"Little Britain" takes satire to U.S.

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -. Hit BBC television show "Little Britain" is taking its outrageous satirical humour to U.S. premium cable channel HBO in September, drawing on stars such as David Schwimmer and Rosie O'Donnell to lure U.S. audiences.

The show, a cultural phenomenon in Britain, is the latest comedy import to the U.S. after programs like "The Office," which airs on the NBC network, have made their mark in the U.S.

Creators Matt Lucas, 34, and David Walliams, 36, told reporters and TV critics gathered in Los Angeles for an early look at the show that they know how far to push their riskier jokes and trade-mark mockery of the disabled, poor, gay and fat people.

In one scene in "Little Britain USA," which premieres in the U.S. on September 28, Lucas appears in drag as the leader of a weight-loss group. O'Donnell -- the gay U.S. actress and talk show host -- drops in for a visit, playing herself.

At one point, Lucas' character asks O'Donnell if she is a lesbian because her weight made it hard to find a man.

Walliams said that O'Donnell was a "good sport" and did not ask for a word to be changed from the sketch.

"I think the boundary is, if it's funny," said Walliams, "and I think it's helpful that we're doing it in front of an audience because if, for example, we'd done that Rosie O'Donnell sketch and people weren't laughing -- it was uncomfortable -- I don't think we'd want to show it."

"I hope that even though that's pretty outrageous, it's done with warmth," he added. "We're obviously sort of exaggerating people and it's got to have some feeling of silliness about it, which stops it from being unpleasant."