Another Britcom export

BBC1 sitcom The Savages is to join the growing list of British comedies remade for American audiences.

Writer Simon Nye has been commissioned to pen a pilot script after a Fox studios executive saw the original in Australia, Hollywood journal Variety reports.

Only six episodes of the show, which revolves around the family life of successful cartoonist Adam, originally played by comic Marcus Brigstocke, were ever made for the BBC.

The show also starred Victoria Hamilton and sitcom veteran Geoffrey Palmer, although details of the US cast have not yet been announced.

Original producer Beryl Vertue, who will also work on the new version, told Variety: "It's a funny, wry look at what happens to a young couple when children come into their lives. I just felt there was hopefully a place for this in the States."

The show is expected to air in autumn 2004.

The deal comes even though Nye's biggest hit - Men Behaving Badly - flopped when remade, and sanitised, for the US.

Remakes of Coupling for NBC and The Kumars At Number 42 (as The Ortegas) for Fox are set to launch soon, and plans for a US version of Father Ted have recently been announced. too.

Published: 30 Jul 2003