Haven't really watched either, I can't bear American remakes of British comedies. American comedies are generally predictable and quite unfunny, and it's even worse to watch them butcher good source material in the process.

The dramas can fare better in translation, but still typically lack the depth and nuance of the originals. I stick with the British versions whenever feasible.

Considering how US network executives, seem to think that americans will NOT watch anything that is not set in America, even if it's recorded in the same language (and there is ample proof to the contrary), I'm surprised that no one has ever attempted to do a remake of upstairs downstairs. That makes me think that maybe not all network execs are clinically braindead.

Then I remember that Firefly and My name is Earl got cancelled and I realize the truth.

We do the same thing with Japanese horror films, why would British comedies be any different!? :P

Hello everybody! Hope things are going well.

I've watched both the British and American versions of The Office. The American series went on way too long, but I actually enjoyed the first three seasons of it more than the British one.

I didn't like The IT Crowd in the first place, so I'm not going to bother at all with the American version.
(I have a man-crush on Chris O'Dowd, though :-D)

It's a fantastic cast. Very well written. Depressing as hell though :/
I suppose it would be considering the subject matter.

Can't say I've ever watched the American remakes of things, just going on what people said.
I don't mind American comedies (or TV in general), but they're very different to British TV.

You can bet the execs looked at that (and even moreso Downton Abbey) and wracked their walnut-sized brains on how to bring it over here ("we'll use WASP-y One Percenters and illegal immigrants!"). But it really only works when set in the British class system, which just doesn't carry over.

And yes, it's quite insulting that they think a show has to be set in the States and spoken in American accents to succeed. Of course, given how they typically dumb-down the shows, they probably also believe the American audience is as stupid as they themselves and that the original will make everyone feel ignorant. Plus there's all those chances to replace references to Walker's crisps with ones to Lay's potato chips.
Another good point. Poor Godzilla (Gojira) too.

Well aside from the language barrier, there's the fact that japanese acting seems to involve enough quantites of ham to give a hundred people triple coronary bypass surgery.

They make William Shatner seem subdued by comparison.

During my most weeabo days, I tried to watch some japanese "doramas". I found that they were unwatchable unless you were properly "seasoned", and watched them in company to MST3K'fy the hell out of them.

They're good for drinking games though. Everybody is wasted before the commercial breaks.

All they need to do is spend some time on the internet (particularly on Pinterest) and they would realise Americans love British TV (Doctor Who, Sherlock and I'm sure countless others)

I just wonder when we'll start seeing the reverse, a British remake of Friends or Scrubs.

Those would make it more likely that I would actually watch those shows. :)

Well the cheesy monster movies sure, but I'm talking about the original Eye, Grudge, Ring (forgive me for not using the proper Japanese titles). I think the acting is fine in those.

Yes and no. I'm thinking that if they ever make them, they'd be so changed as to be unrecognizable and have their own personality, not a shot by shot remake with local actors. After all, Brits get a lot of US TV so everybody in the UK has already seen friends, what interest do they have in watching the same thing again.

That was the exact problem that suffered a local remake of married with children. I remember watching an episode in disbelief as I saw a shot-by-shot remake in which everything was left exactly the same as the american version which I had already seen. What's more, they didn't even bother to translate the social and cultural differences. Keeping the same house that in here, would be considered a small manor for a successful man.

Actually the cheesy movies tolerate that cholesterol laden acting better, because you can laugh your ass off to it.

I present Exhibit A

Agreed, the Japanese originals are far superior. I didn't even bother with some of the American remakes (notably The Eye and One Missed Call).


That's part of my point. I have no desire to watch the American originals of those shows, so a British version would be (hopefully) improved enough to be worth checking out.

A ninety dollar game on GOG. Color me shocked! :/

Oh brave new gaming world, that hath such prices in 't.