All Stories FeedFOX to remake Ab Fab
Not content with re-making Kath and Kim, America is about to tackle Absolutely Fabulous -again.
Arrested Development’s Mitch Hurwitz (who is also behind the animated and retitled version of Sit Down Shut Up), is one of three executive producers for Sony Pictures. Jennifer Saunders is also in on the deal, as one of three other executive producers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she will be hands on each episode.
The script will be put together by Saturday Night Live writer Christine Zander.
The new US version to air on FOX will be located in LA.
Many will remember that Roseanne Barr once attempted an adaptation featuring Carrie Fisher. When it didn’t get off the ground, Saunders and Joanna Lumley made an appearance in Roseanne.
The character of Christine Baranski’s Maryanne in Cybill was not dissimilar to Patsy, but wasn’t a direct remake.
The last episode of the fourth season also include Edina and Patsy in New York.
Source: Variety
- Previous post: UK town fury at Jamie Oliver
- Next post: Steve Bracks joins ASTRA
It never ceases to amaze me that hollywood will try and try again, despite a consistent track record of failure, to (re)produce british comedy brilliance.
Guaranteed that these american efforts have not so much to do with actually producing something good, as it does contactual payoffs and back scratching.
There was talk in 2000 of an American version of ‘This Life’. Thank God that never happened.
Americans should stay away from British and Australian shows. The humour just does not translate.
Am I the only one surprised that the US version of Kath and Kim is a dud?
Star Trek tNG is another and is in some opinions better then the original. although personally I rate them equally.
To be fair though the brits are remaking Bewitched which has fail written all over it.
Even remakes that stay in their country of origin are struggling. Bionic Woman? Knight Rider? Terminator (spin off).? At least Battlestar Galactica was cool …and who set the tone for that? An Aussie.
Doctor Who is one of the few other revivals to hold up.
“Sanford and Son, Three’s Company, All in the Family”
All of which are 30 years old. Nothing more recent?
“Yeah, like Australia doesn’t have many failed remakes
Survivor
Queer Eye
Temptation Island
Wheel of Fortune
Top Gear?”
Well its a little early to call it on Top Gear, but I can understand shows like Survivor/Temptation Island and Wheel getting a local version, as they are contestant based and to be eligible for prizes you’d need to be a resident of said country. (and wheel was very successful I thought, it ran for -years-) But when you are talking about shows that rely heavily on a country’s culture as part of the jokes, then it doesn’t translate well when you “remake” them imo. And OK maybe there was a time when it was working. When it did translate well. But that time isn’t now and its being proved again and again with failed pilots, bad reviews and low ratings.
A US Ab Fab wont translate well at all. All the charm of the show was in the complete incorrectness of the characters which the US version wouldn’t retain. That said, Mitch Hurwitz is great so its not a complete write off yet.
Didn’t see it, but Jean Smart is terrific.
The Americans have proven time and time again that they have no grasp of the british humour – why oh why must they keep trying!?
On another note, I must be one of the few people who cannot stand the remade version of the Office – so, so bad!
Will & Grace had a lot of ABfab sensibilities. Karen was like an American version of the girls. There was also a short lived sit com from the 90s that stared Jean Smart, (who was the presidents wife in 24 and Samantha Whos’ mother,) that I think, was said to be a kind of Amercian version of AB fab. I enjoyed that one. Just looked up the name, it was called High Society.
Was going to mention Three’s Company ,possibly the only US remake to arguably be better then the original (Man About The House). You can’t transplant Ab Fab to sunny LA it won’t work
Mitch Hurwitz did a great job with Arrested Development and I look forward to his future work but I just don’t understand all these remakes.
America have proven that they’re very, very capable of making original shows but they heavily rely on remakes. A lot of remakes fail. Some turn out to be quite good but most of the time, they’ll never top the original.
I just want to stop hearing the word “remake” and start hearing about some new and exciting ideas.
Whoa… Wheel had years in Oz….
Sanford and Son, Three’s Company, All in the Family….
Yeah, like Australia doesn’t have many failed remakes
Survivor
Queer Eye
Temptation Island
Wheel of Fortune
Top Gear?
omg. why? why do they keep doing this?
aside from “the office” are there any remakes of british comedies that have actually worked?
Is NOTHING sacred?
And more to the point….is there no one with a single original idea left among the 300 million inhabitants of America?
@Matt – thanks for the memory jogger – I had completely wiped that awful US version of Men Behaving Badly from my mind – now I have to forget all over again which will take a lot of alcohol
ohh no. What a load of crap it will be, especially if SNL people are involved.
sheesh, yet ANOTHER remake by the Yanks!!! How many is that now? Look at some of the duds they have made and failed…. badly.
Cold Feet
Coupling
Men Behaving Badly(anyone remember that awful Rob Schneider version, It’s a Man’s World, also starred Justine Bateman)
Yes, there has been the odd “sucessful”remake(The Office), but generally, most of them have been crud(with a capital C). I won’t be watching this REMAKE, the US version was brillant.