Your thoughts on UK shows being remade?

[Kevin]

With the recent announcement that the UK series Life on Mars will be remade into yet another US show, what are your opinions on so many US shows being remade from UK shows?

 

[painkiller64]

i like uk shows and i dont mind remakes......tom baker is the best

 

[Kevin]

Interesting; so far a pretty even split.

 

[thetinyglobule]

the idea of the prisoner being remade is just awful! how can it even be considered????

 

[Mojo]

What's the track record so far with remakes of British shows? Let's look at Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_TV_shows_remade_for_the_American_market

Just looking at the more popular US non-reality shows... Coupling sucked, but many of the other shows -- Three's Company, The Office, Sanford & Son, All In The Family -- went on to become quite iconic.

It's really not as dismal as you might think.

 

[Kevin]

For those who don't mind the remakes, don't say I didn't warn 'ya....

http://twitter.com/CoolSciFi/status/7965772295

 

[Tim]

Cutting a bit too close the bone there, Doctor Who is something that everyone needs to keep their hands off. There'll be an uproar!!

ps. The site linked to isn't working right yet,

"Thanks for your patience.
Our redesign means some links aren't working quite yet.
It's getting fixed. Try going back to the
homepage or clicking a different link."

 

[Jetshroom]

I find that international remakes tend to miss what makes the show great.

Japanese horror is one that comes up a lot. The reason Asian cinema is so different is that it comes from a different perspective. The storytelling is different, the things they consider important are different. Horror stories don't necessarily have a reason behind the horror. Everything's not necessarily wrapped up in a nice little package by the end of the film.

Similarly, classic Australian car movies. What's important there is the CAR, not the characters or the story. It's all down to different perspectives.

When you take something that is uniquely racial, and then try to change it, you lose the thing that made it unique in the first place.

That's not to say that you can't create something great, but it won't be the same.

 

[Kevin]

ps. The site linked to isn't working right yet,

It was likely working in 2010.

Originally Fox was planning on a straight US remake with some of the original cast members but that plan fell apart. Eventually Starz went on to do Torchwood: Miracle Day as a mini-series and served as the 4th season/series to the original UK series. Starz had a bit of success with it and have maintained that they are up to doing another run if Russell T. Davies is ready for it.

 

[Kevin]

I find that international remakes tend to miss what makes the show great.

I'm not familiar with the AUS TV markets but here in the US some of the backlash to remakes comes from the fact that we usually have access to the original source material in some form or another. The US version of Life On Mars failed after one season and ended up ended up with a series finale that is radically different from the original UK version.

That's not to say that you can't create something great, but it won't be the same.

The Office would be a good example of that. The US version was a resounding success for the network, and is still airing, but compared to the original, even with the episodes that are direct remakes of the original scripts, the humor comes off differently with the original UK cast versus the US cast.

 

[Captain]

I never understand why the Americans can't seem to cope with something being set in Britain without it being like some sort of tourist visit to all the famous landmarks of London while a procession of stereotypes walks by with everyone speaking in over the top accents that are either ridiculously posh or cockney. The English can cope fairly well with American shows coming over the pond and we don't feel the need to remake it with English actors, set it in London (or, say, Northumberland for a bit of a change) and replace all of the shouting and slapstick with subtle irony and dry humour

 

[Kevin]

I never understand why the Americans can't seem to cope with something being set in Britain without it being like some sort of tourist visit to all the famous landmarks of London while a procession of stereotypes walks by with everyone speaking in over the top accents that are either ridiculously posh or cockney. The English can cope fairly well with American shows coming over the pond and we don't feel the need to remake it with English actors, set it in London (or, say, Northumberland for a bit of a change) and replace all of the shouting and slapstick with subtle irony and dry humour

See, that is something I've been saying for a long time! To be frank I think the problem with most US networks is that in order to get the largest amount of people watching, and therefor a larger amount of revenue from advertising, they insist on 'dumbing down' UK shows to appeal to the widest possible US audience. It is the reason why over here in the US they will premiere a new show that attracts 5-million plus viewers and it will still be deemed a failure to be quickly cancelled.

It is astounding the percentage of US made/based movies & TV shows that get exported around the world versus how much is imported.

 

[BirdOPrey5]

Where is the poll option "I prefer the superior American versions" ? Certainly true in the case of Top Gear and The Office.

 

[Kevin]

Where is the poll option "I prefer the superior American versions" ? Certainly true in the case of Top Gear and The Office.

I added a new poll option; my choices were slanted.

You really like the US version of Top Gear better than the original one? Every episode I've seen so far it feels like three guys who aren't actors being uncomfortable trying to act as their designated character. I know the same could be said of the UK crew, that by now the guys have fallen into a self-fulfilling trap of being a character, but the humor still seems more natural and not as forced as the US crew.

 

[BirdOPrey5]

Yes I do... sees exactly like what would happen if you put 3 random guys together on a good budget semi-reality car show.