Leguizamo Revives ABC Pilot

Bringing the dead back to life sounds like an intriguing concept for a dramatic series, but in this case it refers to a long-dead comedy pilot getting a new lease on life. Deadline reports that ABC has given the go-ahead to shoot a brand new pilot for John Leguizamo's year-old multi-camera sitcom "Kings of Van Nuys."

It was announced informally a month ago that the show was being re-piloted, but at that point things were in the early stages of development, with deals yet to be made to bring the original actors and creative team back on board.

Based on the long-running UK series "Only Fools And Horses," the series is set to revolve around two hustler brothers and their cranky father's constant attempts at various get-rich-quick schemes and the hijinks that ensue when things inevitably fall apart. The original pilot was dubbed by The Futon Critic as "a lost Fox pilot from the 1990s, complete with cheesy sets, a piercing laugh track and also-ran protagonists. It's a show with both feet firmly planted in the lowest common denominator." Sounds like it would fit right in on CBS.

ABC is now officially moving forward with a new shoot, a new script, and much of the original cast and director (Ted Wass) back for this second go around.