'Who's the Boss?' Remake in Colombia; ABC Announces Season/Series Finale Dates

Classic TV is being made all over again internationally. Sony Pictures Television Intl.'s Who's the Boss? is being remade at Colombia's Caracol TV. Shooting has begun of the vintage sitcom offshoot, with an early May debut slated. Boss is toplined by Cuban actor Alberto Yoel Garcia (Habana Blues) who plays a servant opposite Colombian actress Margarita Ortega, his ad exec employer. Boss is the second SPTI sitcom Caracol has reversioned, following Married...With Children which ran last year. Married... was the first sitcom made in Colombia and scored an average 42 share. Andres Marroquin, who directed Married..., will also direct the Colombian version of Boss.
"Because of a sitcom's high budget, we reduce costs by shooting at a quicker pace," Marroquin said. "We can shoot four to five episodes a week in contrast to the U.S., where they shoot an episode a week." Caracol is planning on stripping Who's the Boss? daily in primetime, another reason it needs to shoot fast. "It's a sub-version of the (sitcom) genre, but audiences are used to it because that's how telenovelas are aired," he said. Telefe has already made its own version of Who's the Boss? for Argentina, where it was a ratings hit.
SPTI properties, led by The Nanny, have been remade in Germany, Chile, Russia, Turkey, Mexico, Greece, Spain and Argentina, among other territories.

Meanwhile ABC detailed its season and series finale dates for most of their series. The soon to premiere What About Brian will end its season on Monday, May 8. ABC will air a two-part three-hour Grey's Anatomy finale--an hour episode in its regular slot on Sunday, May 14 followed by a two-hour episode the next day on Monday, May 15 from 9 to 11 p.m. Critically acclaimed Boston Legal will get a two hour season finale as well on Tuesday, May 16 from 9 to 11 p.m.--which raises the question if Commander in Chief will return at all. The best new drama of the season, Invasion, will end its first season on Wednesday, May 17 in its normal slot. Veteran ABC series America's Funniest Home Videos will get a two-hour season finale on a special night and time--Friday, May 19 from 8 to 10 p.m. Sunday, May 21 will see two ABC powerhouses with two two-hour season finales--Extreme Makeover: Home Edition from 7 to 9 p.m. and the high rated Desperate Housewives from 9 to 11 p.m. Then the next day, Monday, May 22, ABC will send off the spy drama Alias for good with a nice two-hour series finale from 9 to 11 p.m. Two days later, May 24, ABC will end the second season of Lost with an explosive season finale from 9 to 11 p.m.
ABC has yet to announce the season finale dates for Wife Swap, Supernanny, According to Jim, Hope & Faith and Commander in Chief. Chief is slated to return April 18 for the final seven episodes of the season, but with Boston Legal taking its slot on May 16 for its season finale, I think that plan for Chief might be not happening. Previously announced season (or series for some?) finales are In Justice on March 31, Miracle Workers on April 3, Sons & Daughters on April 4, George Lopez & Freddie on April 12, and American Inventor on May 4. Though, the latter could be May 11 even with its success. ABC will air a special new movie Stephen King's Desperation on Thursday, May 18.
And what about the unaired episodes of sitcoms Crumbs, Less than Perfect, Rodney, and Jake in Progress (you can forget about seeing Emily's Reasons Why Not again)? I hope to see most or all of those air in the summer.
ABC will have 8 more episodes of drama What About Brian left to air when it ends its 5 episode trial-run on May 8. ABC will have 2 more episodes of drama The Evidence after it ends it 4 episode trial-run on April 12. ABC is going to air 10 episodes of Sons & Daughters, so some episodes will be left-over. I've heard they made 11 episodes and some places say 13 episodes, so who knows. The series is flat out hilarious--so get people to watch! And I think Miracle Workers will only air 5 of the 6 episodes so far. So maybe ABC can do like Grey's Anatomy and Boston Legal last year and save all these episodes for next season, if any of these make it back on the schedule next fall, that is.