Oh my God. This is just so wrong it MAKES ME WANT TO TYPE IN CAPITALS. Yes a new version has been made of the show which launched a thousand drag tribute acts.
YouTube - Kath and Kim American Version.
I don't think the makers quite get the essence of the original and the genius of the girls behind it. In many ways it is quintessentially Australian. (I think you can tell I'm a big fan of the original show).
Not all remakes are bad though most like the remaking of every decent Japanese horror film (which seems to be going on at the moment) are unnecessary.
In tv sitcom land for every success like The Upper Hand (the UK version of Who's The Boss) and The Office. There are many more flops, The Brighton Belles (The Golden Girls), Days Like These (That '70's show) and the version of One Foot In the Grave with Bill Cosby.
As you say, TV formats and films are recycled and resold the world over. It's a very strange medium.
ReplyDeleteSome things just don't relocate. They have to be seen in their original format. A programme can be filled with parts of a particular nation's pop-culture and there's just a bit of 'magic' with the performers in it. Replacing them just doesn't work.
I can't imagine One Foot In the Grave with Bill Crosby! Mind you, Men Behaving Badly and Porridge were also shipped across the pond. Oddly when AbFab was rebroadcast certain execs wanted to water a remake down - particularly Patsy's behaviour - which, ironically, is what attracted the American audience! The show was so very different to what their channels were showing at the time.
One of my UK favorites, "Coupling" was bought and run here a couple of seasons ago; it got one episode and was cancelled...
ReplyDeleteSometimes they just don't leave well enough alone!
alan
Coupling was hampered by being touted as a Friends replacement, while it shared some characteristics, it was a different creature.
ReplyDeleteI did see some clips of Cosby doing Victor Meldrew, I think I'm right in saying it was written with Richard Wilson in mind firstly, secondly Meldrew was just made too nice.