Humour, Jim...

[PMC]

Here's what happens when a successful British comedy - beloved of many of you ;-) is taken across the Atlantic:  

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1597954152019000687

Brave effort but much is lost in the translation, with the possible exception of Ms Leeves.

Here's the original:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6170384351246422470

[odin]

Canned laughter.....that always manages to kill any joke.

[PMC]

In all fairness, it's not just the canned laughter.

[odin]

Dunno, I couldn't bear to watch more than 10 seconds of it.

[NoFastMem]

I saw this a couple of years back. At least they realised how cack it was and decided to axe it before it went any further.

[bloodline]

I just don't get it... why do the american networks insist on trying to remake a show that is already popular... actaully I do get it, if it works it would make them a lot more money than reshowing the original. But so many times it fails... I dread to think what the US version of Peepshow is going to be like...

How do our US cousins feel about the remakes?

[Damion]

Wow, that was terrible.

I dunno... I grew up enjoying a fair amount of British comedy, many of my friends did as well. (Actually, it was sort of the "in" thing among my middle school group.)

I don't see any reason to hack it up, only a complete moron would find something like that acceptable. (Not to say it couldn't have been done well, but it's not like the show was Japanese...)

[uncharted]

It happens every time.  Anyone remember the American version of Men Behaving Badly?

Apparently, the US version of The Office is getting pretty strung out too.

It's kind of insulting really.  It's like our shows aren't good enough for them.

[Boot_WB]

Good god, that was awful.

[Agafaster]

uncharted wrote:
It happens every time.  Anyone remember the American version of Men Behaving Badly?

Apparently, the US version of The Office is getting pretty strung out too.

It's kind of insulting really.  It's like our shows aren't good enough for them.

too highbrow for most ? ;-) only kidding, America!

anyway, I can't see the videos - can someone tell me exactly what they are ?

I'll also throw the americanised Red Dwarf. died on its 4rse apparently...

[jkirk]

well no matter what it was originally or where it was shown i have never understood the idea of remakes. most shows and movies just don't hold up to being remade.

[PMC]

Very true, so much US stuff that gets remade here loses something along the way.  

It does surprise me though how well British humour seems to travel, I've met Americans who've been fans of things like Fawty Towers, The Young Ones and The Office.  These three shows have an undercurrent of social critique of the time and I wonder if non-Brits get it?

[Vincent]

God that's awful.

They've taken a fair number of well placed jokes from the original episodes and lumped them together in one episode with no finesse.

It's a highlight show done by Americans who can't deliver their lines properly :-P

[Doobrey]

PMC wrote:
Very true, so much US stuff that gets remade here loses something along the way.  

Did anyone ever see the UK remake of Married With Children?
I think it lasted one season before it was canned. For some bizarre reason they cast Russ Abbott as Al Bundy, which should give some idea of how unfunny it was.

[Boot_WB]

For some bizarre reason they cast Russ Abbott as Al Bundy.

I just nearly coated my monitor with fish and chips when I read that.  :lol: