Present-Day Adaptation of OKLAHOMA! in the Works for TV

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 2:30pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-Present-Day-Adaptation-of-OKLAHOMA-in-the-Works-for-TV-20190416

Excuse me, what?

[BwayLB]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 2:35pm

I will watch depends on the network and who will be castef.

[ariel175]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 2:41pm

Um, why?

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 3:05pm

Oklahoma! Where the meth comes sweeping down our veins!

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 3:18pm

ariel175 said: "Um, why?"

*whispers* the copyright expires in 24 years and they're sweating bullets

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 3:24pm

Will it be the first musical TV series to actually do well?  I doubt it.  Smash was lucky to last as long as it did.  But I don't understand why they are using Oklahoma for a modern story and incorporating new songs.    What is the rationale?  Who is the expected audience?  And what made R&H approve it?  Were they just thrown a bunch of money and told to close their eyes when they signed?  This sounds even worse than Will Smith's Annie project.

[Niles Silvers]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 3:31pm

OK, white folk, let's dance and sing and pretend we don't live in a Hate State!  Would be better suited for the horror genre.  

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 3:48pm

That... doesn't make any sense. They're going to do a PRESENT DAY story about the SETTLING of Oklahoma as it's about to become a STATE? Is this going to be some weird what if the South won the Civil War alternate history?

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 3:56pm

Curly and Judd in Brokeback Mountain the musical!

[greensgreens]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 5:01pm

Either the best idea or worst idea ever. Would to love to see OK native Kristin Chenoweth somehow involved. She'd be a great feisty "Auntie Ellen" with a modern appeal!!!

[VivianDarkbloom2]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 5:17pm

So, Jud sings about how Reddit is the only one who understands him? 

(sings opening lines of 'Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" Hey guys look, they took 'Friends' off of Netflix; hey guys, now we can't watch 'Friends' on Netflix....

[Kad]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 6:25pm

The press release says “inspired by” the stage show. It won’t be a literal adaptation.

[bk]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 6:47pm

IF this actually happens, which I doubt, it will die a very quick death.  No one learns from history so they are doomed to repeat it.

[missthemountains]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 8:12pm

TV Producers: Oklahoma is successful! Let's strike while the iron's hot and make this into a full length episodic TV show!

Audience of people who would be inclined to watch an Oklahoma TV show: That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works.

Updated On: 4/16/19 at 08:12 PM

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 8:44pm

"Soon be livin' in a brand new state!" could be a great slogan for Washington DC and Puerto Rico's inevitable quests for statehood.

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 10:34pm

When I read this headline.... all I can picture is like Oklahoma meets CW's "Riverdale" and I burst into laughter. I'm not gonna lie, it's train wreak I would love to watch. And actually CW could be a decent fit for something like this if they are going to that like EDGY TEENAGE DRAMA target demo. Plus they have not shied away from musicals on their shows in the past. They SHOULD have, but they haven't.

Updated On: 4/16/19 at 10:34 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 10:55pm

The only musical I can see as a serialized musical drama is Cabarer, but Babylon Berlin is basically that.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 4/16/19 at 11:24pm

This inspired me to realize my hyper-contemporary television adaptation of 1776.

[getupngo]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 10:10am

bwaylyric said: "Curly and Judd in Brokeback Mountain the musical!"

Go on... 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/17/19 at 2:55pm

They're going to do a PRESENT DAY story about the SETTLING of Oklahoma as it's about to become a STATE? 

To be fair, that's really just the backdrop setting because the show isn't about the settling of Oklahoma at all.  It's barely even mentioned other than "soon be livin' in a brand new state".

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 4/18/19 at 2:37am

^^^ Indeed, the show (and statehood) takes place almost 20 years after the taking of the Indian Territory from Native Americans and the "settling" of the land by whites.

[Fan123]

Posted: 4/18/19 at 4:36am

I think this could be interesting. If nothing else, it could be an interesting testing-ground for other free adaptations of stage shows in the future. And even if "we" all dislike it, it might lead some new fans to an appreciation of musical theatre. I wonder if they would use regular songwriter/s for the new songs, or bring in various musical theatre and/or country (?) artists.

[Fan123]

Posted: 8/20/19 at 9:00am

A few hints in this interview with writer Bekah Brunstetter about the plans for this show, although nothing very specific:

https://www.claremoreprogress.com/news/la-screenwriter-visits-claremore-researching-for-new-oklahoma--based/article_ba1503e8-baee-11e9-a036-c722899d35a0.html

Updated On: 8/20/19 at 09:00 AM

[BJR]

Posted: 8/20/19 at 9:51am

I didn't realize Bekah was working on it. That gives me hope. And hearing how they're possibly really reimagining the story for today is exciting - why not?

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 8/20/19 at 10:02am

From Bekah’s description it doesn’t sound like this will actually have much in common with the musical except for maybe sharing the same name. If it’s not a musical or isn’t going to include characters from the stage show, I actually don’t even get why they would bring the musical up at all. Anyone can do a television show called OKLAHOMA! You don’t have to pay R&H a royalty just for that.