Sir David Jason questions US Fools and Horses remake

[Namak_Halaal]

Sir David Jason questions US Fools and Horses remake

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16842230

Actor Sir David Jason has said he doubts that his classic sitcom Only Fools and Horses can be a success when it is remade for a US audience. "They can do brilliant comedy [in America] but I don't see that they can bring off Fools and Horses," he said. "I don't see that it will travel across the pond." The ABC network is to make a pilot for a US version of the series. Sir David was speaking in Huddersfield, where he is directing a pilot for a sitcom called Pearly Gates. The actor played Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses from 1981 to 2003. The following year, it came top of a poll to find the UK's greatest ever sitcom. When asked who should recreate his most famous role, Sir David suggested Johnny Depp. "You would never get him because he's too big but I'd go for Johnny Depp because he's such a good actor," he said. The exploits of the hapless wheeler-dealer Del Boy and his put-upon brother Rodney made them comedy favourites in the UK, but Jason said he was not convinced that a show with such a British sense of humour could translate. "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?" Sir David said. "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'." The 1996 Christmas special of Only Fools and Horses was seen by more than 24 million people, making it one of the most-watched programmes in the history of British TV. There have been international remakes, including Wat Schuift't? in The Netherlands and Brat Bratu in Slovenia, where Del Boy's three-wheel Reliant Robin car became a camper van. Meanwhile, Sir David admitted that his latest comedy The Royal Bodyguard, which finished its six-episode series on BBC One on Monday, failed to hit the target. The show, in which 71-year-old Sir David played a bumbling royal protection officer, was panned by critics and saw its audience drop from 8.4 million for the first episode on Boxing Day to 2.8 million on Monday. "You can't get it right all the time," he said. "We tried, we had a good go, we enjoyed doing it, and yeah, perhaps I think we didn't quite bring it off and it came in for quite a lot of harsh criticism. "But there you are - if you don't put your head above the parapet you won't get it shot off. You've got to do that occasionally." In Pearly Gates, Sir David is directing The Fast Show and Harry Potter star Mark Williams in a comedy about a family firm of undertakers. The pilot episode will be screened for BBC executives, who will then decide whether to order a full series for BBC One.

Americans and British comedy? No chance.

Americans love slapstick comedy, but intelligent and witty comedy is simply out of their league.

[ninjafirstslip]

british humor is lost to them- even in the office remake they needed steve carrell and co. to do something physical every 5 minutes.

[Eagle_Eye]

Americans and British comedy? No chance. Americans love slapstick comedy, but intelligent and witty comedy is simply out of their league.

I doubt americans would get this one.....

[Robert]

I never found OF&H funny.

[khalil1986]

What you on about Robert? It is brilliant

[Robert]

Originally Posted by khalil1986 What you on about Robert? It is brilliant

It never made me laugh.

[pakistanalltheway]

OFAH was awesome . The first episode was shown 14 years before i was born but i still watch it on Gold sometimes. It is so funny.

[pakistanalltheway]

AH good old uncle Albert .

[James]

Massive OFAH fan here, the Americans will butcher it.

[Bewal Express]

Why are people complaining- nobody will force anybody to watch it.

[Markhor]

Stick a pony in me pocket, I'll fetch the suitcase from the van...

[KingKhanWC]

No please don't ruin the best comedy show of all time by exporting it America! Those guys will never pull it off.

[Geordie Ahmed]

OFAH is just phenomenal, love watching it now and it never fails to make me laugh

OFAH is not a show you can remake for US audiences, it will be a totally different show therefore it is pointless mentioning it is a OFAH remake

[Namak_Halaal]

What about Indians? Do the they understand the genius in OFAH?

Recently I watched (on my jack jones) some classic OFAH episodes.

Jolly Boys Outing (coach blowing up).
The Frogs Legacy (searching for Gold)
To Hull an Back (Diamond Smuggling)
Miami Twice (Del's Double)
Danger UXD (blow up dalls)

I was proper laughing out loud and the family though I had lost it.

Comedy Gold.

[Mohsin]

Good God, the Americans will butcher it

Forget about the fact it's American v British comedy, how will they be able to pull something similar...in an American environment?

[ninjafirstslip]

It was set in a different time as well.

[James]

Originally Posted by Namak_Halaal What about Indians? Do the they understand the genius in OFAH? Recently I watched (on my jack jones) some classic OFAH episodes. Jolly Boys Outing (coach blowing up). The Frogs Legacy (searching for Gold) To Hull an Back (Diamond Smuggling) Miami Twice (Del's Double) Danger UXD (blow up dalls) I was proper laughing out loud and the family though I had lost it. Comedy Gold.

So many great episodes, Jolly Boys is a personal favourite!

Also love the one with the fake gold chains, and the one where Rodders wins a kids holiday prize. Classic!

[Namak_Halaal]

Originally Posted by Whippy So many great episodes, Jolly Boys is a personal favourite! Also love the one with the fake gold chains, and the one where Rodders wins a kids holiday prize. Classic!

BTW, congratulations on becoming a PP Moderator dude! Couldn't have happened to a better bloke!

[nish_mate]

Originally Posted by Namak_Halaal What about Indians? Do the they understand the genius in OFAH? Recently I watched (on my jack jones) some classic OFAH episodes. Jolly Boys Outing (coach blowing up). The Frogs Legacy (searching for Gold) To Hull an Back (Diamond Smuggling) Miami Twice (Del's Double) Danger UXD (blow up dalls) I was proper laughing out loud and the family though I had lost it. Comedy Gold.

Love it N_H, it grows on you slowly if you aint from these shores but its mint!

Other than the ones you have mentioned- love the "Gary" one as well, where they go smuggling booze from France...

Got the whole series on Sky+ now

[James]

Trigger is a genius character.

And cheers Namak

[Keith]

Still love Fawlty Towers and Monty Python, great stuff indeed, even after all these years!!! Even a bit of the "Carry On", still gets me laughing!

British humour way better than usa stuff!

Also enjoyed Blackadder!!

[Mohsin]

Originally Posted by Keith Still love Fawlty Towers and Monty Python, great stuff indeed, even after all these years!!! Even a bit of the "Carry On", still gets me laughing! British humour way better than usa stuff! Also enjoyed Blackadder!!

It was a crime they only made 9(?) episodes of Fawlty Towers
I remember a couple of years back (when I was like 17ish) they put the episodes on BBC 2 and it was the first iever saw of it...loved it! But before I knew it, it was over lol

[Eagle_Eye]

Originally Posted by Keith Still love Fawlty Towers and Monty Python, great stuff indeed, even after all these years!!! Even a bit of the "Carry On", still gets me laughing! British humour way better than usa stuff! Also enjoyed Blackadder!!

The final series of Blackadder is just pre quality.... and the ending is very poignant

[Tapori]

It worked with Sanford and Son - But I doubt the even more TRP consensus driven Execs like the sitcom "Episodes" showed, will allow it to flourish...


How US re-makes usually work:

[Markhor]

The ending of Blackadder will have you in tears.

Blackadder - Baldrick I haven't the strength the punch you...please run directly into my fist (or words to that effect)

[James]

We're in the stickiest situation since sticky the stick insect got stuck on a sticky bun.

[Tapori]

Can you imagine a George Washington Era and and 1800's era, version of Blackadder in the US as done by the "TV Execs"??

[James]

In other words Tapori... no.

[Pahari]

dont really know if they can recreate these comedies
www.youtube.com/watch?v=644Ar2ZEp4A
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmCIlAkeS4Y
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tGO79BtWUI