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Observations: Del Boy and Rodders, US style. Pukka fare or a pair of plonkers?

 

Alison King
Friday 01 June 2012 14:15 BST
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John Leguizamo (right) in the role of Del made famous by Sir David Jason (left).
John Leguizamo (right) in the role of Del made famous by Sir David Jason (left).

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ABC has greenlit the new US remake of the BBC's Only Fools and Horses, which stars John Leguizamo, known for his role as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, in the role of Del made famous by Sir David Jason.

Revealing the news to fans of the Modern Family Facebook page, ABC has now offered two possible names for the show: Only Fools and King of Van Nuys, suggesting that the small district of Van Nuys in LA will replace the original setting of Peckham.

Advertised as "two fumbling brothers [who] are just one scheme away from striking it rich", Leguizamo's Del is joined by Dustin Ybarra of We Bought a Zoo in the role of his brother, Donnie. Other characters include Wendi McLendon-Covey of Bridesmaids in the role of Del's ex-wife Ruby, and Christopher Lloyd, famous for his role in Back to the Future, in the role of Grandad.

The ABC remake follows mixture of success from other British comedies remade for America including: Absolutely Fabulous, Fawlty Towers, Dad's Army, The Office, Skins and Shameless.

Sir David Jason has suggested the show may struggle, telling the BBC, "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?" Penned by Scrubs writers Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley, the basis of the show is the same and follows the two brothers' comedic misadventures as they concoct a series of get-rich-quick schemes. The pilot will show later this year. But what will the American word for "plonker" be?

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