Saw a TV movie last night called "12:01," or most of it anyway - we started watching a little late. It's about a fellow who lives through a day of his life, and then the alarm rings, and the day starts again and he can try to make things right.
Sounds like Groundhog Day, doesn't it? But the story the film is based on was written long before Groundhog Day, so could it be that the startlingly original premise of Groundhog Day is actually in the public domain, that anyone is free to do a story about someone living a day over and over until they get the day right, as long as they don't use the particulars of the Groundhog Day (or "12:01") characters and plot, just the overall premise?
Maybe that's a question for "free for all" day, if anyone has any thoughts on it: Is there ever a point where an idea becomes so unique that no one should ever copy it, or are all basic ideas subject to being used by someone else if they can put their own spin on it?