The Vicar of Dibley is to become the latest in a long line of British sitcoms to undergo the US remake treatment.

The Fox network has announced plans to shoot a pilot, renamed The Minister of Divine, based on the Richard Curtis-Dawn French collaboration that ran on BBC One for four seasons and numerous specials.

No casting news has been announced, but Empire Online has reported that Curtis will be involved in some capacity.

Six years ago there were widespread reports that Frasier stars Jane Leeves and Peri Gilpin had purchased the US remake rights to the ratings-grabbing show through their joint production company Bristol Cities. The sitcom's UK producers Tiger Aspect told BBC News in September 2000 that Curtis was "delighted" and "and keen to see who will be cast in the lead role so brilliantly played for the UK by Dawn French". However, the show failed to enter production.

Currently, speculation is rife that Little Britain will also be retooled for an American audience by the HBO network, following the success of the Emmy Award winning US version of The Office.