Lethal Weapon And Actors Behaving Badly

The TV adaptation of Lethal Weapon came up in the news recently thanks to heavy controversy and a major, unexpected shake-up. Because of recklessness, a rumored attitude problem, and a much-publicised feud with co-star Damon Wayans, Clayne Crawford is out as Riggs and, astonishingly, he’s been replaced by none other than Stifler himself – Seann William Scott.

I was excited by this development, honestly. Scott returns to the small screen after years of being persona non grata in Hollywood and he deserves as big a part as the one made famous by Mel Gibson. He’s a talented comedic actor who got typecast even though he seems to maintain a good humor about it. You don’t host SNL and spoof a defining moment – the beer with something unmentionable added, itself a gag – in your career without having a sense of humor about yourself.

On the flip side, Clayne meets with a shrug from me. To be totally honest, I have no idea who the guy is. It’s unfortunate that he lost the lead in a hit show and in hindsight, if he really displayed such Gibson-like tendencies he sounds made for the part – but I don’t get why he was cast in the first place. Riggs never had a mustache in any of the movies, so what’s up with that?

There are a few gripes I have with the show, that’s a minor one. But it’s the kind of stuff that leaves me shaking my head. I’ll take that a step further. Odd as it may sound, none of those gripes, big or small, includes any of the controversy swirling around the program. The controversy was in no way minor, and obviously no fun for Damon Wayans, but in a way, it helps the show.

It’s publicity, good or bad. Regardless how anyone feels, who was right and who was wrong, the sudden news of Crawford’s departure brought the show to the fore of public consciousness. It’s the single biggest news item to come out of its halcyon run so far. Beyond that, isn’t Lethal Weapon more of an afterthought despite the ratings?

The fact that even there is a Lethal Weapon TV show is perplexing when you think about it. On the face of it, there’s little justification. What was the point? Where was the initial interest? Was Richard Donner, somebody involved with the movie series, or somebody at FOX being hounded by fans or flooded with emails and social media posts clamoring for a show?

For years, word was there was going to be a Lethal Weapon 5 and that appeared to be the most likely outcome, with or without Mel’s well-publicized outbursts and personal battles. It’s all up to Warner Bros. and they are shuffling their feet. In the meantime, the TV series was greenlit, becoming the standard bearer for a franchise that didn’t really need it.

And that speaks to the larger, real issue I have when it comes to Lethal Weapon and shows like it. Lethal Weapon, in the end, is nothing except another entry in an ongoing phenomenon. I’m talking about TV spin-offs of thriving film franchises – the elephant in the room no one is seriously discussing I’d like to address.

Herein lies the rub: shows such as Lethal Weapon and the flop that was CBS’s adaptation of Rush Hour aren’t born of an outcry for more from their fans, or a vision from their creators. They arise out of a desire for networks and their executives to make a buck. A title becomes a brand that grosses millions worldwide reliably every time. As years go by, what’s old becomes new again and they then have something to pitch and round out a primetime lineup. That potentially means ratings, ad space, and the possibilities that accompany deals with streaming services.

Rarely does a film series moving from the big screen to the small screen mean anyone’s taking a real risk. TV is a dumping ground for recycled formulae more than it’s a place where ideas are made. Yet there are always exceptions and one is a fairly popular example of a concept that had life before TV but didn’t catch fire until making the leap.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, before it was a phenomenon, was a forgettable horror comedy that failed at the box office. And it would’ve sunk without a trace had it not been picked up by the fledgling WB. Not every market had the WB, Buffy was premiering in midseason, and the only point of reference general audiences had was the movie. It had every reason not to succeed but succeed it did, spawning spinoffs, comics, merchandise, and earning a devoted following.

Joss Whedon eventually became a heavyweight in the industry, and it started with taking a chance on something he believed in. We see the opposite happening when Lethal Weapon is turned into a show on broadcast television. FOX isn’t taking a gamble, they aren’t doing anything audacious – they are being lazy when they could learn from Whedon and Buffy.

It doesn’t take much daring or imagination to say “that was a hit, let’s make it a series” or “let’s bring that back.” The landscape doesn’t need a watered-down rehashing of a buddy-cop show anymore than it needs another Charlie’s Angels. But, it could use more new and refreshing ideas like Buffy again – and not just on Netflix.

Bravo again, though, casting Seann William Scott. That is a chance FOX is taking and one I applaud.