Complex sentence: Dee revealed the initial contact with Will Arnett came from a friend of a friend who went to school with Will and despite many small nibbles in the past this was the first serious proposal to get an American version of the show up.
Split into simpler sentences: Dee revealed the initial contact with Will Arnett came from a friend of a friend who went to school with Arnett. He state there had been small interest from American television in the past, but this was the first serious proposal to get an American version of the show up.