NBC picks up 'Ironside' pilot

If you can remember the ’60s drama Ironside that starred Raymond Burr as a wheelchair-bound detective, you may like this: NBC has decided to shoot a remake pilot with Blair Underwood in the title role.

Here’s how NBC describes the new version from Michael Caleo, David Semel, Teri Weinberg, John Davis and Jon Fox (phew!): “A tough, sexy but acerbic police detective relegated to a wheelchair after a shooting is hardly limited by his disability as he pushes and prods his hand-picked team to solve the most difficult cases in the city.”

The original series, which is owned by the Peacock’s parent company, ran on NBC from 1967 to 1975.

Underwood’s participation is the result of a holding deal he signed with NBC back in September. After starring in NBC’s short-lived (and under appreciated) drama The Event, Underwood went on to star as Stanley on Broadway in “A Streetcar named Desire.”

With any luck, they’ll be able to use some of the niftier parts of the old title song (which also sounds like it could have been used in the original Planet of the Apes franchise):