Only Fools and Horses - International Remakes

International Remakes

Only Fools and Horses was sold to countries throughout the world. Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Pakistan, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa and Spain are among those who purchased it. In all countries in which ex-Serbo-Croatian is spoken the title was "Mućke" (or "Мућке" in Cyrillic script), which can roughly be translated as "shady deals." The show was first broadcast in former Yugoslavia in a late night show called 'Program plus', produced by TVZ, a Zagreb-based TV channel. Three overseas re-makes have also been produced. The first was in The Netherlands for one series in 1995, entitled Wat schuift't? (What's it worth?). The Trotters were renamed the Aarsmans, it starred Johnny Kraaykamp jnr. as Stef (Del), Sacco Van der Made as Grandad and Kasper van Kooten as Robbie (Rodney), and was shown on RTL 4.

The second country to re-make the show is Portugal, with their version named O Fura-Vidas, a local expression for someone who lives outside the law. It was a literal translation of the British version, with all episodes based on the originals, with only minor changes. It centred around the Fintas family, who live in Sapadores, a neighbourhood in Lisbon, and starred Miguel Guilherme as Quim (Del), Canto e Castro as Grandad, and Ivo Canelas as Joca (Rodney). It ran for 3 series from 1999-2001.

The third country to re-make the show is Slovenia; their version is called Brat bratu (Brother to brother). All episodes were based on the original British storylines, and it was made in co-operation with John Sullivan. It features brothers Brane (Brane Šturbej) and Bine (Jure Drevenšek), who moved from Maribor to Ljubljana. The series also stars Peter Ternovšek as Grandad. It was directed by Branko Đurić. The series was cancelled after thirteen episodes were aired due to poor ratings. Brat bratu ran from 2008-2009.

There have been several plans to produce an American version. One was to be a star vehicle for former M*A*S*H actor Harry Morgan, with Grandad rather than Del becoming the lead character. The other, entitled This Time Next Year..., would have seen the Trotters renamed the Flannagans. A draft script was written for the latter, but neither show materialised. In 2010 Steve Carell, star of the US version of The Office, expressed an interest in making an American version of the series, with him to star as Del Boy. In January 2012 US network ABC commissioned a pilot of an Only Fools and Horses remake, written by Scrubs writers Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley.

Only Fools and Horses was featured in a parody of American sitcoms by David Walliams and Matt Lucas in "Mash and Peas do the USA" for Channel 4's Sitcom Weekend in 1997. Renamed Only Jerks and Horses, the sketch took a mocking view of what the series would have been like had it been re-made in the United States, with Del Boy, Boycie and Trigger all "Americanized", though Rodney remained British (presumably a parody on how remakes and attempted remakes often keep one of the British cast members).