Life on Mars

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 25 May 2008, 21:40

I should've been clearer. I meant dramas/comedies instead of games shows. I see the odd one is mentioned in that list, but nothing big. I never knew Fun House was an American idea. I loved that as a kid. Britain's Got Talent isn't on that list.

Likewise The USA equivalent has a lot of UK dramas/comedies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Br ... _US_market

Cybil was never a remake of Absolutely Fabulous, what tosh. It's nothing alike at all.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 19 Jun 2008, 20:19

got the pilot of the usa version today.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Jun 2008, 20:32

Surely you're not going to watch the remake before the original? I saw the trailer and it's copied scene for scene, in some places.

How long is it?

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 19 Jun 2008, 20:45

I'm not going to watch it at all,it's for my brother who loves the original on the same scale as Grim. .runs 51 minutes.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Jun 2008, 20:50

Fair enough. Is good quality? I may have to track it down. Thanks btw.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 11 Oct 2008, 10:55

The first episode of the US series has premiered, if anyone cares.

480p (HD downscale) - 720p

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 11 Oct 2008, 14:06

I hear this is different to the pilot which was scrapped and the remade first episode now has Harvey Keitel as Gene Hunt. Only the actor playing Sam Tyler hasn't changed.

Thanks for the link. I'm downloading it now. I've gone for the 480p one as it's already in DivX/Xvid format, meaning I don't have to mess around converting it, to play on my DVD Recorder.

The reshoot, in addition to location change (now New York), consisted of a rewrite of the script and an overhaul of casting. In accordance with the script changes and with permission of the original creators, the "unsatisfying" ambiguity of Sam's story was removed in favor of a "mythological element" and "deeper mystery".

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Ma ... TV_series)

In other words they've dumbed it down

. There's nothing at all about Sam's ambiguity. That's part of the fun. He doesn't have a clue, neither do we.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 11 Oct 2008, 16:02

I've just scanned through it. It's good they've decided to change Gene's clothes this time. It's still a word for word remake in places though.

What is it with American TV and not being capable of plugging an original foreign show properly? If it was the other way round it would be given a prime time slot over here but no the Yanks cannot give a quaint British show prime time and must remake it. It';s no wonder most American's haven't got a clue what goes on outside their borders. It's all American, American, American.

I'll likely give the first episode a watch later. I'm not sure I'll bother though. I've already seen it once.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 11 Oct 2008, 17:00

Christ, can't you use spoiler tags?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 11 Oct 2008, 18:16

That's like asking we should use spoiler tags to say Planet of the Apes is set on earth. Besides it's not really a spoiler, it's well known Sam doesn't know why he's in 1973.

Life on Mars has been discussed a lot on this forum.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 19 Oct 2008, 02:54

Episode 2 (480p) - 720p

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 19 Oct 2008, 11:08

I didn't bother to watch Episode 1. I don't have time and it's bound to be poor compared to the original. The show is so British to me and it completely loses this being in America. It now looks like yet another American cop show (yes I know they're not all alike).

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 19 Oct 2008, 17:47

Life on Mars actually rescued Boston legal from cancellation at the end of s4. David E. Kelley had the rights to the remake and wrote the pilot, but wouldn't let ABC produce any more episodes unless they greenlit a fifth season for Boston Legal.

The very fact ABC are the kind of network who glady cancel one of the best shows on TV despite it winning them a bunch of Emmys and having good (but not fantastic) viewing figures, should tell you everything you need to know about the possible longevity of the Life on Mars remake!

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 20 Oct 2008, 02:02

Normally I'd scold Brad for writing off something without viewing it, but fuck this show. Call me a hypocrite if you like. This, Kath & Kim US and whenever the Yank remake of the fantastic kiwi show Outrageous Fortune surfaces, can go fuck themselves.

Shingster wrote:The very fact ABC are the kind of network who glady cancel one of the best shows on TV despite it winning them a bunch of Emmys and having good (but not fantastic) viewing figures, should tell you everything you need to know about the possible longevity of the Life on Mars remake!

Ain't ABC the network that's been running America's Funniest Home Videos for over a decade? Fuck them honestly.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 20 Oct 2008, 13:05

It's a word for word remake in places. I feel like I have already seen it

.