Trailer released for US remake of This Country and British fans are not impressed

Brits are rather protective of our TV shows, especially when they get remade in the United States with better-known stars and bigger budgets.

The likes of The Office, Shameless, Gavin and Stacey and Skins have all been remade for a US audience all with mixed success. Now comes another contender in the form of Welcome To Flatch, a remake of the beloved This Country.

If you are not aware of This Country, it was the creation of brother and sister duo Charlie and Daisy May Cooper, who played cousins Kurtan and Kerry Mucklowe in the mockumentary which took a candid look at life in a small village in the Cotswolds. The show ran for three seasons and won two BAFTA awards.

Now Welcome To Flatch is looking to find the same success by transporting the vibe and characters of This Country to the American midwest and, while there are some differences, a few things appear to be the same.

Kerry’s American equivalent, Kelly, is consistently seen in a Columbus Crew football shirt (replacing the Swindon Town jersey’s that Kerry always used to wear). The mild-mannered vicar is also back but this time he is played by the recognisable face of Seann William Scott, best known as Stifler from American Pie.

However, initial reactions to the trailer, which was released on Tuesday, were not overwhelmingly positive as This Country’s unique British humour might not have made the transition stateside.

Others were slightly more positive.

Perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to write the show off just yet as, for instance, The US Office is potentially more loved than the British version. Welcome to Flatch is written and executive-produced by Emmy Award winner Jenny Bicks who has previously worked on Sex and the City. Plus it’s also being directed by Paul Feig, who previously made Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters.

Welcome to Flatch is set to debut in the US on Fox in early 2022.