2004's Directors Commentary to be re-made in America
- 2004 series Directors Commentary is to be re-made in America for Amazon Prime
- The format involves a character providing a voice-over on top of various TV shows they supposedly directed
- Rob Brydon voiced the director in the ITV series. Jon Lovitz will star in the new version
Directors Commentary, the 2004 format in which Rob Brydon delivered spoof voice-overs on top of various television shows, is to be re-made in America.
Original creator Paul Duddridge is working on the new US series, with Jon Lovitz (Saturday Night Live, The Critic, Rat Race) signed up to star in the show.
The original UK version of Directors Commentary featured Rob Brydon (pictured) playing director Peter De Lane. Across each of the seven episodes, the character would provide a voice-over commentary of some of the TV programmes and films he had purportedly directed during his long career. In the process, the director would reveal little known facts, share anecdotes and give out personal information.
Lovitz, who has previously voiced characters for The Simpsons and films such as Hotel Transylvania, will also play a director in the US version, however the name for his character has yet to be decided.
Marmont Films and TV4 Entertainment Inc are working on 10 episodes of the new US version of Directors Commentary for Amazon Prime's streaming video service. The programme will focus on vintage US shows including Dallas and Wonder Woman.
Speaking to British Comedy Guide, creator Paul Duddridge says: "It's a thrill to bring back this show in the US as I think the format has come of age. Directors Commentary was always best suited for an on-demand platform; it's light hearted, easily digestible, and doesn't need to be watched in a serialised way. Viewers can peel back the layers of our director in any order and at their own pace."
The new version of Directors Commentary is expected to premiere in late 2016 or early 2017. Whilst it is too early to say if this move could prompt a revival of the UK version of the show, producers say "It's always possible that could happen, we're not ruling anything out."
Here is a clip from the ITV version, in which Peter De Lane comments on television western Bonanza: