EXCLUSIVE: Fox has picked up The Real Full Monty, a two-hour special inspired by the beloved 1997 film and based on the popular British unscripted format, in which celebrities strip to raise money for cancer charities.
In the Fox special, slated to air later this year, a group of male celebrities will bare all to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer testing and research.
Spun Gold TV, the company behind the UK original, co-produces with Fox Alternative Entertainment.
The Fox special will follow male celebrities as they train and rehearse for a big strip-tease dance in front of a live audience. That dance, complete with the famous final disrobing from the movie, will be the culmination of the special. Along the way, the men will push their limits of comfortability, modesty, and brotherhood while also sharing personal stories of how cancer has impacted their lives.
“Sadly, cancer continues to impact millions of people throughout the world; and while science has made great progress in developing a cure, it’s so important that we keep fighting the battle against this horrible disease,” said Allison Wallach, President of Unscripted Programming at Fox Entertainment. “Through The Real Full Monty, we are leveraging the immense reach and power of broadcast to air this important call-to-action to educate viewers about cancer. If The Real Full Monty saves even one life, then having these brave men sharing their personal and poignant experiences with cancer will have been worth it.”
The first Real Full Monty special was broadcast on the UK’s ITV in 2017. It was an instant hit, launching an annual franchise. The initial all-male installment was followed by an all-women one, and the specials have remained co-ed since, with tennis great cancer survivor Martina Navrarilova among celebs who have appeared.
The format has expanded into Australia, France and the Netherlands, with a U.S. remake a long-time goal for Spun Gold TV, a 53 Degrees Global company.
“The Real Full Monty has been a huge success, not just in the UK but worldwide, and more importantly has led to thousands and thousands of people going for potentially life-saving check-ups,” said Daniela Neumann, Managing Director of Spun Gold TV. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Fox where we hope it will be equally impactful in the U.S.”
The Fox version will be executive produced by Dan Norris and Ashley Edens, who also serves as showrunner. Executive producers from Spun Gold include Nick Bullen and Neumann.
A quarter century after the hit 1997 movie, a scripted series followup with most of the original cast ran on FX last year.