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ABC has passed on Kings Of Van Nuys, its comedy pilot starring John Leguizamo. This was the second pilot for the multi-camera project based on the British format Only Fools And Horses, which was originally developed and picked up the pilot last season. It missed the cut but ABC chief Paul Lee, a big fan of the original series, liked it enough to order a retooling. Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley, who wrote the original pilot, penned the new version. Virtually the entire team from the first pilot, including everyone from the cast and director Ted Wass, returned for the new pilot, which was formally greenlighted in late August. After screening the second pilot, ABC brass decided not to go forward with the project. The timing is fortunate for the cast as they will now be available for pilot season.
The ABC Studios-produced Kings Of Van Nuys chronicled the misadventures of two streetwise brothers, Del (Leguizamo) and Rodney (Dustin Ybarra), and their aging grandfather (Christopher Lloyd) as they concoct outrageous, morally questionable get-rich-quick schemes in their quest to become millionaires. Co-starring in the pilot were Bridesmaids‘ Wendi McLendon-Covey and BJ Bales.
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Didn’t John Leguizamo have a deal with ABC that if this pilot didn’t go, they would greenlight a pilot (single cam) about his family life that he would write and star in?
If the ABC brass had any sense, they’d forget the whole idea of re-making the truly classic ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES. America wouldn’t understand it anyway!
Up yours, wanker! I watched the British one. It’s a decent show, but I’ve seen better. America actually does get your jokes, we aren’t all idiots. I would like to see John Leguizamo in a comedy series on a weekly basis, although I think he’s better suited to a single-cam.
I hate people who instantly write off shows because their remakes. It is prejudiced and xenophobic. We aren’t all idiots. Not every American show is Two and a Half Men.
Actually, most of us ARE idiots.
Unfortunately, the ones that matter to the Nielsen Company and advertisers ARE idiots who watch Two and a Half Men.
I not only understand Only Fools, but I happen to own the entire series, so claiming Americans will not understand it is pretty ignorant.
John Leguizamo should star in an action show. He was surprisingly strong in that movie with Kurt Russell a few years back.
I love the euphemism of saying that this pilot is “not going forward.” It’s like writing an obit that says the dead guy “will henceforth not be getting dressed.”
This is funny!
a few years back? you mean Executive Decision? I believe that was more like 14 years back.
Nice job ABC. Boy do you know comedy. Only a genius would make this with John Leguizamo AGAIN. Really. Give yourselves a round of applause. Also a quick shoutout for picking up Family Tools; what a future classic that is destined to be! Neighbors is mining comedy gold with the whole country wondering how did this get onto the air so no worries there. Another sterling decision you can be proud of. Hey, what happened to Tuesday night? Oh well, who could have forseen a show with the word “bitch” in the title failing to catch fire? I mean who doesn’t love bitches? It’s a crazy business, especially since the bitch in question managed to take down Happy Endings with her. Speaking of crazy, how crazy GOOD is Malibu Country? I cannot get enough of Reba McIntire never doing or saying anything remotely funny, but sometimes singing songs.
Good luck with your remake of Super Fun Night but who needs luck when you have Rebel Wilson? That girl is a star in the sense that nobody wants to watch her and she has a narrow point of view to boot so in that particular and opposite way you’re sure to succeed in replicating your past failure to succeed. My hat is off to you, you bunch of dullards.
Don’t knock The Neighbors. It may not be the smartest show on the air, but it is one of two (The League, being the other one) that is guaranteed to make me laugh each week.
You sound so jaded. ABC not pick up your pilot script a second look?
Perhaps he was a writer on Work It.
Hey Mister Blister, bitter much? I do agree with you about Rebel Wilson, though. A little of her (such as in ‘Bridesmaids’) goes a long way.
Good. The best thing about Only Fools & Horses is the characters. The reality is that those kinds of characters don’t exist in America. US audiences just wouldn’t have taken to it.
Good – glad it sucked. John Leguizamo is MUCH smarter than this – if he should have a show – than let it come from him – ie. let him write it & hand pick everyone involved. If you’ve seen any of his one man BROADWAY plays – multi-award-winning plays that is, you’ld know he is both a brilliant writer & performer.
let him do a show about his own life – ie. Seinfeld style / based on his multiple hit Broadway shows & acting career. he’s made plenty of major star friends along the way – guest stars galore. John’s a bright guy – but why does he choose to make so many crappy projects sometimes ??
so ABC did it once—didn’t like it enough–then hired the EXACT SAME TEAM? To TRY AGAIN?
and they didn’t like it enough to air it…
Isn’t the definition of insanity (or stupidity) doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?
brain dead..