MS
But as we learn from recent programmes that doesn't always mean it'll be good
Exactly. Mainly because the Americans aren't usually happy about letting the U.K guys fully write it. Red Dwarf is a well documented example. The two main writers Rob Grant and Doug Naylor were constantly in battle with the American producers to get them to use the script they'd written, but to cut a long story short the American lot eventually vetoed the 'funny' script and went for the poor one.
Coupling again, although Steven Moffat was involved, it turned out to be awful for various reasons.
Johnny83 posted:
Jugalug posted:
I think there's a chance it could work, I mean there's the people who work on the UK version working on it.
But as we learn from recent programmes that doesn't always mean it'll be good
Exactly. Mainly because the Americans aren't usually happy about letting the U.K guys fully write it. Red Dwarf is a well documented example. The two main writers Rob Grant and Doug Naylor were constantly in battle with the American producers to get them to use the script they'd written, but to cut a long story short the American lot eventually vetoed the 'funny' script and went for the poor one.
Coupling again, although Steven Moffat was involved, it turned out to be awful for various reasons.
MI
Billed as the British Friends, but quite an unfair comparison really. The characters are vaguely similar but that is about all, Coupling made far greater use of scripting techniques and AFAIK didn't make a single use of 'The Friends Joke'*.
'The Friends Joke; used in most episodes goes along the lines of...
Person A: You would so do X
Person B: I would not [insert rant here]
Person A: Really?
Person B: No, I would do X.
Mich
Founding member
Brekkie Boy posted:
How many UK sitcoms over the last 10 years have been billed as the British version of Friends - Coupling being the most obvious comparison (which was remade for the US and flopped spectacularly!)
Billed as the British Friends, but quite an unfair comparison really. The characters are vaguely similar but that is about all, Coupling made far greater use of scripting techniques and AFAIK didn't make a single use of 'The Friends Joke'*.
'The Friends Joke; used in most episodes goes along the lines of...
Person A: You would so do X
Person B: I would not [insert rant here]
Person A: Really?
Person B: No, I would do X.
:-(
A former member
that's suppose to be FUNNY 
Thank god, were British with a strange but yet great since of humour!
Thank god, were British with a strange but yet great since of humour!
RM
How many UK sitcoms over the last 10 years have been billed as the British version of Friends
Cold Feet was a 30-something version of Friends in a way I believe.
I think the problem with USA-UK comedy crossovers is the different senses of humour. I've never found American comedies funny, or UK comedies clearly styled for the USA market (like The Office ) funny either-- I know people who feel the same.
In comparison, a lot Americans don't get our humour. Los Angeles-based Rod Stewart once said that the thing he misses most about the UK, was the "British comic cynicism". I think he hit the nail on the head there!
Some UK comedies have done OK in the USA ... the Benny Hill Show arguably made him a bigger star in the USA than the UK. Then again BH's visual humour, transcends most cultural differences in humour!
Brekkie Boy posted:
saturdaymorning posted:
Why don't we make british versions of american shows?British Friends would be interesting.
How many UK sitcoms over the last 10 years have been billed as the British version of Friends
Cold Feet was a 30-something version of Friends in a way I believe.
I think the problem with USA-UK comedy crossovers is the different senses of humour. I've never found American comedies funny, or UK comedies clearly styled for the USA market (like The Office ) funny either-- I know people who feel the same.
In comparison, a lot Americans don't get our humour. Los Angeles-based Rod Stewart once said that the thing he misses most about the UK, was the "British comic cynicism". I think he hit the nail on the head there!
Some UK comedies have done OK in the USA ... the Benny Hill Show arguably made him a bigger star in the USA than the UK. Then again BH's visual humour, transcends most cultural differences in humour!
IS
Exactly. Mainly because the Americans aren't usually happy about letting the U.K guys fully write it. Red Dwarf is a well documented example. The two main writers Rob Grant and Doug Naylor were constantly in battle with the American producers to get them to use the script they'd written, but to cut a long story short the American lot eventually vetoed the 'funny' script and went for the poor one.
Coupling again, although Steven Moffat was involved, it turned out to be awful for various reasons.
One Foot in The Grave was another example. They took the format and changed it completely - turning it into a vehicle for Bill Cosby.
There was so little recognisable that David Renwick has said that he didn't really understand why his name appeared in the credits
Mr-Stabby posted:
Exactly. Mainly because the Americans aren't usually happy about letting the U.K guys fully write it. Red Dwarf is a well documented example. The two main writers Rob Grant and Doug Naylor were constantly in battle with the American producers to get them to use the script they'd written, but to cut a long story short the American lot eventually vetoed the 'funny' script and went for the poor one.
Coupling again, although Steven Moffat was involved, it turned out to be awful for various reasons.
One Foot in The Grave was another example. They took the format and changed it completely - turning it into a vehicle for Bill Cosby.
There was so little recognisable that David Renwick has said that he didn't really understand why his name appeared in the credits
SA
Haha is that a fact?! I wondered why the actual 'Power Rangers' bits looked so cheap and cheesy (which is what Japeneese TV looks like, even today) compared to the actual spoken actors bits.
