Hollywood Popular Artists

Sep 25th 2012, 17:00

"Fargo" is going to get new life on television with the help of creators Joel and Ethan Coen. The Oscar-winning comedic crime flick is going to be loosely adapted into an hour-long project for FX, Deadline reports.

FX has proved it can handle a variety of edgy subjects with shows like "Sons of Anarchy," "The Shield" and even "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," so the network does seem like a natural home for a "Fargo" TV series. The fact that the Coen Brothers will act as executive producers only helps solidify the series' legitimacy, making us hesitant to write it off up front.

This isn't the first time someone has tried to adapt the 1996 movie for the small screen. Kathy Bates directed a pilot based on the film back in 2003 that starred Edie Falco. It was done without the Coen's blessing, and it never got picked up.

Considering today's television climate, though, we'd think a "Fargo" series would be very much at home. The successes of cable dramas like "The Sopranos," "Breaking Bad" and "Dexter" show that there is a demand for richly developed worlds that delve into the wrong side of the law without glorifying it.

That would perfectly describe "Fargo," with its Minnesota and North Dakota setting and colorful cast of characters. We'd guess that the show would continue to be set in Fargo but would include different crimes, murders and woodchippers than the ones in the film, which—considering the fact it's been 16 years since "Fargo" was released—actually is a concept that could work.

No word yet on when the pilot will go into production, but we'll keep our skepticism at bay until we see something official from this project. Noah Hawley will write and executive produce the series.

What do you think of a "Fargo" TV series? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

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