The 1985 TriStar Pictures cult classic Real Genius has come up every now and then when people talk about reboots and long overdue sequels, specifically because star Val Kilmer has always seemed somewhat interested in reprising his role as the brilliant troublemaker Chris Knight. Whether or not they’d be able to get the younger guy who looks like Sarah Jessica Parker’s twin brother is another story, but when it comes to when we’d see a remake or follow-up to Real Genius, it has always been just a matter of time. If NBC and Happy Madison have anything to say about it, though, that time is now, because they want to turn it into a single camera, workplace sitcom.
Suddenly I’m thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, “I greenlit what?”
According to Deadline, the duo behind this series about “the relationship between a rock star-like genius and a sheltered, naive co-worker” is Craig DiGergorio, who has previously written for Chuck, Da Ali G Show, The League and Workaholics, and David King, whose writing credits include a lot of awesome in Workaholics, The League and Parks and Recreation and a little bit of “Oh God no” in Frank TV. The wild card, as always, is Happy Madison, which has limited TV history (Rules of Engagement, Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time and The Goldbergs) but is infamous for ruining the good name of comedy on the big screen.
However, if Rob Schneider walks into a house that is suddenly filled with popcorn in the first episode and doesn’t walk out, we might just have a hit on our hands.