Watch what you say about the japanese.You could end up in as much trouble as Jade Goody.
This is still on topic because we're talking about a foreign programme which was adapted into another.
Mr-Stabby posted:
saturdaymorning posted:
This isn't a comedy but the british should make their own version of power rangers.The power rangers are really japanese but the americans use american and New Zealand actors and splice japanese clips in.Surely we could do that.
Haha is that a fact?! I wondered why the actual 'Power Rangers' bits looked so cheap and cheesy (which is what Japeneese TV looks like, even today) compared to the actual spoken actors bits.
Watch what you say about the japanese.You could end up in as much trouble as Jade Goody.
This is still on topic because we're talking about a foreign programme which was adapted into another.
JO
Haha is that a fact?! I wondered why the actual 'Power Rangers' bits looked so cheap and cheesy (which is what Japeneese TV looks like, even today) compared to the actual spoken actors bits.
Watch what you say about the japanese.You could end up in as much trouble as Jade Goody.
This is still on topic because we're talking about a foreign programme which was adapted into another.
Chris Tarrant refers to this kind of fact when he's taking the p*ss out of Japanese TV on Tarrant on TV although not in those exact words
saturdaymorning posted:
Mr-Stabby posted:
saturdaymorning posted:
This isn't a comedy but the british should make their own version of power rangers.The power rangers are really japanese but the americans use american and New Zealand actors and splice japanese clips in.Surely we could do that.
Haha is that a fact?! I wondered why the actual 'Power Rangers' bits looked so cheap and cheesy (which is what Japeneese TV looks like, even today) compared to the actual spoken actors bits.
Watch what you say about the japanese.You could end up in as much trouble as Jade Goody.
This is still on topic because we're talking about a foreign programme which was adapted into another.
Chris Tarrant refers to this kind of fact when he's taking the p*ss out of Japanese TV on Tarrant on TV although not in those exact words
NW
ISTR
Fawlty Towers
having being remade for US Television several times, last version they did was called
Payne
which bombed, I remember seeing it on ITV Night Time about five or six years ago and it was nothing like the original, there were bits and references, such as the Gourment Night episode, instead of Basil hitting the car with branch, Payne's car breaks down, he pushes it and it goes down a cliff.
I think it's a shame why any UK sitcom can't be broadcast in it's own form in the US, the only Comedy programmes that do have been Python, Benny Hill and Keeping Up Appearances, although the latter hasn't enjoyed the cult US status the first two had.
I'm not that keen on US sitcoms, the only ones I like are Cheers, Frasier and Seinfeld, otherwise I prefer British.
I think it's a shame why any UK sitcom can't be broadcast in it's own form in the US, the only Comedy programmes that do have been Python, Benny Hill and Keeping Up Appearances, although the latter hasn't enjoyed the cult US status the first two had.
I'm not that keen on US sitcoms, the only ones I like are Cheers, Frasier and Seinfeld, otherwise I prefer British.
MI
To be fair they show a much greater number than that, and have shown most of the originals that have led to recent remakes.
The problem is that these runs are almost always on BBC America - which has a much smaller audience share than the main networks; and the reason most of them aren't shown as originals on the main networks is because there just aren't enough episodes (and they'd have to be cut to shreds).
Mich
Founding member
nwtv2003 posted:
I think it's a shame why any UK sitcom can't be broadcast in it's own form in the US, the only Comedy programmes that do have been Python, Benny Hill and Keeping Up Appearances, although the latter hasn't enjoyed the cult US status the first two had.
To be fair they show a much greater number than that, and have shown most of the originals that have led to recent remakes.
The problem is that these runs are almost always on BBC America - which has a much smaller audience share than the main networks; and the reason most of them aren't shown as originals on the main networks is because there just aren't enough episodes (and they'd have to be cut to shreds).
NW
To be fair they show a much greater number than that, and have shown most of the originals that have led to recent remakes.
The problem is that these runs are almost always on BBC America - which has a much smaller audience share than the main networks; and the reason most of them aren't shown as originals on the main networks is because there just aren't enough episodes (and they'd have to be cut to shreds).
That's what I was going to refer to, most as you say are shown on BBC America, hence thats how The Office got recognised by the Americans before it won a Golden Globe or two, otherwise most tend to be shown on PBS.
Mich posted:
nwtv2003 posted:
I think it's a shame why any UK sitcom can't be broadcast in it's own form in the US, the only Comedy programmes that do have been Python, Benny Hill and Keeping Up Appearances, although the latter hasn't enjoyed the cult US status the first two had.
To be fair they show a much greater number than that, and have shown most of the originals that have led to recent remakes.
The problem is that these runs are almost always on BBC America - which has a much smaller audience share than the main networks; and the reason most of them aren't shown as originals on the main networks is because there just aren't enough episodes (and they'd have to be cut to shreds).
That's what I was going to refer to, most as you say are shown on BBC America, hence thats how The Office got recognised by the Americans before it won a Golden Globe or two, otherwise most tend to be shown on PBS.