Glitzy Potboilers Scruples and Valley of The Dolls Being Adapted as Primetime Soaps!
For once Hollyweird's penchant for looking to the past is turning up some promising vehicles. A few weeks ago Deadline reported that producer Tony Krantz was adapting his mother Judith Krantz's scandalous 1970's page-turner Scruples for ABC. Now the blog is reporting Precious helmer Lee Daniels is planning to bring Valley of the Dolls back to television for NBC. Uh, oh hell's yes!
Scruples, originally published in 1978, is a steamy potboiler, set in a posh Beverly Hills boutique. The story centers on mousy Wilhelmina "Honey" Winthrop, who moves to Paris and reinvents herself as Billie, a force to be reckoned with, who ultimately builds a department store dynasty on Rodeo Drive she christens "Scruples." The book was first adapted as a miniseries starring Lindsay Wagner in 1980.
Valley of the Dolls, by the late Jacqueline Susann, is one of the best selling novels of all-time. The 1966 roman a clef about three young women making their way in the New York City entertainment industry, amid rampant drug use and explicit sex, sold over 30 million copies.
The saga of Anne, Jennifer and Neely was brought to the big screen in 1967 starring Patty Duke. While panned by critics, the movie version of Valley of the Dolls quickly became a cult classic. A satirical sequel, Beyond The Valley of the Dolls, followed in 1970, then a miniseries in 1981. Dolls was last adapted in 1994 as a late-night primetime soap opera starring Sally Kirkland.
I am beyond pumped that two novels that I have read a kabillion times could be coming to primetime soon. Now if someone will finally bring my girl Jackie Collins' Lucky Santangelo back to the small screen!
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Comments
5 July 2008
5 weeks 6 days
Lovin Both of This
I loved the 1994 Valley Of The Dolls and Scruples was supposed to be daytime soap that never happened so its cool
20 August 2009
10 weeks 51 min
Wow! When I was a teenager I used to read all the Judith Krantz I could get my hands on! Super awesome!
12 January 2010
5 weeks 6 days
LOL! Jamey, as soon as I read this headline I knew you'd find a way to segue to Lucky Santangilo. I can't say I'd watch VOD or Scruples, but bring on Chances/Lucky/Lady Boss as a series and not some crappy TV movie and I'm there.
26 April 2010
18 weeks 2 days
Great News. However, Can we get Knots Landing back on the air?
26 April 2010
18 weeks 2 days
There is another book that should become a night-time series as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Delusions-of-Grandeur-A-Novel-ebook/dp/B003U8WV0Q/...
10 May 2008
5 weeks 6 days
Wow. I thought soaps were dead? LMAO. So, ABC/Disney is gearing up for another primetime soap opera?
14 June 2009
9 weeks 5 days
I would rather Scruples (or VOTD) be put on cable. The subject material nearly requires it! Really those sex scenes in Scruples are pretty x rated and I would hate to see them toned down! That was the fun of the book. Sex and studs and suds. That is hardly ABC fodder. They had trouble with KISH on OLTL how are they gonna do a gay sex scene around the swimming pool? I say get ahold of Stars and put them on there. They don't mind the nudity and the sex. I am not saying that that is all there is to these books but it is an important part!
19 June 2009
6 weeks 4 days
Could see both doing well as prime-time soaps. There was a pilot made for Scruples as a prime-time soap after the '80 miniseries but it didn't sell. Will look forward to hearing how these develop. I bet a lot will determine on how well this season's slate of prime-time soaps do, and the Dallas reboot, as well.
4 May 2009
5 weeks 6 days
"Valley" is one of the few fiction books I re-read (my reading preference is biography and autobiography) from time to time and one of my favorite movies starring the most beautiful actress EVER Ms. Sharon Tate.
If you disagree with me, check her out in these 3 scenes when she is at her most stunning:
When she has the white dress on in the club and Tony sings to her
When she is at home doing her nails and Tony comes home to tell her he got canned
When she has the matching dress and coat on and Tony is falling down the stairs
Fabulous kids! Fabulous!
Once in awhile on Project Runway depending on the makeup, hair, and outfit Heidi Klum will remind me of her.
As for this topic, I just don't know. I just don't see where a show could take the characters from the way the book ends and be keep it interesting enough to plot a series out of it.
I do know this: Jackie Susann is very pleased right now that her work is being discussed