Have I Got News For USA?
America has ANOTHER stab at long-running British comedy panel show... will it be third time lucky?
Despite the show having already disappeared into non-broadcast pilot hell twice in the past, the Americans are having a third go at Yankifying Have I Got News For You’s quintessentially British blend of cynicism, sarcasm and downright cheek.
They’ve just finished filming a one-off adaptation of the comedy panel show for cable network TBS starring Sam Seder, Sherrod Small Michael Ian Black. No, I’ve never heard of them either, but producer Jimmy Mulville assures us that they were all “brilliant” during the shoot.
Though, seeing as the last two attempts at re-making HIGNFY across the Pond came to nought, will this latest one fare any better? Who knows? In answer to a fan’s question about the pilot, Mulville wrote: “It's an unbroadcast pilot for TBS. If it gets a series, maybe”.
To be honest, HIGNFUSA would have stood a better chance of getting the green-light if the producers had been able to bag their first-choice host: Damian Lewis. But, alas! The Homeland star’s employers at a rival network put paid to that idea. And, despite the esteem for him in the States being on the high side, one can only assume Boris Johnson’s fee was just too darn high…
While we’ll probably never get to see this new HIGNFY in this country, we’ve got Roger Moore’s first stint as host to look forward in this Friday’s episode. That’ll be fun.
