Only Fools and Horses US

Sidney77

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17125406

Cant see it working but you never know.

Micheal Cera could be a good naive type to play Rodney. (Seth Green might be an option)
Sam Lloyd as Grandad. (Ted in scrubs)
Rainn Wilson as Boycie. (Other guy in The Office)
Cant think of a good trigger (maybe Matt le Blanc)

And maybe New York city setting.

Jimmy Iovine

There is no way this can possibly work.

Is there an area of America that is similar to Peckham and the whole cockney slang?

squonk

Really cannot see this working. OFAH was one of those rare shows where the writing and the actors and the setting all gelled and made it into something far more than it should have been given the premise. Even the BBC's attempts to rekindle it in spin off series didn't work.

The closest in spirit US wise to OFAH for me is My Name Is Earl. Completely different show obviously but it somehow reminds me of OFAH.

WoollyRedHat

What is it with the Americans and remakes?

In the wise words of The Beatles, Let it Be

Richard Dower

It'll never work...they only want the title.

briany

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLA7Kx4srUs

I don't get it. The original series will be ten times better than anything that they could ever hope to put out. If only the American studios had a few more of their own ideas and if only the American public was a bit more proactive in looking further afield to the original creations rather than the homogenised remakes featuring better looking actors but not any of the wit or the underlying pathos, we could see an end to this practice. To think there was talk of a Father Ted remake as well at one time! Shudder to think what that would have been like.

Lapin

Why can't those pesky yanks just leave well enough alone ?

They've already destroyed Shameless. (Although the Brits did a good job fúcking it up too after the 2nd series).

But Only Fools & Horses is a classic from start to finish. Any attempt at an American version would only tarnish an existing masterpiece.


Anyway, can you imagine the American version of Sid (Sid's café) serving up pancakes with maple syrup and decaf with a cigarette hanging from his gob. The PC brigade over there wouldn't be long putting a stop to that.

It'll never work and I won't be watching to find out.

HappyBalance

Any news on who is playing Del?

Jimmy Iovine

HappyBalance wrote: »

Any news on who is playing Del?

It's in the link in the OP.

patwicklow

Not a hope, copy cating trying to cash in..

You know this could work, Leguizamo is one of those actors I'll watch in anything and as long as the writers do their own thing rather than try to copy the original then this could be a winner.

Venom

This version will be just as good as the US versions of Red Dwarf and The IT Crowd :rolleyes:

WoollyRedHat

Venom wrote: »

This version will be just as good as the US version of Red Dwarf and The IT Crowd :rolleyes:

IT Crowd? AGHHHHH!!! * SMASH COMPUTER*

Venom

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

IT Crowd? AGHHHHH!!! * SMASH COMPUTER*

Yeah its was shocking. Exact same plot word for word as episode 1 of the UK series and even had Ayoade playing Moss in it

Sidney77

Also, 3 attempts at Fawlty Towers, a Blackadder and Men Behaving Badly

The Office was the only one that worked better.

Options I think could have worked were Porridge and Keeping Up Appearances.

Richard Dower

^they are making a US version of White Van Man also....jesus!

I think the US version of Being Human has been terrific and sucessful, it's exceedingly well done.

JP Liz V1

http://www.digitalspy.ie/tv/news/a363387/david-jason-suggests-only-fools-and-horses-us-remake-wont-work.html

Sir David Jason has suggested that the American remake of Only Fools and Horses won't work.

The 71-year-old actor, famous for playing Del Boy in the classic BBC sitcom, believes that the original London setting is intrinsic to its success.

"They can do brilliant comedy [in America] but I don't see that they can bring off Fools and Horses," he told BBC News.

"I don't see that it will travel across the pond. It might work but you've got to change it so much that, in the change, in order to Americanise it, do you lose the whole concept of the piece?"

Jason went on: "The language will have to change so much and there will be so many parts of the storyline you have to change.

"It's so London and so British, [in] its humour, that you wonder. It's London based and it took quite a long time for the rest of the country to catch up with the phrases.

"I have no idea what the American equivalent of 'plonker' is, for example. Or 'dipstick'."

Scrubs writers Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley are said to be adapting the show for US network ABC.

Asked who he would like to take his role, the star tipped Johnny Depp, adding: "You would never get him because he's too big but I'd go for Johnny Depp because he's such a good actor."

News of the US spinoff comes nearly a year after John Sullivan's death at the age of 64. The Fools and Horses creator and writer had been suffering from viral pneumonia.

