BBC Studios is Creating an American Adaptation of Hit Comedy ‘Here We Go’ with Universal Television and Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite

BBC Studios to Create U.S. Adaptations of Popular Series

BBC Studios is set to produce U.S. versions of two successful shows, the family comedy Here We Go and the time travel series Mammoth. Both projects will involve notable partners, including Universal Television and Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite for Here We Go, and Fox for Mammoth.

Here We Go is being developed by Emmy-winning writer Matt Murray, known for his work on The Good Place, with Poehler serving as an executive producer. The series, created by Tom Basden, features a cast that includes Katherine Parkinson, Alison Steadman, and Jim Howick. It originally debuted during the COVID-19 pandemic under the working title Pandemonium and has recently been renewed for a fourth season. Set in Bedford, the show chronicles the tumultuous lives of the Jessop family, utilizing a unique shaky camera filming style that may resonate with American audiences.

This announcement follows a recent first-look deal between BBC Studios’ Fiction label and Tom Basden, which is set to last until May 2027.

Meanwhile, Mammoth, which has just premiered its second season on the BBC, was created by Welsh comedian and actor Mike Bubbins. The series centers around a Welsh PE teacher who, after being trapped by an avalanche in the late 1970s during a ski trip, wakes up on January 1, 2024. Although now in his nineties, he physically resembles a man in his forties and returns to his teaching job after a brief bout of fame. Fox Entertainment Studios is collaborating with BBC Studios to co-produce the U.S. adaptation, although a creative team has yet to be announced.

Additionally, Ghosts, which developed from a prior partnership between BBC Studios and Lionsgate, serves as a successful model for adapting British comedies for American audiences. According to Bennett, BBC Studios’ productions chief, Ghosts demonstrates the potential for American comedy and highlights the importance of holding economic ownership in such projects.