This was done with Steve Martin as the inspector.
I haven't seen it so I can't really comment, but the clips I did see of it didn't appeal to me.
My teenage children have seen it though (and I guess it would be aimed at them really) and they absolutely loved it and can quote chunks of dialogue from it.
Having said that, a couple of years ago I watched the original Pink Panther film again, for the first time in many many years, and to be honest it wasn't really that funny. Perhaps because it was really meant to be a vehicle for David Niven rather than Peter Sellers but the expeced series of 'Phantom' films never came to anything or maybe we all have higher, more sophisticated expectations these days.
I foolishly recorded some old Doctor Who shows a few weeks ago and watching them now (and I am having to force myself!) I can understand why the series was cancelled.
As for the endless remakes, a lot of the time it is a re-telling of the story, or as they like to say a 're-boot' as it sounds better, such as Casino Royale in James Bond or Batman Begins.
I'm not saying it's a good thing, but it does introduce a new generation to the characters (including the Doctor) and makes them more appealling. I'm pretty sure my daughters wouldn't watch the 'original' versions of many of these films and if I'm honest I don't think I would either!