A remake of "Absolutely Fabulous" - on Fox.

[terrya]

From the network that gives you "Til' Death". Yes, the people behind "Arrested Development" are behind it. But...it will be on Fox. I shudder just thinking about it.

Fox Gives Absolutely Fabulous Remake a Go

Fox is the latest U.S. network to attempt a remake of the BBC classic Absolutely Fabulous, teaming up with Arrested Development creators and Saturday Night Live writer Christine Zander for the most recent go-around. This time Edina, Saffy, and Patsy will reside in Los Angeles.

The L.A. AbFab will retain the basic template of the original, revolving around the friendship of boozy, middle-aged Edina and Patsy, who are desperate to stay hip and youthful and who carry on under the disapproving eye of Edina’s teenage daughter, Saffy, according to Variety.

This is not the first time a remake of AbFab has been attempted. In 1995, Roseanne Barr worked with Carrie Fisher to develop a U.S. version for ABC, but that show never took form. Not long after that, Cybill Shepherd’s comedy Cybill, which bore a resemblance to AbFab, ran on CBS for four seasons.

"The trouble with doing AbFab in America is that it will have to end with Edina and Saffy hugging, Patsy giving up drink and drugs, and them all hugging mum. It won't work. It'll be too nice," said Jon Plowman, executive producer of the original, which ran from 1992 to 2005. "Let's hope they get it right." (Kandice Day, The Advocate)

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63180.asp

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. "Married with Children" got it right, and ran for several seasons.

It can be done if they're willing.

However, duping AbFab isn't the best idea ever- it stands on its own.

[Taverner]

3. AbFab was OK - miles beyond US TV at the time

But Married with Children did the idea better, and with a distinctive American touch

[philosophie_en_rose]

2. It's going to fail.

:bounce:

[Forkboy]

4. I just can't see that working.

Some things shouldn't be tampered with. :)

[flvegan]

5. Some things are best left to the Brits.

Not all, but some. This, I fear, will be one of them.

[seemunkee]

6. Simpsons have been on Fox for years

There is a chance it could be OK

[Reverend_Smitty]

7. No no no!

I already know that this show will fail, I think everyone should save their time and money and just re-watch the original series. There is only one Patsy and that is the great Joanna Lumley

[elshiva]

8. Joanna Lumley is hot.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. Damn, why don't they just buy the original series? (pet peeve rant)

The Brits run original U.S. series, such as The Sopranos, Mad Men, and Lost. They don't remake them in a British context.

I don't know if it's premiered yet--last I heard it was postponed for "script doctoring" and "recasting," as in "Oh, man, I can't believe what a stinker this is"--but there's a U.S. remake in the works of the fantastic British series Life on Mars, which has nothing to do with space travel and everything to do with a present-day cop who is in an accident and wakes up in 1973. The original was shown on BBC America, before that station started going down the toilet, and it was one of the favorites of everyone who contributed to the channel's Internet discussion boards. It was so well written and perfectly cast that I can't imagine anyone doing anything but ruining it.

Last season's flop Viva Laughlin, was a remake of a British series called Viva Blackpool, not my favorite, but quite tolerable when it was shown on BBC America.

When I was in high school in the 1960s, three then-cutting-edge British series, The Avengers, Secret Agent, and The Prisoner, were wildly popular--and shown in their original form. Yes, they had a foreign feel to them, but that was part of the fun. Even earlier, in elementary school, we enjoyed watching Robin Hood, The Buccaneers, and Sir Lancelot, all straight from the UK without alteration.

So what's wrong now? Are TV execs convinced that viewers are too stupid to handle British accents, or are they trying to make them stupid by limiting their exposure to any non-U.S. material?

[elshiva]

10. Good point!

They did a terrible remake of Fawlty Towers. :( They should just show some of the really popular British shows as they are, but I think only PBS does that now.