Lee Mack And Catherine Tate Sign Up For UK 'Everybody Loves Raymond'

British comedy stars Lee Mack and Catherine Tate have signed on to appear in a British remake of Everybody Loves Raymond, one of the most successful US sitcoms of all time. The Smiths will be set in Cheshire and follows a successful sportswriter who lives across the street from his overbearing parents and socially inept older brother. The BBC One pilot has been written by Mack and will be produced by Silver River, the team behind Pulling.

Image: Catherine Tate

Image: Lee Mack Will Star In 'The Smiths'

The US show starred Ray Romano and ran on the CBS network from 1996 to 2005 - it won 15 Emmy Awards and plenty of other television honors. The show's sharp dialogue was its main strength and Mack will really have to go some to make his show as funny as Romano's. The British stand-up comedian can currently be seen in the BBC One sitcom Not Going Out, which could be compared to Everybody Loves Raymond in that most segments are set up for big laughs. Joke, Joke, Joke, Joke, and plenty of canned laughter.

Tate - who will play Mack's character's wife - is best known for her successful BBC sketch show and her role on Doctor Who. She recently joined the cast of David Walliam's Big School - a comedy about the dysfunctional staff of a secondary school. Both Tate and Mack will record the pilot episode in front a live audience on May 28, 2013.

What do you think? Can Lee Mack and Catherine Tate's 'The Smiths' be anywhere near as good as Everybody Loves Raymond?  

Caption: The Original Series Starred Ray Romano and...

 ...Patricia Heaton