Little Britain set for Stateside makeover on HBO

by Joe Lepper, Brand Republic 25-Aug-06, 15:15

LONDON - The BBC comedy sketch show 'Little Britain' is to become the latest UK television hit to be remade in the US, following a deal involving the shows creators, Matt Lucas and David Walliams, and broadcaster HBO.

Also involved in the revamping will be 'Pop Idol' creator Simon Fuller, as well as a team of US writers, who will work on making characters such as juvenile delinquent Vicky Pollard and Daffyd, the only gay in the village, more relevant to the US market.

With satellite channel HBO involved in the project, the deal should ensure that the show's controversial material, including a grown man breast-feeding, is not diluted. This would not have been the case if one of the US networks had taken it, because they are heavily regulated in terms of material considered indecent.

This latest deal is part of a recent spate of US broadcasters' interest in UK shows and follows a successful reworking of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's 'The Office' on NBC.

Other UK TV hits set for a reworking include Channel 4's 'Shameless', which is to be transferred from Manchester to Chicago, and BBC One's time-travelling police drama 'Life on Mars'.

The John Simm-starring British drama was snapped up by ABC, which is set to air a pilot of a US version next year.

The interest in British drama and comedy echoes the success of UK light entertainment formats such as 'Strictly Come Dancing', 'Wife Swap' and 'Pop Idol', which has become an major hit in the US as 'American Idol'.

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