Its a show that not many remember, but still has loyal fans.  "Beauty and the Beast" ran for two and a half seasons from 1987 to 1990, and was a modern re-telling of the classic tale set in New York and starring Ron Pearlman and Linda Hamilton.  After two successful seasons, Linda Hamilton became pregnant and decided to leave the show to devote time to her family.  With her character being killed off and replaced by another character, fans quickly bailed on the show and it was cancelled halfway through its third season.  Over 20 years later, CBS has decided to bring the show back, and 'Smallville' star Kristin Kreuk has been cast in Linda Hamilton's old role of Catherine. 

In the original series, Vincent (the beast), lived in old caverns below New York City with his adoptive father and a small colony of people who have left the "Topside" world for a simpler life.  Catherine was an Assistant District Attorney who was abducted, beaten, and left for dead.  Found in Central Park by Vincent, she was brought to the colony and nursed back to the health.  Over a short time, Catherine grew to care for the members of the colony and became a "Helper", someone who lives Topside and assists the colony when they need something.  She begins a close relationship with the cat-like Vincent, later having his child.  The new remake is taking only the names and location from the original series, and changing the rest.  According to Comingsoon.net,

It centers on Catherine (Kreuk), a tough-minded NYPD Homicide Detective haunted by witnessing her mother’s murder 9 years ago and the killers' quick demise at the hands of a Beast. After years of searching, Catherine finally finds the Beast, Vincent Koslow, the survivor of a military experiment that went disastrously wrong, and becomes the protector of his secret life as a bestial superhero.

Something that will be covered in the new series that was never explained in the original was the reason for Vincent's appearance.  In the original, the audience only knows that as a newborn Vincent was left in an alley behind St. Vincent's hospital (hence his name) and found by a doctor who would take care of Vincent and become his adoptive father.  To make the story relevant for today, the writers have decided to use 9/11 in Vincent's origin.  From moviehole.net,

Vincent worked as a doctor at the New York University hospital – and was working On September 11, 2001 when the towers came down.

Long story short, a wounded Vincent ends up in a medical clinic where he’s injected with a DNA-changing drug. The drug turns him into an unstoppable soldier type that is used in Afghanistan. Think ‘Captain America’ or a ‘Universal Soldier’. Unfortunately, the strength and stamina comes with a price…it also changes Vincent’s look — in particular, hair sprouts hair everywhere.

I read this part to my wife who is a huge fan of the original series.  I'll let you know what she thinks of it after she's done beating her head against the coffee table.

Coming off movies like "The Terminator" and "Children of the Corn", Linda Hamilton was a known and respected actress whose departure killed the series.  Apart from her role in "Smallville" (which she constantly received criticism for), Kreuk is only known for her starring role in the complete failure "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li".  Given the credentials of the new star of the series, and what we know of the proposed plot, I anticipate this series to never get on-air (like "Wonder Woman"), or to be cancelled halfway through the first season.  Can you look at Kreuk and her acting and remotely believe her to be a NYPD homicide detective?

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