Martin Petit delighted with American fishermen

Although it differs from the Quebec original, the American adaptation of Les Pêcheurs receives the seal of approval from Martin Petit. “I am extremely happy with the result,” said the comedian to the Journal.

Launched on Netflix earlier this week, The Cabin series uses the format created by Martin Petit, but departs from it in several aspects. Anyone who has watched the comedy broadcast on Radio-Canada from 2013 to 2017 will notice it after a few minutes.

Yes, this “made in USA” version is articulated around a comic stand-up (Bert Kreischer) who receives friends (often humorists) at the chalet, but that’s it. In The Fishermen, every scene was written. In The Cabin, conversations are improvised and cover different topics. Sometimes, it flies low (buttocks waxing … with demonstration); sometimes, it flies less low (transgender reality with Caitlyn Jenner).

“Whether it’s different, it doesn’t matter to me,” says Martin Petit, who appears in the credits as creator and executive producer. It was never my will to do the same thing again. If I had demanded that we keep the texts, there would never have been an American adaptation of Les Pêcheurs. It is better a project which succeeds than a dream which remains a dream. “

After Starbuck

With The Cabin, Martin Petit joins a very select club of Quebec artists: those who have succeeded in breaking through the United States with two different concepts. Recall that in 2013, a remake of Starbuck was released in Uncle Sam’s country, from a screenplay he had signed with Ken Scott.

“It’s quite exceptional because at the start, the Americans don’t care about Quebec. It’s not in their DNA to care about what we’re doing here. Their mentality is to say: “We are the best. We are the ones who make up business. Worse, we are the ones who are going to export them. ” Their whole business is based on it. ”

Good news at last!

The Cabin has generated a lot of interest since its arrival. On Friday, the series was ranked 5th on Netflix’s Most Viewed Titles Worldwide. This success, Martin Petit savored it since it occurred during a “really horrible” year in culture. The COVID-19 pandemic having hit this business sector head-on, sending several unemployed comedians in passing, he clings to the rare good news that emerges.

“It’s fun! I wish them to do several seasons. “

A long journey

The Cabin sees the light of day after passing through the hands of several producers over the past five years. Martin Petit even developed the project with Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) for a while, a scripted version closer to the original format, but they never managed to find a buyer.

“I had incredible encounters,” emphasizes the comic stand-up. For me, talking about Seinfeld with one of the main actors is priceless. “

Martin Petit attended the filming of The Cabin last January in Malibu, near Los Angeles. “With The Fishermen, I wanted to show discussions between comedians, the bond that exists between us, the friendship … I recognized the same energy, the same brotherhood.”