US remakes of UK shows

Probably less to do with the accent and more to do with the "look and feel".
Add more effects, add better looking effects. Add a different surrounding etc.

I am sure a few of our US Naimites have some ideas

My take on it is that US remakes are always a very 2nd rate facsimile of the originals.
I have no idea why they remake these programs; But why not use the original, is it fear of not selling network time and/or not achieving rating numbers, that has to be the primary factor. But is that driven by fear of US audience not understanding, or not relating to foreign programs, not set in a US situation. Who knows.

The one exception that I have found is in Minneapolis where they have a local station that does transmit UK programs such as period & other drama & much of the comedy stuff. And its not interrupted by commercial opportunities every 5 minutes. And it seems all the office talk about it next morning, so what's this about not understanding UK stuff.

Before someone accuses me of being anti-US, I should add that I don't like the idea of the UK reproducing US productions either, although I can't think of any ATM. Basically I feel that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

There are a couple of instances where the American remake doesn't particularly offend me. For instance I quite liked the American version of Life On Mars - not as good as the original (IMO), but eminently watchable. My eldest tells me the US version of "The Office" is OK, but I wouldn't know, as I hated the original UK version and refuse to subject myself to an American remake!

Could you list a few us remakes? Right now I can only think of The Office. Which shows did they remake?

Here's a list:

America's Next Top Model - Britain's Next Top Model
Beauty and the Geek - Beauty and the Geek
Blockbusters- -Blockbusters
Candid Camera - Candid Camera
Card Sharks - Play Your Cards Right
College Bowl - University Challenge
The Disney Club - The Disney Club
Double Dare - Double Dare
Family Feud - Family Fortunes
Finders Keepers - Finders Keepers
Fun House - Fun House
Gambit - Gambit
The Golden Girls - The Brighton Belles
Good Times - The Fosters
Greed w/Chuck Woolery - Greed w/Jerry Springer
Hollywood Squares - Celebrity Squares
Jeopardy! - Jeopardy!
Law & Order - Law & Order: UK
Mad About You - Loved By You
Married... with Children - Married For Life
Match Game - Blankety Blank
Maude - Nobody's Perfect
Murder in Small Town X - The Murder Game
The Name's the Same - The Name's the Same
Name That Tune - Name That Tune
The Price Is Right - The Price Is Right/The New Price Is Right/Bruce's Price Is Right
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy - Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (UK)
Saturday Night Live - Saturday Live/Friday Night Live
Sid Caesar Invites You - Sid Caesar Invites You
Supermarket Sweep - Dale's Supermarket Sweep
That '70s Show - Days Like These
The Apprentice w/Donald Trump - The Apprentice w/Lord Sugar
The Soup/Talk Soup - Celebrity Soup
What's My Line? - What's My Line?
Wheel of Fortune - Wheel of Fortune
Who's the Boss? - The Upper Hand
Win Ben Stein's Money - Win Beadle's Money

Oh wait - those are US shows plagiarized by the UK. Sorry.

OK, 80% of those are reality shows of some kind and both the US and the UK versions are equally useless.

Law & Order UK is terrible (and is in fact a copy of the us version, not vice versa). Married with Children is great. That 70's show is pretty good as well. Who's the Boss was really good as well.

A show I remember was a copy was Eleventh Hour and I quite liked the US version. More so than the UK version. Same for Touching Evil. Both cancelled to early imho.

Something you shouldn't copy is something like Little Britain. That was just a plain stupid idea. But I have to say that the original is not my cup of tea either.

And some shows shouldn't be on air in the UK in the first place, like Top Gear.

All in all, I don't think that many UK shows are being copied. At least none worth copying really. Not sure why someone would copy them to begin with.

I remember that even the Germans copied Married with Children, and boy, that was probably one of the worst shows I ever had the misfortune of watching...even though I only watched 60sec before switching channels again

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...an_television_series

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...sh_television_series

quote:

Originally posted by GreenAlex:
OK, 80% of those are reality shows of some kind and both the US and the UK versions are equally useless.

Agree 100% there.

I've no idea if it's funny...

Germans do it too...

And now for something completely different . . . Monty Python's Flying Circus
Loved watching this on my local PBS station here in Chicago. 110% original, and never, ever copied!

Off the top of my head there have been American versions of
Fawlty Towers (more than one)
Till death us do part
Men behaving badly
Steptoe and son
Reginald Perrin
Man about the house
Father dear father
Cracker
Various Pop Idol type shoes including an upcoming US X Factor
Antiques Road Show

Just found a better list here.

Here's the link for US>UK programs :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...an_television_series

Can't think of a single one of those remade for the UK which I would actually bother to watch.

dungassin

FYI, the term "yanks" is often considered derogatory. Also, exclaiming "Are they incapable of understanding the Queen's English unless spoken/mangled by an American accent?" could be construed as anti-American, or at least insulting. Your dislike of the Office, either English, or American suggests you might be humorless as well.

I actually parted with a perfectly serviceable TV in 2002, because I was finding it a complete and utter waste of my time trying to find anything worth the time of watching.

When I was sent several quite threatening and eventually plain rude letters suggesting that I was telling a lie about not using the TV or owning one I rang the TV License Authority, and was speaking to an obviously bright but obnoxious girl!

Eventually I asked her if she owned a Television herself, to which she made an affirmative reply. I expressed surprised that a young lady, who sounded so obviously bright, would waste her time on such drivel. And as she was being rather rude and suggesting that I was indeed telling lies, I suggested that my initial assessment of her as bright must have been profoundly mistaken.

Next I got my MP to write to the TVLA, and had a very nice and apologetic letter from a high manager there. I have never heard from them since, in spite of never since buying a TV License.

