Miami Vice Is Being Rebooted at NBC by Vin Diesel

No TV series is more iconic to the Magic City than Miami Vice. Originally airing for five seasons on NBC from 1984 to '89, the police procedural began shortly after the peak of the cocaine-fueled crime wave that engulfed the city in the early '80s. Drawing on the drug trade and exotic locale for its story and setting, the show was not only a hit but also a perfect snapshot of the glamorous, dangerous Zeitgeist on which Miami continues to trade.

Now, because nothing stays dead in Hollywood, NBC is preparing to reboot Miami Vice for a new decade, and it's all thanks to a high-profile producer: Vin Diesel.

Yes, noted iconoclast of Miami entertainment, Vin Diesel is resuscitating the show.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, it was the Fast and Furious actor's idea to revive Vice as part of his One Race Television production company's first-look deal with Universal Television. Diesel will executive-produce, along with his Fast producing partner Chris Morgan. The script will be done by Peter Macmanus of Spike TV's The Mist.

Other details are sparse, with casting and air dates yet to be announced. It's also not yet known if Diesel will step in front of the camera.

Also unclear: the involvement of Michael Mann. The legendary director of The Insider and Heat cut his teeth as executive producer of the original Miami Vice and returned to the property for a 2006 film adaption starring Colin Farrell and Jaime Foxx. It's yet to be determined if Mann will have any input on the new show.

Of course, the most essential question is what this reboot will do for Miami, especially the local film and TV industry. As New Times reported earlier this year, the State of Florida cancelled its film incentives program in 2016, slashing subsidies that drew productions such as Netflix's Bloodline and the film Rock of Ages. The end of state funding has led new projects such as FX's American Crime Story: Versace to shoot in Los Angeles rather than in South Florida, where their stories are set. Miami-Dade County recently announced its own incentive program to make up for the state program's cancellation, but the local industry is still struggling.

Miami Vice's modern reboot could be good, or it could be another bland network-TV revival like Hawaii Five-O. Either way, shooting in Miami would be a boon to the industry and the city. Considering how legendary the show is and how large it looms in the city's lore, shooting a reboot elsewhere would be pointless.