Father Ted Remake.

cyrus the virus

Any word on the Father Ted remake? There is very little news out there on the topic and wondering did any hear any news? Its been 3 years now since it was announced. If so what is (or will) be the new title if any?

Ruu_Old

It was binned afaik (thank god!), either that or it never made it to the screens.

Slippin Jimmy

I never heard about this. Is there any links?

Basq

Wasn't this all just rumours and absolutely nothing concrete? Rumours like Steve Martin being cast as Ted! :rolleyes:

EDIT: Ah, here we go:

New American remake of Father Ted

Yes you read the title correctly, the wheels are in motion for a remake of Ted in America!

There's a lot of information and titbits floating arround the internet about this, and of course the only people who know that facts are those who are involved. It's really a case of wait and see, but for now, here are some things we've unearthed that are apparently true...

The latest unconfirmed news is that Steve Martin will take the lead role.

Hat Trick, makers of the origionl, have teamed up with former Seinfeld writer Spike Feresten to create the US version. Details are very sketch at best but it seems the show will use the original scripts although probably adapted slightly. It also seems that is the show becomes Popular and out runs the 25 episodes worth of scripts, then new episodes might be written by a team of American writers.

This isn't the first remake of a TV show though, UK game shows such as The Weakest Link and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire have crossed the pond and have been succesfull, just as American shows such as Supermarket Sweep and Family Feud (renamed Family Fortunes for the UK) have also made the move and have proved very popular.

There is however a trail of sitcoms that made the move and sank without trace again in both directions. The UK remade shows such as The Golden Girls, Mad About You and Married... With Children and they all stank. The Americans remade shows such as Fawlty Towers, and they also stank too. The biggest success stories are The Upper Hand which was a UK remake of Who's The Boss, Sanford and Son which was a US remake of Steptoe and Son, and The Office, an American Workplace (which is really good).

So is there anything going for the idea?

Well maybe. On the plus side Hat Trick has been very successful in remaking it's shows abroad. Whose Line Is It Anyway was very popular when remade in American, and the excellent kumars at No 42 is also currently enjoying success in America but this time with a Hispanic famliy under the name The Ortegas. Also if the show is great, it might be good to see new episodes to see what happend to the characters after the original left off.

On the minus side, a lot of American viewers are already familiar with the original version and will therefore be able to compare the two. If the US version is good, but not quite as good, they're more likely not to watch.

You may have noticed that since they anounced the American version, there has been very little news on the subject, but apparently they are still working on it.

Slippin Jimmy

Squill wrote:

Wasn't this all just rumours and absolutely nothing concrete? Rumours like Steve Martin being cast as Ted! :rolleyes:

EDIT: Ah, here we go:

Ahh ok. Thanks for that.

Motley Crue

cyrus the virus wrote:

Any word on the Father Ted remake? There is very little news out there on the topic and wondering did any hear any news? Its been 3 years now since it was announced. If so what is (or will) be the new title if any?

Yes, this may be true and all, but how can you replace classic comedy moments like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cSEt3biFxI

Rb

Thank God this never happened, and hopefully it never will. Steve Martin as Father Ted?No thank you.

Cabaal

please let this never happen!

cyrus the virus

DonnybrookGhost wrote:

I never heard about this. Is there any links?

Here is RTE dated the 01/07/2003

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2003/0701/fatherted.html

The one above is not dated

emeraldstar

WOAH thank God that one was binned!!

Hobbes

They will be able to put the digitally mastered renderings of Ted and Dougal using walkie talkies instead of guns and ewoks onto craggy island like the writers wished all that time ago but didn't have the technology to do it.

Gordon

Anyone see the American remake of Fawlty Towers? That was just wrong.

Larry David

Please God no!!! The US Office is bad enough.

Basq

Larry David wrote:

Please God no!!! The US Office is bad enough.

It's all a matter of opinion but you're wrong...

... very, very, very wrong......









... absolutely undeniably....


... unquestionably wrong...

... wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, WRROOOOOOOOOONNGG!!!


.. but it's all a matter of opinion of course!

Capt'n Midnight

if you have ever seen "the ropers" / "threes company" you understand why I hope this doesn't happen

also a lot of episodes of the cosby show were taken from "one foot in the grave"

The yanks can do classic shows, like the Phil Silvers Show (bilko) and Fraiser which are watchable years later, but taking an existing script and making it PC and dumbing it down a bit and setting up the joke such that you can see it miles off don't help. Actually "there's something about mary" is one of the few times where they have been able to build up stuff without spoiling it.

Compare Black Books with that US show in a bookshop , no not Ellen, the silicon one.

iFight

Thanks be to jesus that was binned, you dont mess with classics

AnonoBoy

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

also a lot of episodes of the cosby show were taken from "one foot in the grave"

I presume you mean 'Cosby' as opposed to 'The Cosby Show' because the Cosby Show had no similarities to One Foot in the Grave. Victor Meldrew was not a gynaecologist in America raising a family.

And 'Cosby' was billed as an American remake of 'One Foot'. I don't think they ever denied it.

The American remake of Fawlty Towers was called 'Payne' - a more apt name never existed, for it was indeed painful to watch. Extremely ****ing painful.

Capt'n Midnight

AnonoBoy wrote:

I presume you mean 'Cosby' as opposed to 'The Cosby Show'

yeah whatever

there was a quote from Barry Norman a while back "a whole generation has grown up since Gene Wilder was funny" as near as I can remember.

Jerichoholic

Larry David wrote:

Please God no!!! The US Office is bad enough.

Dear God, get this man a television, quick.

petes

Jerichoholic wrote:

Dear God, get this man a television, quick.

Needs a sense of humour first.


Anyway thank christ it it didn't happen. It would have been a big bag of ****e.

ReefBreak

Larry David wrote:

Please God no!!! The US Office is bad enough.

You've obviously never watched the US Office.

OfflerCrocGod

Motley Crue wrote:

Yes, this may be true and all, but how can you replace classic comedy moments like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cSEt3biFxI

This video has been removed at the request of copyright owner Channel Four Television Corp. because its content was used without permission

Yes classic comedy indeed.

*Simone*

I am so very confused. How on earth could you do an American remake of father ted, when the whole joke is that its Irelands view on religion! The fact that its set here is what makes it funny! The concept simply wouldnt work in any other country as we're the only ones who can truly appreciate its humour!!

And steve martin as ted? Oh dear lord.

Tusky

basquille wrote:

It's all a matter of opinion but you're wrong...

... very, very, very wrong......









... absolutely undeniably....


... unquestionably wrong...

... wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, WRROOOOOOOOOONNGG!!!


.. but it's all a matter of opinion of course!

I would agree with him. The US office has none of the qualitys that makes the original so brilliant.