US Remakes of British Shows

Published by

Clarissa

January 28, 2014

Reader el asked me to comment on the following:

“But I can’t, and don’t, buy that it’s a coincidence that every time similar content is approached in two different ways for Americans and for international audiences, the people designing it for US consumption choose to dumb everything down, rob sex of its sexuality, and turn violence into a cheap visual gag reel”

This made me remember the outstanding British show Cracker with the amazing Robbie Coltrane. Does anybody else remember it? Its American remake was bizarrely bad and just boring.

The main problem with the remake was that, instead of the talented actors who looked like normal people, the American show had plastic cyborgs whose only skill was to look pretty. American TV shows usually compensate for bad acting and cyborg-like actors with phenomenal plotting. Cracker, however, revolved around the personality of the protagonists. Once you substitute them with pretty mannequins, nothing is left of the show.

Wherever I watch movies or TV from countries other than the US, I’m shocked by how normal and human the actors look. As for the quote at the beginning of this post, there are dumb sitcoms in the US but the really popular drama TV shows are in no way dumb. The dumb people are those who want TV to be all about sex and violence and don’t notice how beautifully the US shows are written, directed and shot.

If only somebody could bring together Spanish, British, Danish or Russian actors with American writers, that would be an absolutely amazing TV show.

Now the American TV is going through its golden age. I believe it started with the best TV show of all times and epochs, Twin Peaks. Do I have readers old enough to remember it? That show was a freakin’ work of art. I’m hearing True Detective is going in that direction. Has anybody seen it yet?

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10 responses to “US Remakes of British Shows”

marc2020

January 28, 2014

It wont premier in the UK until February 22 I am counting down the days because from what I’ve read on from American reviews its absolutely incredible.

Sorry I know that was no help at all but I just felt like commenting.

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1. Clarissa
  
  January 28, 2014
  
  I hear the Russians are going nuts over that show, and Russians know good tv.
  
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  1. Stille (@aperfectbalance)
    
    January 28, 2014
    
    I’ve heard great things about it too, but I haven’t watched it yet.
    
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Evelina Anville

January 28, 2014

I really loved Twin Peaks. Another rec for an older TV Show: Veronica Mars. Have yuo seen it? You like mysteries so I think you will love it. Plus I think I remember you commenting once that you liked Buffy. VM is reminicent of Buffy. VM is one of my personal favorie TV shows of all time……….Also the British Sherlock is GREAT for mysteries and fun. I recommend Sherlock highly……..I agree with you though. I think the writing on many American TV shows is stellar.

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kreadew

January 28, 2014

It baffles me: every year hordes of young people flock to LA and NYC, seeking jobs as screen actors. Surely at least some of them have some acting talent? Yet every pretty new face with a role in TV or film seems completely devoid of anything but…a pretty face.

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n8chz

January 28, 2014

American TV shows usually compensate for bad acting and cyborg-like actors with phenomenal plotting.

As for the quote at the beginning of this post, there are dumb sitcoms in the US but the really popular drama TV shows are in no way dumb. The dumb people are those who want TV to be all about sex and violence and don’t notice how beautifully the US shows are written, directed and shot.

Now the American TV is going through its golden age.

You must get cable or something.

I guess broadcast TV is my punishment for having more brains than money.

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1. Evelina Anville
  
  January 28, 2014
  
  Do you have Netflix? It’s fairly cheap and it’s how I see all the fancy cable (i.e. the ones on Showtime, HBO, etc) shows. And there are SO many good ones. I have never had “premum cable” in my life and only very very recently purchased basic cable (came as a great package with my internet.) And it’s so much more fun to watch a bunch at once. So I think it’s better than having fancy cable. 🙂 I hate waiting when I love a TV show. 🙂
  
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  1. Clarissa
    
    January 28, 2014
    
    Yes, we have streaming. This is how we are watching Mad Men and watched Breaking Bad. But The Wire, for instance, is not available for streaming.
    
    “And it’s so much more fun to watch a bunch at once. So I think it’s better than having fancy cable.”
    
    – Exactly. This is why we disconnected cable 3 years ago.
    
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  2. Evelina Anville
    
    January 28, 2014
    
    We do a Netflix streaming/mail disk combination. It’s not much more expensive (if you have a DVD or Blueray player) and then you get access to 100% of content. It’s how I watched the first season of The Wire. Lot of great shows (like Homeland!) are only available on disk.
    
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Deryck Cooke

January 28, 2014

American TV remakes ripped the sting out of UK shows such as ‘Till Death Us Do Part’, ‘Steptoe and Son’ and ‘The Office’. but also you gave us ‘the Sopranos’ and ‘Breaking Bad’. All is more than forgiven. The best shows on British TV now are Scandinavian,dramas e.g. ‘Borgen’

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