Carlos_Ray

People said the US Office wouldn't work.


I'm willing to give them a chance. I don't understand the snobbish attitude that people in Ireland and Britain have towards American comedy. IMO American comedy overall has a better record of producing quality shows.

El Horseboxo

Carlos_Ray wrote: »

People said the US Office wouldn't work.


I'm willing to give them a chance. I don't understand the snobbish attitude that people in Ireland and Britain have towards American comedy. IMO American comedy overall has a better record of producing quality shows.

That's not the issue most people have. I love a lot of American comedies. My feelings are quite the same as what David Jason said in the above quote. The era, the setting and the slang were big contributing factors to what made OFAH a great show. I just don't see how that will translate to American culture. It will have to go off on a different tangent that it will resemble very little to the original show. The office worked because it was easier to work. It didn't depend on as many localized factors as Only fools and horses. In my opinion anyways.

ejmaztec

I'm waiting to hear an announcement for the US commissioning Last of The Summer Wino.

JP Liz V1

Christopher Lloyd has joined the cast of the Only Fools and Horses US remake.

The Back to the Future star will play the grandfather of Del (John Leguizamo) and Rodney (Dustin Ybarra), according to Deadline.

squonk

Sounds like a good lineup anyway!

I can't help thinking that even the BBC couldn't make something equivalent to OFAH these days. Comedy has moved on so much that I'd doubt the OFAH pilot would even get made now. In hindsight we love it because it was of it's time and pin sharp but in some ways there's a certain simplicity to it, almost an amateurnish that you don't see anymore. The actors are also a huge part. They were excellently cast for their roles. I don't even think you'd get all that today. There'd be far more of a budget thrown at it. Brilliant as they were, even the OFAH bigger budget specials still lack something that was in the early TV show.

ricero

could of got a better del boy imo and Rodney i would of chosen Michael Cera

Elmo

Richard Dower wrote: »

It'll never work...they only want the title.

BBC set to rework TBBT haha

Rodney = Martin Starr
Del Boy = Donal Logue or Kevin Corrigan
Granda = Jerry Stiller
Boyce = Micheal Richards

JP Liz V1

http://www.digitalspy.ie/ustv/news/a369959/only-fools-and-horses-us-casts-bridesmaids-wendi-mclendon-covey.html

Wendi McLendon-Covey has been cast in ABC's Only Fools and Horses remake.
The Bridesmaids star will play Ruby, the ex-wife of John Leguizamo's Del. The equivalent role of Raquel in the UK original was played by Tessa Peake-Jones.
After she was released from HBO pilot Viagra Diaries, McLendon-Covey attracted five offers, and ultimately decided to join the cast of Only Fools and Horses, reports Deadline.
The comedy pilot is about two streetwise brothers Del (Leguizamo) and Rodney (Dustin Ybarra), along with their grandfather (Christopher Lloyd), as they devise schemes to make money in the hope of becoming millionaires.

Elmo

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

http://www.digitalspy.ie/ustv/news/a369959/only-fools-and-horses-us-casts-bridesmaids-wendi-mclendon-covey.html

Wendi McLendon-Covey has been cast in ABC's Only Fools and Horses remake.
The Bridesmaids star will play Ruby, the ex-wife of John Leguizamo's Del. The equivalent role of Raquel in the UK original was played by Tessa Peake-Jones.
After she was released from HBO pilot Viagra Diaries, McLendon-Covey attracted five offers, and ultimately decided to join the cast of Only Fools and Horses, reports Deadline.
The comedy pilot is about two streetwise brothers Del (Leguizamo) and Rodney (Dustin Ybarra), along with their grandfather (Christopher Lloyd), as they devise schemes to make money in the hope of becoming millionaires.

I though that Raquel married Del. Chris Lloyd is a good choice. (He lets me call him Chris).

I think her Bridesmaid co-star looks very like the original actress.

Allyall

Just found out about this now.

Weirdly, the first thing to sprang to mind, was Steptoe and Son (Sanford and Son in the U.S.)

I first heard of Sanford and Son on an episode of Scrubs, and saw it was on the 100 Best TV Shows of All Time (U.S.)

So maybe Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley will try to stick to that formula. They were obviously aware of it when they were writing Scrubs.

I can't see it myself, but it'll be worth a watch.

