One Foot in the Grave didn't work and The Office didn't really cut it, but the Americans aren't ones to give up, especially when it means they can make loads of money out a of a television series without really having to think about it.
The latest news is that Fox Broadcasting has ordered half-a-dozen scripts for a US version of EastEnders, which will follow the lives of a blue-collar family in Chicago.
The guru behind this stroke of televisual genius is none other than Simon Fuller. The same man who brought us S Club 7, Pop Idol, World Idol, Australian Idol, Canadian idol, Junior Idol and NZ Idol (don't you just hate people who have one good idea and then just repeat the formula around the world?).
Fuller is apparently hoping to jump on the soap bandwagon currently lead by ABC's Desperate Housewives (try putting that into Google without getting sacked), so Londonist can't wait to see how he turns the downtrodden characters of Albert Square into aspirational and motivational individuals with good teeth.
Here is Londonist's US Eastenders casting wishlist:
Pat Butcher - Joan Rivers
Frank Butcher - James Gandolfini
Ricky Butcher - Ricky Martin
Dirty Den - Al Pacino
Peggy Mitchell - Liza Minnelli
Grant and Phil Mitchell - Alec and Billy Baldwin
Ian Beale - Woody Allen
Feel free to leave your own suggestions in the comments section.
