Americanizing Other Nation's Shows: BBC Being Human vs. SyFy Being Human?

[Linus]

Originally Posted by June

I think Americans should watch nothing but American shows made by Americans lest we further destroy our economy and firm moral fiber.

Or.

I don't understand why we need to bastardize and claim things. Although, I did enjoy both the British and US versions of The Office. Some shows translate just fine though, but are not shown widely. Like that Dawn French show The Vicar. I was just mad for that, and to my knowledge, they never remade it here.

Do we do it to anything but the British shows? Did any other country ever steal Green Acres? I can see that going over well in France.

I think a couple of Canadian shows were "borrowed".

And ya, Dawn French's The Vicar of Dibley would be hard to remake here.

There was also the IT Crowd which was redone for the US but never took off (it still does well, I believe, in the UK and I happen to love the British version).

[Ebon]

Originally Posted by Linus

I think a couple of Canadian shows were "borrowed".

And ya, Dawn French's The Vicar of Dibley would be hard to remake here.

There was also the IT Crowd which was redone for the US but never took off (it still does well, I believe, in the UK and I happen to love the British version).

Love both of those shows and I agree I don't think Americans can do anything good with The Vicar of Dibley. It grinds on my nerves when the US tries to redo stuff like they can do it better. They tried to do it with Death At A Funeral too but I preferred the original version.

[moxie]

I most always prefer the original version of things, no matter if the original is old and the remake is new or the original is foreign and the remake is American.

American remakes of Scandinavian films are butchered horribly, in my opinion. Examples: Insomnia (remade with Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank...was HORRIBLE) and Brødre (remade into Brothers with Jake Gyllenhal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire). As far as the Larsson trilogy, here in the states we weren't able to see the complete Swedish version (which was made for tv and was edited for US release in the theaters) so I am looking forward to the complete version coming out on dvd later this year. I probably won't see the American version of it. The only thing that is giving me the infinitesimal want to see them is that David Fincher is going to direct. Still don't think that will sway me but who knows.

The original Kath and Kim was hilarious. The American version that got canceled mid-season was horrible.

I just wish people would learn to appreciate subtitles and accents so this wouldn't have to happen and the masses could enjoy things the way they are supposed to be: in their original form.

/rant.

[betenoire]

[Sparkle]

I've heard mixed reviews of the American remake of 'Let The Right One In'.

My friends from outside of the country hated it and hated that someone remade it so soon. My friends that live in the US, who have seen both, thought the remake was "ok".

I thought it was a very well made film (the original) but too bloody and gory for me. The whole first hour creeped me out, a lot.

[foxyshaman]

I love Being Human....love it... oh wait I said that. I also really enjoy the American/Canadian version. I couldn't wait to hate it. Then I watched an interview with the actors before I watched the show. None of them had watched the original version of the show, as a way of not influencing the characters they were playing. I was then able to put my prejudice aside and give it a try. That said... while I would watch the BBC version over the Filmed in Montreal version, I really like the new one. It is fun, has light qualities and there is more discussion of the characters motivation.

In my "tv watching head" I don't compare the two. They are two very different shows, that just happen to have a similar story line.

"Let the right one in" - I just could not bring myself to watch the American version. I felt it would sully the flavour of the original.

[Medusa]

I always liked "Who's Line is it Anway?"