ABC to remake Spooks in the USA!

[Tomsdouble]

Bertowud

I know you're right with a lot of what you say, although I can't watch the American version of the Office, not because I don't like it - I've heard it's really good, I just like to think that the original is the only one that exists because I adore it so much.

I used to watch Coupling for while; I never actually watched Friends though (clearly one of only about 12 people in the universe never to have seen it), so I don't know if Coupling was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek version of it. Can't believe a remake of it would very lazily just replace British cultural references with US ones. Is that how some telly executives actually think it works, that Britain and the US are interchangable on every level? Although I reckon Tony Blair think the same thing (oooh, political). I hope the person responsible was 'adapting' Coupling now works in sausage-grinding factory, although I dare say the irony will be lost on him/her.

I'm really ranting today. It's great. This is what happens when you haven't messaged a site like this for many months!

Anyway, let's hope the US Spooks has charm, integrity, wit, originality and possibly a scene involving Leslie Phillips working in a skip factory. I hope the producers have got all that.

[bertowud]

And of course ironically we're not disagreeing, just discussing semantical differences.

I'm with you on The Office. I'm not so much a fan of most comedies these days.

They made a US version of Coupling called Coupling. Coupling is basically a similar concept to Friends, but not a "remake". The US version of Coupling really was the same show with a few cultural references changed. That's probably why it only lasted a handful of episodes. It was badly done.

We'll see. Assuming it makes it to the air.

The problem I see with a US version of Spooks is American television is too PC. They wouldn't tackle the topics they do in the UK version. Also, there really is no IRA equivalent in the US, so there goes several plot lines. I'd really like it if they just treated it as a spin off show and have them occasionally and infrequently interact with the UK version. One example would be NCIS and NCIS: LA or the Law & Order franchise.

[Tomsdouble]

Well put, Bertowud, 'semantic differences', indeed

You may not have the IRA equivalents in the US but you have some crazy right-wing religious fundamentalist groups (alluded to in epsidode 1, series 1 of Spooks); I'm sure they could easily be brought into storylines. If the writing is good enough then problems such as the PC issue shouldn't really come up. I just hope it doesn't degenerate into a rightwing torture-fest a la 24.

[A Cousin]

(25-08-2010 01:37 PM)Tomsdouble Wrote:  Bertowud

I know you're right with a lot of what you say, although I can't watch the American version of the Office, not because I don't like it - I've heard it's really good, I just like to think that the original is the only one that exists because I adore it so much.

I love both of them. I think the reason The (American) Office works as well is because 1) Ricky Gervais is involved, at least originally and 2) it takes a very American "spin" on the same situation and characters that are very familiar in our own ways but just short of stereotype and 3) the casting, in both cases, is brilliant.

We are not interchangeable culturally. As they say, we are two countries separated by a common language. It doesn't stop at the language. If they must "translate" into American, producers must recognize that and adjust accordingly. It is a delicate balance which I generally agree is a bad idea and doesn't work more often than it does. Sometimes, a program will not translate culturally and they should just leave it alone. As for stealing ideas, maybe it is lazy, but even Shakespeare stole ideas. He just translated them for his audiences brilliantly.

IMO, Life On Mars didn't work primarily because Gene Hunt didn't work. The Gene Hunt they wrote for Harvey Keitel, an actor I generally like, was such a watered-down PC sack of nothing, that it ruined it. It was a bad choice because they were scared of his brutality and it not being PC enough, as Berto mentions. One of our differences is that Americans, as a whole, are pretty literal minded. The general plot device for Sam's transport into 1972 and the way and reasons he stays there in the end is something Americans in general couldn't accept. It was a perfect example of a program that could not transcend our cultural differences.

I think Spooks will suffer from the same problem.

[bertowud]

I still find it funny how they changed the joke about him not being able to find his mobile to not being able to find his cell on LOM.

[Silktie]

Ever notice how the computer whizz in US shows is always a scruffy looking teenage type?

Methinks ol' Malcolm might be getting a make-over.

[A Cousin]

(25-08-2010 06:11 PM)Silktie Wrote:  Ever notice how the computer whizz in US shows is always a scruffy looking teenage type?

Methinks ol' Malcolm might be getting a make-over.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo...!

If that happens I will launch the bottle of Samuel Adams lager that I will no doubt be holding straight at our 54" screen.

[Giftcard]

I'll watch it but I don't hold out much hope that it will be good. But *fingers crossed* that I'll be surprised. I wasn't a fan of the US version of Life On Mars and didn't they try remaking Footballers Wive$ as well?

(13-08-2010 06:33 PM)Naivety Wrote:  I wouldn't be at all interested in an American version of Spooks if they are just going to use the same plots but in the FBI/CIA/whatever. What would be more interesting (and original)is if the programme was from the point of view of the CIA agents based in the UK, with some of the core British characters playing their existing roles - in the way Christine and whatever her name was in the last series - do in our beloved Spooks. Now that would be worth watching!

I like this idea! I would also be interested to see British spies working on American soil, which would be MI-6 but still could be cool. I really don't want the show to lose it's "Britishness" but even if the remake sucks, I've got several more seasons of the original to watch.

I am a fan of NCIS, not so much their spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles but I do like how characters will pop up on the other show. They seem to make it work, unlike CSI where I feel like those crossovers are super contrived. Homicide: Life on the Street & Law And Order also did crossover appearances very well.

Season 8 Spoiler: (I'm not sure how you all manage to get those neat spoiler things in here so I'm going to type it out in white and you can highlight it if you want to know).

"Ever notice how the computer whizz in US shows is always a scruffy looking teenage type?"

Tariq is a scruffy looking teenage type. LOL!

Edited to add: Several years ago there, Fox had a show called "The American Embassy" about the American Embassy in London. It was much lighter than Spooks, but did have CIA storylines. I really liked it and was so upset when it was cancelled after only a few episodes.

[festa]

Speaking as an American.... ABC will def screw it up. If one of the premium channels like HBO or Showtime were picking it up, there would be hope.... but ABC is all shlock.

Anyway, half the fun for us across the pond is that we get to giggle at the British portrayal of us. We see how similar we are, and also how different. Take for instance the Harry/Ruth relationship. Americans don't go in much for the "stiff upper lip" or quiet desperation thing. American tv would have had them in bed long ago. They will change it in ways that will take away from it's charm. It's all about ratings here.

I think if were an American series, I wouldn't enjoy it near as much.

[bertowud]

Giftcard, that's probably not strictly a spoiler, but:

Code:

[spoiler]spoiler goes here![/spoiler]