Remember that proposed remake of the British crime series 'Prime Suspect' for NBC? You can forget about it... for a while anyway. NBC has shelved 'Prime Suspect' till June and the reason why is all about casting. This, my friends, is exactly what we were saying when the idea first surfaced.

The notion that you're going to find an actress as perfect for the role of detective chief inspector Jane Tennison as Helen Mirren is madness. T'aint gonna happen. She's an Oscar, Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe winner for a reason. She's freaking brilliant.

So, NBC is acknowledging that they have not found another Helen Mirren and will not push 'Prime Suspect' into pilot production at this time. Veteran writer/producer Hank Steinberg -- he did 'Without A Trace' for CBS -- has wisely decided to push the project back and revisit it in June. It could always be created as a mid-season show instead of a fall 2010 premiere... assuming the project comes together.

In Hank Steinberg's incarnation, the plot is close to the UK version. It's the story of a fearless female detective as she investigates complex mysteries in a politically loaded big city. As anyone who has watched Mirren in the original series, the character is key. 'Prime Suspect' is not a 'CSI'-type procedural. It's not spewing dialogue about forensics with catchy puns interspersed as the leads lean over a corpse.

Here's a thought for the producers: if there's one American actress currently in TV who could play this role, it might be Glenn Close. Maybe Steinberg should find out if she's looking for a series after 'Damages' comes to an end?