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Uncle Buck set for TV adaption: trailer drops and people aren't impressed

"Whoever greenlit this should be ashamed"

Jack Shepherd
Wednesday 13 May 2015 13:26 BST
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Mike Epp stars as Uncle Buck in the new TV adaption
Mike Epp stars as Uncle Buck in the new TV adaption

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Uncle Buck is a bonafide bank holiday Monday movie; a fun, easily accessible comedy, you don’t need to concentrate too hard on, and is guaranteed to be on repeat somewhere. Perfect for your hangover.

The heart of that film is its main man, the late John Candy. Having previously starred in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Spaceballs, Candy was a shining comedic star in Hollywood at the time. Playing a lovable, downbeat uncle was perfect.

Stepping into Buck’s shoes for the recently announced TV adaption is Mike Epp, best known as Ice Cube’s cousin in stoner comedy Next Friday and “Black Doug” in The Hangover. Epp leads the all black cast, which includes Blue Bloods star James Lesure.

The trailer, watchable below, has just dropped, and people aren’t impressed.

One YouTube commenter writes “This dudes no John Candy!”, while another bluntly says “Please don't do this.”

“I like Mike Epps,” adds one commenter. “I think his stand up is hilarious, loved him in the Friday movies. He's not John Candy and whoever greenlit this should be ashamed.”

Reactions on Twitter weren’t much better with @DaniAbe writing “Who is the idiot who decided to make Uncle Buck into a TV show?” while @oakislandnews says “Say it ain’t so cause there is only one #UncleBuck and that’s #JohnCandy”.

This isn’t the first time Uncle Buck’s been adapted for TV. In that long lost series starring stand-up comedian Kevin Meany as Buck, the parents are killed off in a car accident, leaving Buck as guardian to the kids.

Funnily enough, it was panned by critics and cancelled soon after. Fingers crossed Epps' version will be slightly better.

Uncle Buck airs on ABC this autumn in the US.

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