Charlotte's first husband, the doctor and seemingly perfect Trey. Steven played a doctor in Healing Hands and he looks charming and intelligent. Plus, everyone knows that Steven and Linda have great chemistry. They look like a picture-perfect couple, which is the whole point of the Trey & Charlotte marriage. Charlotte's second husband (who she ultimately ends up with) is someone who looks unlike what she's looking for physically, but is everything she wants emotionally. As of right now, I don't have anyone in mind.

Tavia Yeung as Miranda Hobbes

Miranda's character is somewhat of a tomboy, so Tavia matches the role best. We hardly see Tavia dress up and she herself says she's a tomboy. Sarcastic, pessimistic, and career-oriented, Miranda is usually the one to talk sense into the other girls. I think Tavia would do a nice job with the role and she would portray the transition and growth of Miranda's character into a compassionate mother and wife smoothly. Miranda eventually ends up and has a baby with Steve, who is somewhat goofy. Bosco Wong would be the best choice for this role and a Bosco & Tavia pairing would be refreshing.

These four would do very well together as the Hong Kong version of the Sex and the City ladies. They are all friends in real life, so chemistry shouldn't be a problem. They look nice together - their looks compliment one another. Plus, who could resist a series with TVB's top four young leading ladies together?! Too bad this series could never become a reality and with TVB's family-oriented state, we could never have a true Sex and the City series, but it's still fun to image "what if."

Picture credits: Kat, Tanya, TBS, Linda Garden, Kimbo