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Will it go the way of The Office or Free Agents?

Americans got a chance to watch this British series last summer on BBC America. Since BBC America does not rerun any British shows that are not Doctor Who or Top Gear, you probably will not be able to watch the first series on American television until the remake comes out or Hulu gets the rights. Now the original comedy was wonderful thanks to it’s running gags absurd characters, and out-there scenarios. Friday Night Dinner was a comedy about a Jewish family that gets together each Friday night as a tradition. The show stars a couple of recognizable faces, Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners) and Tamsin Grieg (Episodes, Black Books), and basically follows Simon Bird’s character as he and his brother attend dinner in their parents home each Friday night, getting nagged their parents problems and pushed into meeting suitable mates.

It seems tradition now for NBC to have some sort of remake to its fall line-up. The only one that has been successful in recent years has been The Office. Lucky for us, the Friday Night Dinner remake is being helm by Greg Daniels, the same guy who adapted The Office for American audiences. As of now, it is hard to tell how Friday Night Dinner will be received. On one hand, the idea of Friday Night Dinner is something that can be adapted for an American audience. Like The Office, FND plot is something that is relatable and can be expanded upon. Free Agents (another NBC remake that failed with audiences) could not achieve the same footing as The Office. Free Agents relied too much on work-place related situation, only focusing on two significant characters and leaving the others to flat-lined. There was nothing for the viewers to get attached to. FND has the right situations to pick-up viewers and all they need is a cast with the same chemistry as the British.