Here's a story to make you wonder whether it's Shrove Tuesday or April Fool's Day or indeed 'What The Cr#p?' Day. Yes, that's right: John Leguizamo has been cast as Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter in ABC's US pilot of Only Fools And Horses.
The '80s British telly staple is to be dusted off and given an American makeover. Leguizamo has taken the lead role as part of his new development deal with ABC, although there's no word yet on who'll be joining him behind the wheel of that Reliant (or US equivalent) as Rodney.
Scrubs writers Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley are charged with translating the references to Trevor Francis tracksuits and pot pourri into something US-friendly. According to Deadline Hollywood, Leguizamo’s long-time manager Jeff Golenberg takes exec-producer duties.
Question is: what have you got left when you strip away the '80s get-rich-quick, cushty cockneyisms, references to Uncle Albert looking like Captain Birdseye and Del driving around Peckham in a wobbly three-wheeler? The Office spanned the cultural divide with surprising ease and Shameless is doing likewise, but the original Del Boy, David Jason, recently questioned whether Only Fools And Horses could repeat the trick: "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?"
Time will tell. So who to play Rodney and Trigger? Answers below. Nick Nolte for Uncle Albert, obviously.
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