Rocky Horror Television Show Coming To Fox?

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which started as a stage play called The Rocky Horror Show, is on its way to becoming The Rocky Horror Television Show. This year will mark the 40th anniversary of the iconic sci-fi sendup and the good people at Fox, as opposed to, you know, those other people at Fox, are looking to put it on the slab and shrink it down for the small screen.

A two-hour Fox logo horizontalevent special of the midnight movie cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show is in development at Fox 21 TV Studios, if they can find a cast. The small-screen adaptation will be executive produced by Gail Berman of The Jackal Group along with Lou Adler, who produced the original film and booked the play into the Roxy in Los Angeles as well. He didn’t just dream it, that guy. Kenny Ortega is set to direct and choreograph.

Right now they are calling the project The Rocky Horror Picture Show Event, but they’re working on a better title. I, of course think it should be The Rocky Horror TV Show, but what do I know?

Fox has been working on a TV of the Richard O’Brien-penned classic since 2002 when Fox TV Studios was thinking about 30th anniversary event.

“I’ve been a fan of Rocky Horror since I was a teenager,” Gail Berman said at the time. Berman produced Broadway shows before she moved to television. She’d wanted to redo Rocky Horror at MTV in 2008.

Better late than never? Or better never? Part of the thrill of the original was what Frank Zappa would call its cheapness. A network TV budget might wring the fun out of it.

UPDATE: Almost immediately after the announcement was made, a Stop fox from remaking Rocky Horror page was created on Facebook. 

SOURCE: DEADLINE