US TV Converting British Shows

#1
VOLatile

VOLatile

BRB Pooping
Joined
Sep 17, 2006
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805
#1
Seriously... it needs to stop. Has the United States completely run out of innovative ideas and originality? 99% of the time the British version is funnier.

Here is a list of shows that have originated in Britain and have been remade for the United States:

Top Gear
Skins
Shameless
The Office
American Idol (Originally Pop Idol)
Undercover Boss
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Wife Swap
Being Human

Am I missing anything? These were off the top of my head...

Why don't they just re-air the British versions here?

Episodes on Showtime makes fun of this trend...which is followed by Shameless.

I'd also like to throw in the remake of the Swedish movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo since the books are now a hit here.
 
#2
#2
the office is the only one that matters, and it's better than the original.
 
#3
#3
the office is better than the original, anyone that says otherwise is a hipster iyam

Shameless is great.
 
#6
#6
chavisut said:
the office is better than the original, anyone that says otherwise is a hipster iyam

Shameless is great.
Click to expand...

Shameless is the only one I like. Can't stand either version of The Office, but I love Ricky Gervais. I wish they would bring a lot more of the shows over in their original form. I grew up watching Red Dwarf on PBS.
 
#8
#8
at least America hasn't bastardized Dr. Who, the only British TV show that really matters.
 
#10
#10
Good thing those shows all suck(sans maybe the first 3 seasons of the Office). I fail to see the problem here. If anything they need to stop remaking every single movie ever released. Remaking things like the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is fine because the majority of people in the US don't want to watch something with subtitles. The trilogy is pretty weak outside of Noomi Rapace's character. David Fincher should do a good job with the remake though. The remake for Let the Right One In wasn't bad either.

Hollywood's been remaking some classics that don't need to be touched though. Heard fairly recently they were planning on remaking My Fair Lady, I mean seriously?
 
#11
#11
Everyone's been stealing from each other for 40 years. Nothing new. To me, they all suck anyway. I really shouldn't comment on newer shows though since I haven't watched TV in 10 years.
 
#12
#12
Slydell said:
Everyone's been stealing from each other for 40 years. Nothing new. To me, they all suck anyway. I really shouldn't comment on newer shows though since I haven't watched TV in 10 years.
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The Wonder Years. Best Ever. comes on at 3 eastern.
 
#13
#13
If you like the Apprentice (or don't like me), you should check out the British version with Sir Allen Sugar. That man is a riot. Love the guy.

Are you Smarter Than a 10 Year Old is weird overseas. They have two metrosexual guys hosting and it's somewhat bizarre. You don't need 2 hosts.

When I first saw 'Deal or No Deal' in London I thought it was great. When I saw it coming here I told my brother, "Man, can't wait to see how much they Hollywood-up this thing." Sure enough. The original is far more pedestrian and personable.

I started watching Dragon's Den awhile back when I was overseas. Year or two later it was bastardized into the Shark Tank. Granted, this was originally from Japan if I'm not mistaken. But, here again the British version seems much more personable and less flashy graphics and back stories and setup emotional scenes, etc.

Fairly dumb show, but I got hooked on Golden Balls last time I was over there. It's a gameshow where you have to work with and lie to your opponents to advance. Ends up with the 2 finalist deciding to split or take it all. Doubt we'll see it over here. Some episodes on youtube. Fun show.

If you have sat or cable over there, you have a fairly good selection of US shows running. Jerry Springer is on all day everyday somewhere. They love him. You'll catch some HBO and SHO programming on their normal channels. Usually you're a few months behind but some are fairly close.

Live college football can be difficult to see. Your selections are limited to a handful of games and most aren't live. My brother uses a slingbox at my house or tapes them on his box and watches it first thing the next morning.
 
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#16
#16
you left off Coupling/friends.

I think that the David Brent Office is the funniest one, but it only had like two seasons and a Christmas special. Garreth is funnier than Dwight.
 
#17
#17
chavisut said:
the office is better than the original, anyone that says otherwise is a hipster iyam

Shameless is great.
Click to expand...
I am certainly no hipster, but the British "Office" was superior IMO JMO GBO

The British version of "Whose Line is it Anyway?" was also much funnier.
 
#18
#18
vader said:
I am certainly no hipster, but the British "Office" was superior IMO JMO GBO

The British version of "Whose Line is it Anyway?" was also much funnier.
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loved Clive Anderson!

"This has been me Clive Anderson, saying goodnight: goodnight."
 
#22
#22
british version of the office is hilarious ... luv british humor .. also luv the us version .. first few seasons at least

coupling >>>>>>>>>> friends
 
#24
#24
VOLNBAMA said:
British version only had 14 episodes
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

That's exactly my point. They quit before it became things really went downhill. More shows should so the same. There's no reason to have 7 seasons (or is it 8 now?) of an office comedy. You know its getting bad when at the end of season 6 they started mimicking seasons 2-3 because the show was flat and they had run out of ideas long ago.
 
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#25
#25
MadcapLaughs said:
you left off Coupling/friends.

I think that the David Brent Office is the funniest one, but it only had like two seasons and a Christmas special. Garreth is funnier than Dwight.
Click to expand...

what? that's crazy. Garreth is no where near as funny as dwight.
 
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