Fans of the British women in prison series Bad Girls, which ran from 1999 to 2006, will either jump for joy or balk at the news that NBC has been tapped to produce the pilot for an American version of the series, according to Deadline.

Prior to NBC’s getting the gig HBO was on board for an American remake, which could have mirrored some of the grit of that network’s prison show Oz.

Now, ER, Third Watch and Southland executive producer John Wells has taken on the task of producing an American Bad Girls pilot.

“The project, based on the long-running UK hit series of the same name, follows the ins-and-outs of a group of unlikely women in a federal prison: a scandalous female warden, her new protégé and a host of inmates — some mothers, some friends — who struggle with loyalties to people on the inside and the outside,” according to Deadline.

While an incredibly well rounded series in general, the British series especially resonated for lesbian viewers with its honest and thoughtful depiction of the lesbian couple Nikki (Mandana Jones) and Helen (Simone Lahbib) long before there was a slight proliferation of lesbian characters on television.

Here’s hoping NBC gets it right, although HBO was likely the better bet if grit matters.

Follow SheWired on Twitter!
Follow SheWired on Facebook!