Typically when Hollywood tries to capitalize on a pre-existing brand (movie, character, toy, what-have-you) it’s one that, for whatever reason, has taken root in the popular consciousness. Any well-known quantity will do. For example, it’s not surprising that there’s a film version of the classic Milton Bradley game Battleship in the pike. The surprise is that there isn’t one for ‘Stratego’, ‘Risk’, et al. They’re familiar and beloved by many. But sometimes the motivation to revive and/or re-jigger old pop culture artifacts can be something less than scrutable. The latest example is TBS’ decision to partner up with David Spade to develop an animated series based on his 2001 vehicle, Joe Dirt. Although I rather like Spade, he’s done a lot of forgettable film work, and Joe Dirt might qualify as the most forgettable of them all.
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