NBC is reviving the Stephen J. Cannell eighties cop drama Wiseguy, about an undercover cop named Vinnie Terranova (!) attempting to take down a variety of mobsters. In the eighties version, Terranova served a prison stint to help establish his cover, but in this “reimagined” version, the star of the show is a disgraced cop who cuts a deal to go undercover as an attempt to lessen his sentence. There are those who’d argue that Wiseguy is best remembered for its intricate serialized story lines, or its strong performances, including one from Kevin Spacey, but surely its most profound legacy is its character names, which included such Dickensian gems as Daniel “Lifeguard” Burroughs (Breaking Bad’s Jim Byrnes), Mel Profitt, and Sonny Steelgrave, and such Runyonesque monikers like Mack “No Money” Mahoney and Harry “the Hunch” Shanstra. If they’re going to reboot something, at least they’re rebooting something pretty good? [Deadline]
