New ‘Uncle Buck’ TV series displeases families of John Hughes, John Candy
There’s a host of new TV shows in development, or at least rumored.
ABC has put in development Uncle Buck, a multi-camera comedy based on the classic John Hughes film starring John Candy. The project hails from Universal TV, whose feature sibling produced the movie, and Will PackerProds., the company of feature producer Will Packer (the Ride Along and Think Like A Man franchises).
“Like the movie, the series project, written by Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley, will center on a childish man, played in the film by Candy, who learns how to be an adult by taking care of his brother’s kids in a very childish way,” writes Deadline.
The families of John Hughes and John Candy were not pleased:
Disappointment has been expressed by both the John Hughes and John Candy families over the conduct and decision by the ABC Network and Universal Television to develop a comedy series based on the feature film Uncle Buck. Rather than either entity providing advance information to the Estates, the families learned of the project’s potential via the media.
The families feel a strong attachment to the original film which symbolized the great and unique collaboration between Hughes and Candy. Recalling that the director was displeased with first Uncle Buck TV show effort which failed on CBS in 1990, it is well expected that he would not be supportive of this current attempt.
Deadline quoted the families and similar reactions by Cameron Crowe on a Say Anthing project and Angela Lansbury on Murder, She Wrote.
