Footballers' Wives set for Stateside remake

by Joe Lepper, Brand Republic 31-Aug-06, 11:00

LONDON - ITV's axed over-the-top drama 'Footballers Wives' is to follow in the footsteps of the BBC's 'Little Britain', 'The Office' and 'Life on Mars' and undergo a US makeover.

In a deal involving its creator Shed Productions and the Disney-owned ABC network, the show will be revamped to focus on the wives and girlfriends of a fictional American Football team.

During its four-series run on ITV, starting in 2002, the show gained notoriety for its outlandish plotlines, including the birth of a hermaphrodite baby, as well as its sexual content.

Although it started with low viewing figures, it crucially built up a loyal following among the key ABC1 demographic group, before finally being axed this year.

The show also made an impact on British society with birth registrars reporting a number of baby girls with the name Chardonnay for the first time, named after a character on the show.

According to US media reports, Chris Brancato, one of the producers set to work on the remake, said ABC is keen to keep the core "aspirational" element of the show.

He told Daily Variety: "It's about what happens when, overnight, regular people get the American dream."

This is the latest success in the US for Shed after a successful run of the UK version of 'Footballers Wives' on BBC America. Shed also recently sold the US format for another of its ITV1 successes, 'Bad Girls', to US cable channel FX.

This latest deal comes amid a growing trend among US broadcasters to look to the UK for new comedy and drama. Last week, it was announced that BBC comedy sketch show 'Little Britain' is to be remade by broadcaster HBO.

Other UK TV dramas being remade for a US audience include Channel 4's 'Shameless', which is to be transferred from Manchester to Chicago, and BBC One's police drama 'Life on Mars', which is set to air on ABC next year.

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