Nigel Lythgoe's 'Fame' Revival Coming To Lifetime

While Fame has been off the air for nearly 30 years, the effect the series — which followed students at a performing arts high school during the early to mid-'80s as they competed to become, well, famous — is still fresh in our collective pop culture memory. There simply hasn't been another series like it. However, Nigel Lythgoe, who you probably know from American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, wants to recapture the magic of the original series by reviving it for Lifetime. That's kind of the best news I've heard all week!

Whether or not Fame will appeal to a new generation has yet to be seen, but I can't imagine it won't. After all, what's not to love? Ambitious teenagers getting cut-throat in order to be the next big star? I can't imagine an audience that wouldn't appeal to, to be honest. And while it can be a bit of a gamble to revive something that was popular several decades ago successfully, creating a new and refreshing take without diminishing the original, it's not impossible, and if anyone knows the industry, it's Lythgoe.

If 2015's Fame wants any chance of succeeding, however, there are a few things we really need to see in the series. Lifetime execs, take note.

Amazing Dance Sequences

I know this is sort of a given, but it's worth saying anyway. Fame won't be Fame without impeccably choreographed dance sequences from every genre. I want ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, you get the picture. Whether it be a routine the students are rehearsing in class or big numbers performed in a theater, we need this.

Intense Competition

We have a lot more leeway on TV these days than we did in the '80s, particularly on cable, so the competition between the students needs to get downright nasty. Not that I enjoy people being awful with each other, but that's sorta the reality of the situation. When you want to be famous, you'll do anything to get there. ANYTHING. Lifetime knows how to play this type of storyline better than pretty much any other network, so I have high hopes.

Celebrity Cameos

Remember when Janet Jackson was on the original series? I don't need celebrities playing themselves, but it'd be nice to see some big names as students, even for one or two episodes. I think cameos can be way overdone, and Fame shouldn't rely on them, in any sense, but it would up the kitsch value just a bit, don't you think?

The Reality Of Rejection

Anyone in a creative field knows that you're going to hear "no" way more than "yes" — and that's okay! It's about getting back out there and trying again. However, if we wanna add some depth and drama to the show, we'll need to deal with that in a serious way. It'll help us relate to the characters more than make them seem more human, which will allow the show to really strike a chord.

Killer Musical Numbers

Sure, there are a lot of dancers in Fame, but let's not forget the musical aspect. In addition to choreography, I want over-the-top pop performances that will likely be so popular, they'll be released on a soundtrack because OF COURSE. I'm talking Glee-level, here.

Images: MGM Television (1); Giphy (5)