ATB from George

I don't think I have ever seen even half of the UK shows mentioned here. Most seem pretty old.

So if they were remade, then it of course depends on when the remake appeared. I wouldn't broadcast Fawlty Towers in it's UK original if I wanted to show it today. It would have to be remade as you can easily see how old it is.

But a remake would most likely fall short as the original is too good. You would almost have to remake it 1:1.

Anyhow, I do like some remakes. I find that modern remakes can be pretty good.
I find remakes of comedies to usually, well, suck
Don't care the least bit for reality (including casting shows).

Another problem is sometimes the lack of episodes. Take the new Sherlock Holmes. Three episodes? For a first season? Who are you kidding? That's not what I would call a season.
That's even more pathetic than a 6-episode Walking Dead Season 1.

quote:

Originally posted by csl:
dungassin

FYI, the term "yanks" is often considered derogatory. Also, exclaiming "Are they incapable of understanding the Queen's English unless spoken/mangled by an American accent?" could be construed as anti-American, or at least insulting. Your dislike of the Office, either English, or American suggests you might be humorless as well.

Chill out. In my travels abroad, I've been called "Limey", "Pom" and various other local semi-derisory terms for an Englishman. Never been offended by any of them. Having been asked to "speak American - we can't understand you" when in your country (admittedly by one of the "great unwashed") I feel that my comment re. "Queen's English" (in fact I have an accent sort of midway between London and Lancashire - born in the former, raised mainly in the latter) may be understandable. I have several American friends, some of whom stay with us when they visit the UK.

As for "The Office", I will add that I don't find Ricky Gervais funny, but that's just me. Please don't impugn my sense of humour just because I dislike something which you obviously like.

You will note that I don't think much of US to UK remakes either. The only ones I think possibly justified are those things which I don't watch, such as Game Shows, Reality TV etc.

quote:

I wouldn't broadcast Fawlty Towers in it's UK original if I wanted to show it today. It would have to be remade as you can easily see how old it is.

Would you not show Casablanca as you can easily see how old it is?

For me there are very few remakes that come close to the original - the classic age of TV comedy has passed, but the remake of Reggie Perrin wasn't funny and the remake of Randall & Hopkirk was dreadful. The revivals of The Saint have all been first class though (except for the film version which was awful - bring back George Sanders).

There are very few American shows that I get - I mean Fraiser, Cheers, Friends, Sex in the City - what are they all about? Admittedly I've only watch snippets, but didn't understand the humour so gave up on them: no funny lines - bring back Phil Silvers.

However classic American shows like the Flintstones, Jetsons, Top Cat, Wacky Races and the wonderful Perils of Penelope Pitstop are superb and one of the funniest shows ever was from the USA - Police Squad.

quote:

in fact I have an accent sort of midway between London and Lancashire

Birmingham then.

Phil Silvers was as funny as boil on the bum, no actually it was shit. Should have been cancelled after 1 show, not still re-running it a 100 years on.

Very little US comedy, M*A*S*H and Soap are standouts though.
Of course Police Squad, did you know there were only 6 episodes made?

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:

quote:

in fact I have an accent sort of midway between London and Lancashire

Birmingham then.

Not quite. Lancastrians seem to think I'm a Londoner, and Londoners think I'm from Lancashire. Funnily enough, I lived in Brum for 3 years.

Accents are funny things. My father in law was from Portsmouth but spent the last 50 of his 80 years in Glasgow. To me he still had a very strong southern English accent, with the odd Scottish word or expression thrown in, but when he went back down there they referred to him as a scotch bastard.

quote:

Originally posted by Dungassin:
Chill out. In my travels abroad, I've been called "Limey", "Pom" and various other local semi-derisory terms for an Englishman.

Yeah, no need to rise above.

For what it's worth, American producers probably re-make British shows because they're good, but need to be "Americanized" in order to turn a profit in US distribution. Not that there has really ever been a shortage of original and funny American show ideas (Seinfeld, Scrubs, All in the Family, Simpsons, Cheers, WKRP in Cincinnati, Get Smart, King of the Hill, Malcolm in the Middle, etc.) but it's always easier - and probably cheaper and safer - to remake an existing one.

You're probably right.

To be honest, I tend to prefer the original American show to an English remake (and vice versa). I did like the US version of "Eleventh Hour" and was amused that the main character (Rufus Sewell) is an Englishman! Never saw the original UK version with Patrick Stewart - think I'll order it from Amazon and have a look.

I think I'll widen the topic a little bit:

There are an awful lot of dire remakes of classic films/series. e.g. one of the latest remake I've spotted is "The A Team". I'll probably watch it out of curiousity. Just hope it retains some of the humour of the original.

quote:

Originally posted by TomK:
Accents are funny things. My father in law was from Portsmouth but spent the last 50 of his 80 years in Glasgow. To me he still had a very strong southern English accent, with the odd Scottish word or expression thrown in, but when he went back down there they referred to him as a scotch bastard.

IIRC correctly we moved to Padiham, Lancashire (my mother was born there) the day before my 9th birthday. My 3 younger siblings all developed strong Lancashire accents, but not me! We lived in Birmingham while my girls were very small, so they had strong brummy accents when we moved here in 1981, and they can still put that accent on when the mood takes them.

quote:

Originally posted by jayd:

...but it's always easier - and probably cheaper and safer - to remake an existing one.

The trouble is most times the process of remaking either waters down the characters (Archie Bunker was nothing like as nasty and ignorant as Alf Garnett) or removes the British whimsy or just plain eccentricity that was the essence of the humour (e.g. Reginald Perrin or Basil Fawlty).

Not sure it really matters unless you make a point of watching US remakes of UK shows.

And if you do, and don't like it, don't watch it.

I must say I have a general antipathy to the huge number of US programmes on UK tv.