Over the weekend Simon Pegg released a statement about McSpaced, the American remake of the classic TV series he created along with Edgar Wright and Jessica Hynes. Like Edgar before him, Simon was more calm and reasoned than I find myself in this situation (and I had nothing to do with the show!), but he also mentioned that nobody seems to be saying Jessica’s name in the trades.

My main problem with the notion of a Spaced remake is the sheer lack of
respect that Granada/ Wonderland/Warner Bros have displayed in
respectively selling out and appropriating our ideas without even
letting us know. A decision I can only presume was made as a way of
avoiding having to give us any money, whilst at the same time using
mine and Edgar’s name in their press release, in order to trade on the
success of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, even professing, as Peter
Johnson did, to being a big fan of the show and it’s creators. A device
made all the more heinous by the fact that the press release neglected
to mention the show’s co-creator and female voice, Jessica Hynes (nee
Stevenson).

Now Jessica herself has weighed in, and while Simon and Edgar have taken the high road of classy protest, she’s decided to hit McG where it hurts.

“Spaced in America by Jessica Hynes. March 4th 2008

Things have
really hotted up in the last few days – ‘Simon Pegg vs Mc.G!’ ‘Mc.G is
a fat douche bag!’ ‘It’s a f***ing travesty!’ (that’s fucking). I felt
a tear come to my eye when I went on PINKRAYGUN.COM, because she kind
of said it for me. When someone else fights your corner and feels your
injustice for you it rocks, let me tell you. So can I just say thank
you for that. You know who you are. x

It might make everyone
feel better to know that I am planning a counter attack; A British
re-make of ‘Charlies Angels’ called ‘Charlies Angles’ – about three
female architects who love to design buildings make biscuits, and wear
button up cardigans. That’s gonna hurt you Mc.G huh?– a remake of one
of YOUR films with no titties?? Huh??! HUH!!!

Anyway I’m going
to keep it short – just wanted again to reiterate that Simon, Edgar and
I were not approached – at any stage or consulted in anyway. In fact I
approached THEM in a very English way wondering if, you know I’d been
in the garden when they called, but have been politely told that no
official, meaningful involvement ( save wheeling us out to placate the
fans) is possible.

So don’t watch it, don’t think about it – buy our D.V.D coming out in America in the summer and SAVE YOUR SOUL!!!!!”

The fight continues, friends, although as Jessica mentions, the Spaced DVDs are coming this summer (I’ll be double dipping so I can finally have a copy I can watch on any DVD player). I love that these guys are making their thoughts heard on the subject.

In the meantime, I have to speak to all the folks out there who are saying things like, ‘Well, Chuck and Supernatural are McG shows and they’re good.’ One: no, they really are not. They’re both passable. Two: You have obviously never seen Spaced. This show isn’t just good – it’s special. It’s obviously a labor of love, and I don’t mean that in the way it’s usually used, to denote cheapness. It’s a show that is infused with the spirit and soul of the people who made it, a show that’s as much about Edgar and Jessica and Simon as it is about Tim Bisley and Daisy Steiner and Mike and Marsha and Brian and Twist and Colin the Dog. If McG wants to make a US Spaced, he should go out and find some unique comedy talents and give them the money to put their own lives on screen in funny and inventive ways. And then call it something else.