9. Red Dwarf USA
Network/Season: NBC/1992
Starring: Craig Bierko, Jane Leeves, Terry Farrell (Second Pilot), Robert Llewellyn
Description: Exactly as it says on the tin, a U.S. version of Red Dwarf. Lister and his pals: holographic Rimmer, robotic Kryten, computerized Holly, and Felis Sapien Cat; sail through the deepest reaches of space, dealing with all sorts of hysterically Sci Fi things you'd expect from the original. Just without most of the accents. I don't know why we Americans enjoy remaking British shows so much, but keep in mind this was before BBC America was in existence and also before the days of DVD where it was easier to export a show from one country to another. This show was originally being developed by Linwood Boomer, who would later go on to create the smash hit Malcolm in the Middle; though Rob Grant and Doug Naylor were involved as creative consultants on Boomer's attempt. They would later go on to film what they referred to as a "Promo Reel" for what their version of the show would have been like.
Why We Didn't See It: After the first pilot's genuinely favorable reaction with live studio audiences, NBC was still unsure about the project. So they fired Boomer and brought on Grant and Naylor to retool the project to their specifications. Also hired at this time was a pre-DS9 Terry Farrell as the new and improved version of Cat. This version still failed to set the suits on fire, so the project was not for this world.
Why We Wished We Could See It: Judging by some of the accounts taken, it wasn't all that bad. Sure, Craig Bierko was a little too...handsome to play the Lister everyone knew and loved, but he could have been made into his own thing. By time the "Promo Reel" was filmed as a second pilot,
Life After Death?: The documentary Dwarfing USA covers the remake's history, as well as both the
original Pilot and the
Promo Reel. Also, you could watch both pilots through the magic of YouTube, though the quality leaves a lot to be desired.