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This 20-teens Thug With A Badge is not Ironside

posted 11 years ago by cpattavina
11 replies | jump to latest

This might contain a spoiler or two regarding the 1967 Ironside pilot.

Raymond Burr's Ironside had a humility and humanity that this "re-imagined" version so sorely lacks.
I recently found the two-hour pilot of the original Ironside on YouTube.
The story of how the man became paraplegic unfolded linearly, not in clunky flashbacks. Hour 1 was his shooting, his recovery, and his conning his old pal the Commissioner into make him a Special Consultant.
Hour 2 was the pursuit of the sniper. Nobody was physically assaulted, or called names by Ironside or y of his people. In the end, he can't make a case against his prime suspect but can make one against someone connected with this suspect.
He confronts the new suspect and discovers the previous suspect lying dead in the new suspect's home.
As the killer is taken away in cuffs Ironside is congratulated. His response is that had he only discovered the truth earlier,"That poor boy (the initial suspect )
would still be alive".
No way the 2013 version would show such class and compassion !

[–] lferrigon-1 11 years ago

Whenever they make remakes there will always be comparisons. I was not happy at his yelling at his people either. I have never understood the need for that. I like it when the main characters are likable that makes it easier to watch.

That was my problem with some police shows. I will give this show the benefit for now and hope it does better.

Finally, why is it based in New York instead of San Francisco like the original?

Why does every show have to be in New York?

[–] GaelinW 11 years ago

Nobody was physically assaulted, or called names by Ironside or y of his people.

Welcome to 2013. The original Ironside was nearly 50 years ago. The entire population of the world was generally more civil back then. Or rather civil publicly and within certain parameters (ie ignoring racial and gender divides).

This Ironside reflects today's society. A quiet Ironside would not appeal to today's audience. Do I think that's bad or wrong? No, it is what it is. This Ironside is less likeable sure. But I won't write off the show because of it.

That said, I've caught several episodes of the old show on some local syndication network (not sure how my TV got on that channel), and honestly I don't think Raymond Burr's Ironside was much more likeable. He wasn't into histrionics but he could be demeaning, dismissive and scathingly rude to the people around him. He just did it in a lower tone of voice.

"I am allowed to think everyone is stupid for 10 minutes."-- Randy Susan Meyers

[–] LETumEAT 11 years ago

The loud Ironside didn't appeal to anyone either

[–] GaelinW 11 years ago

It appealed to people, just not enough people. There is a difference between that and "not anyone."

"I am allowed to think everyone is stupid for 10 minutes."-- Randy Susan Meyers

[–] nutmeg5732 10 years ago

Nutmeg5732
Thank you, I couldn't have said it better.

Except, that I never thought him as trying to play a 20-something (so I don't know what others are seeing, I thought he was 40-something).

[–] angryhermit50 11 years ago

I believe his gruff demeanor came from his being crippled and now wheelchair bound and had the show been given time there would have been a "softening" of his personality.

[–] Kunovega 11 years ago

He was rude and dangling suspects off of buildings even in flashbacks from before he was in a wheelchair

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] edrebber 10 years ago

The original was on for 8 seasons, because of Raymond Burr status as an television icon. They needed someone of Burr's stature to carry a remake. Plus Burr was morbidly obese, so he looked like he belonged in a wheel chair. I kept expecting Underwood to jump out of his chair.

[–] Shimmer_Me_Timbers 10 years ago

They took the initial concept and just turned this into the American version of Luther... but we made it different becuase he's on wheels see.

[–] koffeenkreame41-1 10 years ago

Yeah, it did remind me of an American version of "Luther"

"I am the ultimate badass, you do not wanna `*beep*` wit me!"- Hudson in Aliens.