Fox, Barr and McG Adapting Spaced
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
October 30, 2007

Fox is teaming with writer Adam Barr and producer McG for "Spaced," a comedy project based on the Channel 4 series of the same name from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz masterminds Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox has handed out a put pilot commitment to the single-camera "Spaced," which hails from Warner Bros. TV, McG's WBTV-based Wonderland Sound and Vision and Granada America, which owns the format.

The project revolves around two strangers who pose as a married couple in order to rent an apartment.

Barr ("Will & Grace") is writing the script, which garnered interest from several networks. He is executive producing with Wonderland's McG and Peter Johnson and Granada's Robert Green.

The original series, which ran on Channel 4 for two seasons, was written by Pegg and Jessica Hynes who starred as the fake couple, and was directed by Wright. It earned two BAFTA nominations for best comedy series and an International Emmy nomination.

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From Edgar's MySpace:

Oct 30 2007 12:10 AM

For the record on SPACED US, I have nothing to do with it. They haven't even deigned to contact me.

Leave well alone I say.

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booo.

Wow, that's pretty fucked up. I was hesitantly excited until I read that they hadn't even bothered contacting any of the original creative team.

Jesus Christ... first no involvement from Pegg or Wright and now fucking McG?!!!! I really hope they call it something different, because now everytime I say to someone, "you have to see my favorite sitcom, "Spaced," I'll have to follow it with, "The British -i.e.:good version - not the spectacular piece of shite created by Mr. Charlies Angels and that pompous douche from Will & Grace."


-Doc

Where did you get that? That said nothing about Pegg's involvement. He'll probably at least be a producer. Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes were the writing team on the original. Wright was simply the director of the series.

I'm fairly certain, given that they are childhood friends, had the producers talked to Pegg, he'd have mentioned it to Edgar. I feel it is safe to say that as of the moment, anyway, nobody from the original creative team is on board.

EDIT: Yep.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...ogID=323711601

I absolutely HATE when they remake a British TV series for American television!

Why can't they come up with good original ideas like "All in the Family" or "Sanford and Son"?

Yeah, sorry, I neglected to post a link to the blog in which Edgar mentions that. He doesn't say anything about Jessica Stevenson, but he does say that nobody's contacted Pegg.

With this announcement is there a remote possibility that "Spaced" will be released on R1 DVD? I have been interested in seeing this show since viewing Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

I imagine this show will turn out more like the US version of "Men Behaving Badly" than the US version of "The Office."

Maybe, but without all of the Star Wars music.

Besides, I don't want Spaced associated with this Americanized version, so I hope they name it something else.

Do what I did. Get a region-free player. 40 bucks on ebay.


-Doc

Spaced rules.

Simon and Jessica better be on board.

Spaced wasn't great because of the concept. It was great because of the actors, writing, and direction. I have no expectations whatsoever for this.

Exactly. It's hard to say at this point, but I think if we're doing US/UK Office comparisons, Spaced is the British Office and this one sounds like it'll be When the Whistle Blows...

Yeppers... The only thing this version will have... is the only thing that never mattered: the plot about the fake couple. That was never the point. It was about Pegg/Hynes & Wright having a fantastic ear for dialog and forging great characters that were quickly loved, and celebrating nerd movie culture. The remake sounds like typical sitcom mistaken-identity fodder.

Here's another funny quote from Edgar Wright about an attempt seven years ago to create an American version:

I'd LOVE to read that script.

Loved Spaced, but don't hold out much hope for a US version.

Jessica Stevenson WAS Spaced.

Discuss.

They just want another success like the Office, but this isn't going to be it.

Exactly, and I would have little hope at all if it wern't for how good I think the US office turned out (and yes, even though I saw the BBC version first and loved it, I like the US version better).

Without the PERFECT cast and writing this will turn out to be a bad copy of Three's Company.

The difference is that the US version of The Office was developed by Greg Daniels and at least had the blessing of the original creators. This is being developed by the douche behind Charlie's Angels.

I think it would be hugely funny and successfull if they changed it from a couple pretending to be maried so they can live together to a guy pretending he's gay instead.

For all the love that the Office (UK version) got I always thought that Spaced was a superior show. I think this remake is a bad idea though. I just cant imagine that show working without those actors/creative team

"Current affairs...Current affairs...what do you think about current affairs?" "I like them...I think they're good."

Your right...The rest of them are great too though.

It'll have to be really fucking good for me to watch it. The only way i can see this working would be if they grabbed some of the better former Simpson's writers, or Pegg and Stevenson. But I can see Brian being played by Coolio and Jessica played by Paris Hilton...it'll be awful.

This won't get further than a single pilot episode.

Well not to refute your comments or anything, but he also had a hand in Supernatural and Chuck which are both great shows....