[TV] Remakes for 'across the pond', do they work?

[Roose]

I hear MTV is re-making The Inbetweeners. That could go very bad.

I was just about to to say how much I loved that show, but would hate a US version. I think the English slang is a big part of that show's charm. I think MTV does almost everything wrong except for their non-fake-reality TV shows.

I thought first season of The Office goes to the UK. Sucks that we never really got to see how it would have done long term. Seeing network executives taking the route of the remake gets me thinking we will see many more crossovers.

[Skizzit]

Did they actually try to remake The IT Crowd over here? I completely missed it if so (probably for the better).

They made a pilot and it failed. They even got Richard Ayoade in it. Just bad. If I remember it was a shot for shot remake of the UK pilot. Why even do that in this day and age? Just air the damn UK version.

Here it is : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944954/

[Jon]

While I don't like the newest season that much, The Office has worked out pretty well.

Life on Mars on the other hand was disappointing despite quite strong cast. I recommend the brilliant UK version for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

[Protoman]

US has remade a few UK shows and mostly successful.....the office, shameless, being human, skins (not really lol). US is running out of creative talent, but atleast its better then reality tv garbage like storage wars or auction wars or parking wars.....

[Skizzit]

I think mainly because they don't think British actors are quite attractive enough for their audience.

Let's take the Office character "Dawn". She's pretty enough, but a bit chubby and nothing super special, but someone that is totally believable etc. However, the US version has a girl that would probably be considered the Office *stunner*.
I have no idea why the USA insists on doing this, its probably some bizarre mentality they have that if your fat, thin, crooked teeth or not visually appealing, people won't want to watch you on the TV. Maybe a USA person can elaborate? As I frankly have no clue why they keep doing that...


Then again, I could be totally wrong, and it might be something to do with visual rights and licenses for likeness, such as they might have to pay 3x the amount for using another actor's image, as they have the Actor's Guilds and whatnot over there so, which will demand work for USA actors rather than importing ones from another country? Might be a shot in the dark though.

Actually I think you are correct. That US version of IT Crowd for example. They cast Joel McHale as Roy and then kept all the lines about how the girls don't pay any attention to him once he finishes fixing their computer. Yeah, I buy that...

[Bitlovin]

The Office you did so much better than us. In fairness though, I absolutely hate the English one.

I feel the opposite way. The American Office is ok, but the British Office was utterly brilliant.

[Skizzit]

I feel the opposite way. The American Office is ok, but the British Office was utterly brilliant.

They really have almost nothing in common. They started off trying to imitate the UK version and it kinda sucked. They quickly ditched that and went with a much more punch line based kind of humor. Very different then the UK version and worked much better for US audiences.

[Aodhan]

The US version of the brilliant UK sitcom Coupling was a travesty. The US version of Being Human is a soulless and empty copy that is spinning off into its own unwatchable direction. I believe Jennifer Saunders was considering remaking a US version of Absolutely Fabulous, thankfully that never came to be. I wish the US networks would just let us watch British shows, rather than trying to remake them with American accents.

[Frozenbeef]

No, keep away from doctor who! *hisses*

[Deleted]

No, keep away from doctor who! *hisses*

I second this; any US version of Doctor Who would be completely atrocious. As for one, I cannot see Moffat agreeing to work on a US version. I'm still mildly disgusting at the fact that CBS are re-making Sherlock, setting it in New York and changing Doctor Watson into a woman.

Why CBS, why?

[Deleted]

a lot of the British comedy shows (it crowd, intbetweeners misfits etc) wouldnt work with a US remake, they're made to be set in UK with UK actors and british humour, which doesn't work so well when the US remakes, part of the reason i think is they seem to try and get all beautiful people to play the characters instead of just normal looking people. i am not explaining this very well at all i give up haha

[Fuzzzie]

a lot of the British comedy shows (it crowd, intbetweeners misfits etc) wouldnt work with a US remake, they're made to be set in UK with UK actors and british humour, which doesn't work so well when the US remakes, part of the reason i think is they seem to try and get all beautiful people to play the characters instead of just normal looking people. i am not explaining this very well at all i give up haha

Which is ironic because inbetweeners and misfits are two of my favourite shows. I think British shows appeal to their audience where American shows appeal to what they think is their audience.

