Irish actor Chris O’Dowd is bringing his critically acclaimed comedy show to a new audience Stateside.

Moone Boy, the quirky Irish comedy, has been picked up for a US adaptation by ABC and Sony Pictures.

The American sitcom will be based on O’Dowd’s semi-autobiographical series, which profiles his antics as 12-year-old Martin Moone.

The 35-year-old will both write and produce the remake, but is not expected to star in the show.

The existing version has aired on Sky since 2012, and won an International Emmy award for best comedy last year. Season three is currently in the pipeline.

Alongside Chris O’Dowd, who stars as Martin’s middle-aged imaginary friend, the critically acclaimed series also stars Simon Delaney and Deirdre O’Kane.

The Hollywood Reporter's influential TV critic Tim Goodman dubbed Moone Boy the best comedy of 2013, calling the series "the biggest and best surprise" of the year.

"So few people knew about it but then ended up loving it when they watched. A heartwarming coming-of-age story set in Ireland with a fantastic cast led by O'Dowd," he wrote after calling the show "one of the most charming series on TV" in his initial review.

Online Editors