TheDirty Dancing remake had a lot of weight on its shoulders, and it seems it has firmly collapsed going by the first reviews.

The ABC remake of the 1987 classic – which stars Abigail Breslin and Colt Prattes as Baby Houseman and Johnny Castle (originally played by Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze) – has been firmly slammed by both critics and viewers.

"How could a simple remake go so wrong?" writesThe Atlantic, who called it a "sad, strange production".

"This contemporary version, stuffed with subplots and extended dance sequences and terrible writing can't decide whether it wants to emulate the originalDirty Dancing or transform it into Chekhov," they added.

"Either way, it's less the time of your life and more three hours you'll never get back."

Ouch. And it doesn't get much better, withThe Hollywood Reporter saying: "Somebody put this baby in the corner."

"Dirty Dancing on ABC is a sappy, passionless, schlocky remake of the original, without even the iota of imagination necessary to expand upon the 1987 film," addsVariety.

"Nearly every element of the film that caught worldwide audiences' imaginations has been sanded down into an advertisement-ready imagining of the swinging '60s."

However, there was some praise for Nicole Scherzinger, who played Penny Riviera, asEntertainment Tonight said: "The Pussycat Dolls singer is no stranger to the dance floor, and it was evident whenever she appeared on screen.

"She was able to not only match Rhodes' seriously entertaining, fascinating talent (the tricks, the lifts, they were all there!), but she also tapped into who Penny was perfectly."

The Daily Beast added: "Nicole Scherzinger is a revelation, digging into the part of Penny, the dancer who needs an abortion, with the gusto, grit, and sense of doom of someone who'd been asked to fill in for Anne Hathaway as Fantine inLes Miz at the last minute but wandered onto the set ofDirty Dancing instead."

Trust Scherzy to save something, eh?

Viewers weren't much more positive, below being just a taste of the general consensus:

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However, some suggested some humorous alternatives:

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Sam Warner

Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest inmovies,TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joinedDigital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such asNME andScreen International.  Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything fromLord of the Rings toLove Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.