Well, f*ck me gently with a chainsaw. Heathers, the dark comedy film that every parent hated in the 1980s, will make yet another attempt for the small screen. There have been a few false alarms, most recently with Bravo trying in 2013 to create a sequel series. In that version of the story, the surviving Heathers all gave birth to Ashleys, who were also horrific people and ruled their high school with an iron scrunchie. Alas, the series never happened, perhaps because folks realized it was a bad idea to show high schoolers shooting each other after a number of gun-related tragedies. The world truly is a different place now, but Hollywood has persisted in its effort to reimagine this franchise.
Now, Heathers will rise as a TV Land reboot with newly popular anthology approach. This is a smart move, as that format allows series to stay fresh without dropping into a Season 4 rut, but the same themes and beloved vibes stick around, which is what makes American Horror Story and Fargo so successful. However, the Heathers plan sounds so wild that audiences will need time to acclimate, and liquid drainer does not feature in the description. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the main characters are outcasts, not popular kids, and include the following descriptions:
TV Land’s take is described as a black comedy that takes place in the present day. It features a new set of popular-yet-evil Heathers — only this time the outcasts have become high school royalty. Heather McNamara (originally played by Lisanne Falk) is a black lesbian; Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty) is a male who identifies as gender-queer whose real name is Heath; and Heather Chandler (Kim Walker) has a body like Martha Dumptruck.
So, the Heather name will still prevail, and this may be more of a comedy-comedy than a black comedy. There’s no word on whether a Veronica character will surface in the series, but there will be new Heathers with each subsequent season. This sounds so crazy that it just might work, but first, TV Land has to make the first season happen. Let’s motor.
(Via Hollywood Reporter)