[Deleted]

Which is ironic because inbetweeners and misfits are two of my favourite shows. I think British shows appeal to their audience where American shows appeal to what they think is their audience.

i just fiund it weird when i watch an American show thats set in a school or something and all the kids look in their 20s and don't look like real school kids, unless everyone in US is really good looking :P i am really too tired to post, i don't even know if i am making sense :<

[Potions]

Seeing news that the US are planning to remake Only Fools And Horses for America. Has got me wondering

What does the UK do better than the US and vice versa?
What remakes are as good as the original? And are there any horrible remakes?
Can some programmes just not be remade for the other markets?

I've had a look at some and things like 'Are you being served?', 'Fawlty Towers' and 'Dad's Army' have been attempted, and the same with 'Only fools and Horses' i can't see the humor (and situations causing the humor) being transferred well into American. 'Dad's Army' concept can't work based in America, for example'. The reliant robin of 'Only fools and Horses' IS an iconic image of 'Only fools and Horses' and as such its hard to imagine if being changed, the car doesn't look like it can't work in America and a van will just lose an element of the programme, is there an American replacement?

'Carry On....' has any American's seen it, and if so your views on it and if you feel it can be copied?

Any American Crime series i can't see transferring well to the UK. The scale of any hunts and the whole gun culture just make them seem more interesting, than a pursuit around a council estate.

Three more well known ones i think are programms like 'The office', 'Skins', 'Shameless'

the US version of Shameless is actually brilliant, William H Macy is just so good. I saw an episode or 2 of the UK version and didn't really enjoy it. As for the office its a tie between the 2 I love them both.

I'm just extremely happened they didn't go ahead and start making the Sherlock US version with Lucy Liu as Watson, i mean.. really? how did they ever think that making watson a girl and giving the character a sexual relationship with Sherlock was a good idea. They shut it down before the cameras even started rolling.

[Deleted]

Er No?

A good example would be Elementry, which is clearly Sherlock (interesting read here http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/s12...no-to-cbs.html)

Set in New York, with Lucy Liu as Dr Watson.

[Fuzzzie]

i just fiund it weird when i watch an American show thats set in a school or something and all the kids look in their 20s and don't look like real school kids, unless everyone in US is really good looking :P i am really too tired to post, i don't even know if i am making sense :<

Check out Degrassi. Most of those kids are in their teens. Canadian show though.

[Dannoson]

Americans are morons. (Yes, I am American) That's why they change good things that work into crap. I happen to like British humor. I get it (well, not all of the time. I AM American). I like the accents and the language they use. We tend to be fascinated by shiny things, explosions, and women who Barbie tries to look like (which explains why Michael Bay is still in business). In fact, it amazed me that Sherlock Holmes (both 1 and 2) were witty, intelligent, well written, and brilliant (especially the ending for 2)...until I realized that the director and much of the cast were, in fact, British. I would die of shame if America tried to redo Monty Python today. Hell, we redid the 3 Stooges, and it's not going to work, because the culture today and back when they were appreciated and funny are markedly different. Our cultures differ too much for us to try to do the same things.

[Skizzit]

I remember when they tried to make an American version of Spaced. Without any input from Edgar Wright or Simon Pegg. Thank god that failed before it even got to the pilot stage.

[Anakso]

whats the point, the original is in English either way, just watch the original

Agree with this x1000.
Never saw any point in the US remaking UK shows when they could just watch the originals instead. There are some exceptions like talent shows or game shows (AU takes quite a few of it's game show concepts from UK game shows, don't know if US does the same)

[unholytestament]

I think British shows appeal to their audience where American shows appeal to what they think is their audience.

That, dear sir, is the problem with most American television in a nutshell.

I really wish I could get behind the scenes and see the differences between US and UK TV corporations...