Pilot season is kicking into full gear at the networks, and as per usual, at least one show is coming from England. We’ll just go ahead and mark it for failure.

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that ABC has ordered a pilot for Only Fools and Horses, based on what is considered one of the greatest Britcoms of all time.

Based on the iconic British series, this classic comedy chronicles the misadventures of two streetwise brothers and their aging grandfather as they concoct outrageous, morally questionable get rich quick schemes in their quest to become millionaires.” From Steven Cragg & Brian Bradley (Scrubs) through ABC Studios.

Apparently the networks have learned nothing about how remakes of Britcoms don’t typically work over here.  Fox tried remaking of Absolutely Fabulous, and that never even made it to air.  NBC’s version of Coupling made it to air, but only aired four episodes.  ABC’s Payne, a remake of Fawlty Towers, aired only eight episodes.  There are, of course, exceptions, that went on to great success such as Three’s Company, All in the Family and Sanford and Son which went on to great success, but also consider how long that means it’s been since a Britcom remake worked on U.S. television.

Only Fools and Horses is one of the most beloved series in the U.K., and like so many other shows there, it is built on a class system that is unique to their culture.  Yes, yes, we have lower income, middle class and upper class here in the United States, but it has never been a cornerstone of our society quite like it is there.  The classes, for the most part, do not mix, and so those in the lower class always feel if they could move up their lives would be that much better.  That lends a lot of the humor to this series, and it just won’t translate to the States.

If this makes it past the pilot stage to an actual series order, expect it to last only a few episodes before it gets the axe.

[via Entertainment Weekly]

The promise of new Absolutely Fabulous episodes coming from the BBC filled fans with a mixture of both dread and elation.  With the series nearing its 20th anniversary it has to be difficult to recapture the original magic, but from the first clip released by the BBC, it feels just like old times.

The original cast is back with Jennifer Saunders once again playing Edina as well as writing the promised three special episodes.  Yes, perhaps the Kardashians are an easy target, but it fits in with what these characters would say and do.

Who cares, more un-pc humor from one of the best British comedies ever?  I’ll take it.

Interesting article about a group of EastEnders fans in the Washington D.C. area that rallied to save their favorite British soap. Their local PBS channel, WETA, had informed their viewers they were going to be dropping the long-running BBC soap opera from the line-up due to the cost vs. ratings. It seems the show costs the channel $25,000 a year, with a 2 year minimum. With only 8,000 households tuning in weekly, and the contract coming up, they opted not to spend the $50,000 required to renew.

Enter the fans.

Led by a classics professor and a real estate lawyer, the fans asked if they raised the money, would the channel accept the funds and renew? The channel said they would if they got the funds by January 16th, 2007. The fans went to work and gathered up 143 checks, totaling $52,504 (or ab average of $367.16 per check), and presented them to the station by the deadline. The channel was good to their word, accepted the funds and have renewed the much-loved show.

I have seen a lot of fan drives over the years to save a show, but never one that took such a direct approach, and I applaud them. I’ve heard of buying newspaper ads, mailing in small trinket that is an inside joke from the show, those never seemed to make much sense to me. Cold hard cash? Total sense. Good on them, and I hope they enjoy their two years of British drama, they’ve earned it.