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| Ant and Dec pursue American dream with silent comedy project | Ant and Dec pursue American dream with silent comedy project |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| With Britain's Got Talent and I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly present two of ITV's biggest shows. | With Britain's Got Talent and I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly present two of ITV's biggest shows. |
| But three years off their 40th birthdays, the pair's thoughts have turned to creating a longer lasting legacy than the fast food of reality TV which does not reward repeat viewing. | But three years off their 40th birthdays, the pair's thoughts have turned to creating a longer lasting legacy than the fast food of reality TV which does not reward repeat viewing. |
| The pair's latest two-year contract with ITV ends this year and McPartlin said the pair – who are insured for millions of pounds against the other one dying – have "talked a lot about the future". | The pair's latest two-year contract with ITV ends this year and McPartlin said the pair – who are insured for millions of pounds against the other one dying – have "talked a lot about the future". |
| Specifically, a silent comedy project and their hopes of breaking America put a question mark over how long Ant and Dec, both 37, will remain a mainstay of the ITV schedule. | Specifically, a silent comedy project and their hopes of breaking America put a question mark over how long Ant and Dec, both 37, will remain a mainstay of the ITV schedule. |
| "We've talked a lot about the future this year," McPartlin told the new issue of Radio Times. | "We've talked a lot about the future this year," McPartlin told the new issue of Radio Times. |
| "We love I'm a Celebrity, Britain's Got Talent, Saturday Night Takeway, but they're all live shows. | "We love I'm a Celebrity, Britain's Got Talent, Saturday Night Takeway, but they're all live shows. |
| "The difference between doing a live show and a sitcom is that a sitcom can live on. If you do it well, it can leave a legacy, whereas most of our live work never gets repeated because it's final, it's done, you start again." | "The difference between doing a live show and a sitcom is that a sitcom can live on. If you do it well, it can leave a legacy, whereas most of our live work never gets repeated because it's final, it's done, you start again." |
| McPartlin said the pair wanted to make a comedy together and have another go at winning over American audiences. | McPartlin said the pair wanted to make a comedy together and have another go at winning over American audiences. |
| They first cast their eyes over the Atlantic a decade ago after the success of I'm A Celebrity, which began in 2002, and Pop Idol, which was quickly subsumed on ITV by The X Factor. | They first cast their eyes over the Atlantic a decade ago after the success of I'm A Celebrity, which began in 2002, and Pop Idol, which was quickly subsumed on ITV by The X Factor. |
| "We're developing a silent comedy idea at the moment. It will take a couple of years and we might never get there, but it's the way we'd like to go," said McPartlin. | "We're developing a silent comedy idea at the moment. It will take a couple of years and we might never get there, but it's the way we'd like to go," said McPartlin. |
| "We probably will try our luck in America again. It never really worked because the network didn't get behind us; it would need to be the right show. | "We probably will try our luck in America again. It never really worked because the network didn't get behind us; it would need to be the right show. |
| "We've got one big push left in us, and we'd have to make sure it's worth it. If it happens, it happens, but because everything is going so well over here, we're not dying to break America." | "We've got one big push left in us, and we'd have to make sure it's worth it. If it happens, it happens, but because everything is going so well over here, we're not dying to break America." |
| Ant and Dec sprang to fame on children's BBC show Byker Grove in the 1980s and 1990s. Subsequent acting efforts failed to take off, appearing in an unlikely remake of Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? on ITV in 2002 and a poorly-received film debut, Alien Autopsy, in 2006. | |
| McPartlin told the listings magazine: "We're insured against the other dying. It's not for tens of millions but a fair chunk. | McPartlin told the listings magazine: "We're insured against the other dying. It's not for tens of millions but a fair chunk. |
| "If he does ever die in unfortunate circumstances, I'm going to be the first person the police come to because I've got a motive. Maybe when we're 50 and not getting paid as we used to, I'll knock him off." | "If he does ever die in unfortunate circumstances, I'm going to be the first person the police come to because I've got a motive. Maybe when we're 50 and not getting paid as we used to, I'll knock him off." |
| The pair also present ITV's Saturday Night Takeaway, but other ITV shows, including Poker Face and Push the Button, proved more short-lived. | The pair also present ITV's Saturday Night Takeaway, but other ITV shows, including Poker Face and Push the Button, proved more short-lived. |
| Donnelly said: "I'm not sure how much Ant and I are insured against each other. I've heard it's a couple of million. | Donnelly said: "I'm not sure how much Ant and I are insured against each other. I've heard it's a couple of million. |
| "However much it is, it would never be compensation for losing your best mate. I've never wanted to work alone since we started together. All the ideas we have are for the pair of us. There might come a time when we want to do something individually, but I think it's a long way off." | "However much it is, it would never be compensation for losing your best mate. I've never wanted to work alone since we started together. All the ideas we have are for the pair of us. There might come a time when we want to do something individually, but I think it's a long way off." |
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