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Posted: 25 May 2008, 21:40
by bradavon
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.

Posted: 19 Jun 2008, 20:19
by saltysam
got the pilot of the usa version today.

Posted: 19 Jun 2008, 20:32
by bradavon
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?

Posted: 19 Jun 2008, 20:45
by saltysam
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.

Posted: 19 Jun 2008, 20:50
by bradavon
Fair enough. Is good quality? I may have to track it down. Thanks btw.

Posted: 11 Oct 2008, 10:55
by EvaUnit02
The first episode of the US series has premiered, if anyone cares.

480p (HD downscale) - 720p

Posted: 11 Oct 2008, 14:06
by bradavon
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 :roll:. There's nothing at all about Sam's ambiguity. That's part of the fun. He doesn't have a clue, neither do we.

Posted: 11 Oct 2008, 16:02
by bradavon
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.

Posted: 11 Oct 2008, 17:00
by EvaUnit02
Christ, can't you use spoiler tags?

Posted: 11 Oct 2008, 18:16
by bradavon
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.

Posted: 19 Oct 2008, 02:54
by EvaUnit02

Posted: 19 Oct 2008, 11:08
by bradavon
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).

Posted: 19 Oct 2008, 17:47
by Shingster
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! :D

Posted: 20 Oct 2008, 02:02
by EvaUnit02
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! :D
Ain't ABC the network that's been running America's Funniest Home Videos for over a decade? Fuck them honestly.

Posted: 20 Oct 2008, 13:05
by bradavon
It's a word for word remake in places. I feel like I have already seen it :D.