Life on Mars (American version)

Possibly - I can't see Sky, ITV or C4 picking it up, though Five US might be a possibility too.

It depends how good it is - if it's as inferior as that trailer looks, there isn't going to be a fight to get it.


And I wonder too if the series will have the same conclusion - assuming it gets to that stage, which if it probably won't be for five years anyway.

I don't think it looks "inferior" at all. I think it looks great.

The differences between the US and the UK in the 70s is what will make this series work - and we already know that the story is gripping.

I think you may have to eat your words here Brekkie.

Don't fill up on bread - you have a lot of words to get through.

I made the mistake of reading all the comments before actually watching it. It doesn't look that bad really. it needs a bit of tweaking and apparently much of it has been re shot anyway but i think it could work. 'The Office' got exactly the same reaction at first glance and look how that worked out - I'd argue there's is just ever so slightly better then ours was.

You can't blame anyone for suggesting that it'll fail straight off purely because of the track record of Brit Drama/Comedy conversions to US TV. 'The Office' is the diamond in a massive stack full of sand.

The UK Life On Mars was shown in the USA on BBC America. It did ok and got good reviews but Americans are not really that keen on international shows.

Yep - though there were quite a few successful UK formats imported to the US in the 70s. Three's Company, Sandford and Son etc.

Well it's questionable whether that's actually been tested, though I think alot of it is down to restrictions over non-American content on the networks.

And UK shows have worked on cable, even if they've been commissioned by US networks. Extras did well for HBO, and The Tudors is popular on Showtime, though that's made in Ireland - but in many ways a quite British programme, though on the other hand it's got an American gloss on it too.


I often wonder whether BBC America helps or hinders UK shows breaking through stateside. On the one hand it's giving shows an airing they probably wouldn't get without it, but on the other it's kind of segregating the content away from the main potential markets - not so much the networks, but the cable channels, where I'm sure the content would generally fit better.




Mmm, I'm feeling peckish.

Well it's not a spoof...

http://abc.go.com/fallpreview/lifeonmars/index

I think if anybody picks it up it will be either Fiver or Five US. It may possibly go to BBC Three though as it's a co-production with Kudos Film & Television (according to the lovely woman on the ABC switchboard earlier!)

Psssst... We know!!!

Not quite... the networks say that their viewers wont be interested in international shows, but they've never really tried

...but will apparently be giving the upcoming "Merlin" a go. Who know's what will happen if that's a rating success across the pond?

Even more intriguing would be if it's a rating success in America but not in the UK.

Maybe its time for a "renaissance" of British made shows on US network TV like we saw in the mid 60s.

1970s saw the trend of copying and not just showing it.