These two news stories aren’t particularly related, but they both mention painfully derivative romantic comedies. And since I don’t want to dedicate an entire post to either one, I’m lumping them together. First up, a “Hitch” TV show:

Will Smith and James Lassiter’s Overbrook Entertainment and The Proposal [ugh - Ed.]writer Pete Chiarelli are behind a series adaptation of the hit 2005 romantic comedy Hitch, which has several networks bidding on it.

Of course there’s a bidding war. Of course there is. Also, Jennifer Lopez is producing a “dramatic comedy” for ABC:

Untitled show (known in some circles as “Nannyland”) centers on three branches of an extended Los Angeles family — as told through the eyes of their three Latina nannies. (Call it “Modern Family” meets Lopez’s “Maid in Manhattan.”)

Actually, I think I’ll call it “a piece of crap.” Thanks, but if I wanted to get the perspective of immigrant workers, I’d go pick oranges for 12 hours.

In unsurprising news I see every day, CBS has greenlit what’s certain to be a shitty reality show.  “America’s Strongest American” — I’m not kidding — will determine the strongest American without shame or a sense of self-awareness.

“Strongest” will differ from the strongman competitions seen on networks like ESPN, where professional muscleheads compete for weightlifting titles. The challenges will be scaled to suit a more average physique. The project continues a recent trend toward networks developing lighter and more comedic reality fare.

CBS’ other reality projects in the pipeline include a series on arranged marriage, a missing persons investigative series, an auto obstacle course project and a competition show pitting neighbors against one another.

Those shows are titled, respectively, “I Didn’t Ask for This Husband,” “America’s Missingest Persons,” “Crash Course,” and “Whose Grass is Greener?”  And one of those I actually didn’t make up.

You know, 9/11 was seven and a half years ago.  I think the country is ready to watch new shows without the word “America” in the title.  See also: a trend that started with “America’s Most Wanted” is not necessarily a good trend.