Cast Revealed March 2012

IMDB

Sidney77

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2226507/maindetails

Strange that this list has no del-boy. Has Leguizamo pulled out? There was talk of Steve Carell doing it (he may have done a pilot)

Richard Dower

thankk the gods!....after two pilots abc has passed; http://tvline.com/2012/12/08/kings-of-van-nuys-pilot-dead-abc/

Patty O Furniture

We can sigh a bit of relief now,

As the cockney charm & wit was very funny in the show,
Also they were gonna make Trigger? A VILLAIN?
He was one of the many reasons it made the show great

As you cant reenact scenes like this:

Without clogging it up with videos, here's a link to the best moments from the show

EdenHazard

Someone mentioned Father Ted earlier. I agree that OFAH is unique to a particular setting but Father Ted to me was very American style humor. Obviously the language used made it funny but I wouldn't say it was a particularly more witty show than what America can put out.

Dougal was just an idiot and Ted was also an idiot who thought he was a bigger deal than he was. The jokes were always so obvious, but still funny. In OFAH the humor was more based on interactions than the scenarios.

MaxSteele

No, No, No and No !

Patty O Furniture

MaxSteele wrote: »

No, No, No and No !

Ah you will, you will, you will!

Ted_YNWA

Patty O Furniture wrote: »

We can sigh a bit of relief now,

As the cockney charm & wit was very funny in the show,
Also they were gonna make Trigger? A VILLAIN?
He was one of the many reasons it made the show great

As you cant reenact scenes like this:

trigger wasn't even supposed to be in this scene, he was filming a different show next door. Had free time & asked John Sullivan was he needed - scene was then re-written with him in it

Patty O Furniture

Yeah i remember seeing that now in the Story of OFAH with the cast members.

EdenHazard

That scene at the bar with Trigger and Del Boy to me is typical Drake and Josh humor with an English accent. Very funny but to say its high brow comedy that 'the yanks' couldn't do is ridiculous.

What made OFAH funny is how Del Boy said things, his accent made it.

Oat23

EdenHazard wrote: »

That scene at the bar with Trigger and Del Boy to me is typical Drake and Josh humor with an English accent. Very funny but to say its high brow comedy that 'the yanks' couldn't do is ridiculous.

What made OFAH funny is how Del Boy said things, his accent made it.

Did you just compare Drake & Josh to OFAH?

Get out, get out now.

(Kenan & Kel > Drake & Josh BTW)

EdenHazard

I always compare K&K and Father Ted. Kel is Dougal, Keenan is Ted. Their personalities mirror one another.

Patty O Furniture

EdenHazard wrote: »

That scene at the bar with Trigger and Del Boy to me is typical Drake and Josh humor with an English accent. Very funny but to say its high brow comedy that 'the yanks' couldn't do is ridiculous.

What made OFAH funny is how Del Boy said things, his accent made it.

Oatesy23 wrote: »

Did you just compare Drake & Josh to OFAH?

Get out, get out now.

(Kenan & Kel > Drake & Josh BTW)

Dont you mean Bonjour, bonjour, c'est la vie 'as the french would say'

I think an American set remake could work as Only Fools and Horses really isn't exactly cutting edge comedy. It's pretty basic slapstick and word play that could easily translate to a more modern update. Real shame that it's not getting a chance as much like The Office there is a hell of a lot of potential in the concept.

briany

EdenHazard wrote: »

Someone mentioned Father Ted earlier. I agree that OFAH is unique to a particular setting but Father Ted to me was very American style humor. Obviously the language used made it funny but I wouldn't say it was a particularly more witty show than what America can put out.

Dougal was just an idiot and Ted was also an idiot who thought he was a bigger deal than he was. The jokes were always so obvious, but still funny. In OFAH the humor was more based on interactions than the scenarios.

America can put out witty comedy but it's always about appealing to the most people you can, as much as you can and the audience in America is famously diverse. That leads to 'safe', bankable comedy a good amount of the time and this trend has not abated. It's not an American problem but it's sad to see it striking hard in the land where new comedy ground was so often broken and now seems bereft of ideas in the mainstream.

I'd love to see Ted remade in America but only with the stipulation that it stay true to the source material. Father Jack better still be a raving, lecherous and violent alcoholic with sores, a milky eye and a taste for Toilet Duck, and whatever they do they had better keep the jokes about Jesus having a cup of tea on the cross, Ted comparing Reno to Wicklow, a naked Todd Unctious declaring his pleasure at all the lads being together once again and Dougal reminding Ted of his cynical nature . I predict those gags to be big hits.