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

[Waldo]

Originally Posted by Sparkle

I dread the americanized versions of the 'Millennium Trilogy'; I really liked the Swedish adaptations and I loved the books.
I feel fairly certain that they will be a debacle of 'La Femme Nikita'/'Point of No Return' proportion.

You're probably quite right there. I'll still see them. At least the first one. And don't even try to pretend you won't, even if you wait for the DVD.

[Sparkle]

Originally Posted by Waldo

You're probably quite right there. I'll still see them. At least the first one. And don't even try to pretend you won't, even if you wait for the DVD.

I'll let other people go see them first and if it is as bad as I anticipate I will try to avoid them. But I'm sure, at some point, morbid curiosity will get the better of me.

[Hack]

Being Human isn't the first BBC show we've ruined. Won't be the last. We've also ruined Life on Mars. I'm just thankful my favorite BBC shows will never likely be replicated on American TV -- M.I.-5 and Luther. I also love Waking the Dead, which is the BBC version of a "cold case" show. I find that the characters on BBC (or ITV) shows are usually more richly and deeply written. Some of the most complex characters on TV are BBC shows -- Mike Walker on "Trial & Retribution" (ITV), Peter Boyd on "Waking the Dead," Tony Hill on "Wire in the Blood" (RIP...I can't believe ITV cancelled this great cop show!), and John Luther on "Luther" (which, btw, is one of the best shows on TV on either side of the pond, imo).

Jake
British cop show junkie

[Sparkle]

Originally Posted by Hack

Being Human isn't the first BBC show we've ruined. Won't be the last. We've also ruined Life on Mars. I'm just thankful my favorite BBC shows will never likely be replicated on American TV -- M.I.-5 and Luther. I also love Waking the Dead, which is the BBC version of a "cold case" show. I find that the characters on BBC (or ITV) shows are usually more richly and deeply written.

Spooks/MI-5 is one of my most favorite shows EVER.
I'm currently waiting extremely impatiently for Vol: 8 to be sent from Netflix.

BUT, I'm very sorry to tell you this but ABC bought the rights to adapt it.
I'm hoping it comes to nothing, but I fear it will.

[betenoire]

Kind of like how the US got a show called "Cold Case Files" (which I've never seen) a year after we started airing "Cold Squad" (which I love)?

Yeah, that's kinda annoying.

And we had This Hour Has 22 Minutes 4 years before the US had The Daily Show.

[Melissa]

Originally Posted by Hack

Being Human isn't the first BBC show we've ruined. Won't be the last. We've also ruined Life on Mars. I'm just thankful my favorite BBC shows will never likely be replicated on American TV -- M.I.-5 and Luther. I also love Waking the Dead, which is the BBC version of a "cold case" show. I find that the characters on BBC (or ITV) shows are usually more richly and deeply written. Some of the most complex characters on TV are BBC shows -- Mike Walker on "Trial & Retribution" (ITV), Peter Boyd on "Waking the Dead," Tony Hill on "Wire in the Blood" (RIP...I can't believe ITV cancelled this great cop show!), and John Luther on "Luther" (which, btw, is one of the best shows on TV on either side of the pond, imo).

Jake
British cop show junkie

I loved Wire in the Blood and Waking the Dead too. Have you seen the Inspector Frost mysteries. Not as dark or intense as the others but still great. I loved Cracker, too. I think the US tried to do a Cracker version but it didn't make it.

If you have Netflix I also recommend a Canadian show called Intelligence. It only ran for two seasons but some of the best TV I have seen in a long time.

Melissa

Frost and Cracker are really old now. So is Inspector Morse but all still worth watching if you can find them.

Have you lot remade (the now ancient) Absolutely Fabulous with and by the genius Jennifer Saunders (comedy partner of Dawn French). Did Victoria Wood's Dinner Ladies get remade over there? It was hilarious.

Another more recent Brit show for you too look up is Mongrels. It might be a little humour specific to 'Brit-land' but I highly recommend it.

[Sparkle]

Originally Posted by Incubus

Have you lot remade (the now ancient) Absolutely Fabulous with and by the genius Jennifer Saunders (comedy partner of Dawn French). Did Victoria Wood's Dinner Ladies get remade over there? It was hilarious.

Nobody has had the audacity to try to remake AbFab. Thankfully.
And French & Saunders seem to have the integrity not to sell out to the highest bidder.

I miss Eastenders.

Originally Posted by Sparkle

Nobody has had the audacity to try to remake AbFab. Thankfully.
And French & Saunders seem to have the integrity not to sell out to the highest bidder.

I miss Eastenders.

I miss French and Saunders working together.

I'm pleased there's not been a US remake of Ab Fab; It is unique and very much of a time and place.

Can you not stream Eastbenders on any of the myriad of streaming sites ?

[SugarFemme]

I will never ever ever ever forgive the BBC if they turn Downton Abbey over to us Americans to remake. I am a HUGE British film fan and have not liked any of the US remakes.

I dislike Downton Abbey with a passion. Infact I dislike period drama full stop!

[Rant]They're all just a romanticised version of the past made palatable for a mass market [/End Rant]

[Sparkle]

I just read that NBC has bought the rights to "Bad Girls"

http://www.afterellen.com/tv/nbc-wil...tory-ever-told

"Bad Girls" was never high art, not by a long stretch, but like a lot of British soap operas it had a delightful tongue-in-cheek salaciousness that allowed the viewer to relish the over-the-top aspects of the genre. There was a self-effacing irony amidst the high drama. American producers don't do that well (understatement).

[Tawse]

To me... it's not about who's stealing who's work / shows.

It's more about which one you see first and thus bond with. Unless something is just shitastic - you're going to like the first version you see regardless of it being the original, or the European. that's my thought anyway.

For that reason - I won't be watching the SyFy Being Human - I like the actors and the story for the BBC version. I have attached their faces, mannerisms, etc to the characters. For anyone else to play them - would feel off.

Same with the Dragon Tattoo series...


That being said - there are some things that you can get away with in European TV shows that you may not be able to get away with if it were Americanized. I shudder to think what America would do with the first few seasons of Torchwood. In fact I haven't watched the latest since it partnered with "Starz". Has anyone seen it? Is it as risque and pansexual?


I don't know about everyone else - I just imprint on the people I see first donning the role - unless it is just so amazingly aweful... or the remake so amazingly fantastic.

Originally Posted by Tawse

To me... it's not about who's stealing who's work / shows.

It's more about which one you see first and thus bond with. Unless something is just shitastic - you're going to like the first version you see regardless of it being the original, or the European. that's my thought anyway.

For that reason - I won't be watching the SyFy Being Human - I like the actors and the story for the BBC version. I have attached their faces, mannerisms, etc to the characters. For anyone else to play them - would feel off.

Same with the Dragon Tattoo series...


That being said - there are some things that you can get away with in European TV shows that you may not be able to get away with if it were Americanized. I shudder to think what America would do with the first few seasons of Torchwood. In fact I haven't watched the latest since it partnered with "Starz". Has anyone seen it? Is it as risque and pansexual?


I don't know about everyone else - I just imprint on the people I see first donning the role - unless it is just so amazingly aweful... or the remake so amazingly fantastic.

Loved the first episode of the new Being Human season. Can't wait for next one.

Wasn't so impressed with the last Torchwood season. It was ok, different. Things have to change I guess. If Russell T Davies takes Dr.Who over to America (no disrespect intended) I will personally hunt him down and flay him!

[*Anya*]

I prefer the Uk versions of all of the shows I have watched.

American TV just never gets them right.

We pasteurize and homogenize the life and essence out of all of them.

Plus, I think everything sounds better with the UK accents