Ragesh Dipu
The long-running British comedy ‘Peep Show’ is getting a U.S. adaptation with a script in development at FX. According to an article in The Guardian by Sam Bain, who created the series with Jesse Armstrong, the cult television phenomenon finally gets an American version. But Bain has announced that the upcoming show will be a gender-swap remake with women playing the losers in the lead roles instead of the male characters in the original.
“What would Peep Show have been like with women as the two leads?” wrote Bain in the article. “It’s a great question – and it’s one I’ll shortly have the answer to because there is a script in development for a US Peep Show with two female leads. It’s at FX Networks and it will be written by top comedy brain Karey Dornetto.”
Dornetto is the renowned screenwriter behind popular series like ‘Portlandia,’ ‘Superstore‘ and ‘Community.’
‘Peep Show,’ which ran for nine seasons on Channel 4, follows the lead character Mark Corrigan, a naive loan manager. David Mitchell made the role popular with his stunning portrayal of the socially awkward Corrigan. The plot also features Jeremy Usborne, played by Robert Bebb, who is a jobless musician. The unlikely pair meets at the University and becomes flatmates in a London thriving with activity.
All the weirdly hilarious moments in the show are presented through the point of view of the first-person. The series, which ran between 2003 and 2015, went on to become one of the most watched British programs in recent times. It also became one of C4’s longest running comedy shows ever. The show was a critical and commercial success in the U.K along with attracting a slew of awards.
The other cast includes Matt King and Olivia Colman. Earlier, Starz attempted a remake in 2016, while Fox went for a pilot episode with Johnny Galecki, who is known for ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ playing the lead 2005. In 2008, Spike also gave it a try to recreate the monologues of the lead pair but in vain.
“People sometimes ask if I look at my earlier work differently now – whether my shows would have been better if they had been more diverse,” wrote Bain in his Guardian article. Bain also served as the screenwriter for the 2019 horror-comedy ‘Corporate Animals’ directed by Patrick Brice. The movie, which was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019, features Demi Moore, Ed Helms, Jessica Williams, Karan Soni, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. in key roles. ‘Corporate Animals is scheduled for an August 9, 2019 release.
Cover Image Courtesy: Channel 4
