Fox TV snapped up the rights to “The Devil Wears Prada” faster than a model can suck down a non-fat soy latte. Robin Schiff, of Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion fame, will pen the show as well as exec produce. Hedging her bets on an established premise might finally be lucky for Schiff, who previously failed to entertain America by producing the short lived “Miss Match”, an Alicia Silverstone vehicle, and “Emily’s Reasons Why Not”, starring Heather Graham.
Fox has never been one to slouch when marketing gold is found, or at least rumored, and “Devil” will slip right into place in a primetime lineup that includes the comedy “Ugly Betty” on ABC and “Fashion House”, MyTV's soapy drama. It’s reportedly a pet project of Angela Shapiro-Mathes, Fox Television Studios President, and former “All My Children” producer, which should at least guarantee a good trial run.
Hopefully, Fox has the smarts to adapt the book, and not the movie, in which Meryl Streep portrayed a pale shadow of the evilness of the literary Miranda Priestly. The characters in last summer’s feature were watered down and changed quite a bit from Lauren Weisberger’s original novel, but this will give the studios a chance to do it right. Perhaps Glenn Close is available to reprise a Cruella type role?
