Entertainment For Lively Minds
The US Version of Shameless
was shown on RTE last night. I'm not sure is it going to make it onto UK telly, cos frankly what would be the point?
I've not kept up to date with Shameless on Channel 4 as much as I should have, but I do recall the early episodes, and this seemed fairly faithful as remakes go. There's plenty of effing/blinding, nudity and drug use; if you asked me what was different about it, I'd have to say that it just 'looks' American.
By that, I think I mean, that the focus appears to be a little bit softer. The homegrown version, by virtue of the lighting and make up, made the characters look GENUINELY as rough as a badgers arse; this doesn't. It's not that it's done in Über-Soft-focus, like, say, The Good Wife, where EVERYBODY looks fabulous, but these people just don't look down on their luck enough.
The cast are fine in it. The question, I suppose I have to ask, is 'Why'? The original looks a bit grittier, but the script doesn't seem to be much different and there are only slight differences in the way scenes are set up; largely it's the same show. Even on the 'intelligent' Premium US channels, like HBO or Showtime, is it the case that the audience simply WILL NOT watch something that looks in any way 'foreign'? I mean, it does occur to me that deciphering the accent of the original might be tricky enough, but is that the reason?
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William H. Macy
is a fine fine actor.
It's not really a case that audiences will not watch something that 'looks foreign' (careful there, big guy) but I think it's more that the potential audience for the locally produced version is exponentially greater and thus more profitable.
Can Shameless be "Americanised"? Dunno. How'd the American version of The Office fare?
i was hoping you'd pop in with a comment!
i hear ya on the 'looks foreign' but I think you get my (intended non-xenphobic) drift. I guess what I'm getting at is...if you tried to put an import from the BBC on mainstream network TV in the States, it'd get an audience at the thick end of feck all. We know this. That's fair enough. The networks tend to play to the lowest common denominator (if that doesn't sound too snobby) and so anything controversial in terms of nudity, violence or origin of programme doesn't get shown.
However, I've got the feeling that the type of folk who'll subscribe to channels like HBO, or Showtime are a little bit more, er, well, how shall I put this...Frasier Crane would be a HBO subscriber, but Kenny, his boss wouldn't.
In other words, I'd have thought - and correct me if I'm wrong - that the viewers of Premium channels would accept the programme as it was?
And in response to your last comment - y'see that's the thing! It's not *been* Americanised as such. It's pretty much the same story, told in a different locale, with different actors. Perhaps later episodes will tell a tale, but at the moment, there's not the slightest hint of divergence from the source material.
Thanks ivan, always good to be made welcome
I do get your drift and agree that a BBC import on "mainstream network tv" (crucial distinction, there) would enjoy a null set Nielson. But I don't think it's 'cos they is too thick ta git it. As for the networks; nudity, no. Violence? Boy howdy yes. Origen? Here, they'll get a bigger share making their own version.
Here's the rub. Take any middlin metropolitan area around the us, stick a wire coat hanger atop a ten buck tv, and you got 20 channels right there. We're still suffering post war televisular privations here. So the Premium channels are really not just limited to the Fraser Cranes (I personally am much more a Niles, just without the latent homoeroticism). Cable deals are such that the Premiums have almost broadcast reach (or so it would appear from my peer group over there).
I was not aware the scripts are relatively unchanged (I watched a couple of episodes and thought it was a fly on the wall documentary and lost interest). But that is a brave thing.
Remember Matt LeBlanc in Episodes talking with Debbie Aldrich; "You made how many seasons?" 4. "That's how many episodes?" 24. "That's one season over here". If it flies, it'll be interesting to see where it goes.
Oh yeah, then there's BBC America. Seems to be everywhere. In America, that is.
The U.S. Office
Is a pretty damn fine show in it's own right. But it took it a season to stop copying the UK show and for it to find it's own feet.
It's now in it's 7th season. And funnily enough Ricky Gervais turned up as David Brent in a small but very funny cameo in last nights show.
It's going to be on More 4 over here.
It's why they cancelled John Stewart's Daily Show. So they could spend their US budget on it.
Idiots.
I doubt it will last
It got appalling reviews.
US Remakes On UK TV
"I'm not sure is it going to make it onto UK telly, cos frankly what would be the point?"
This is something I always struggle to get my head around - it's relatively rare that a US remake of a UK show gets picked up by a major channel, let alone put in a prominent slot, but you'd think they'd be mad keen if the British version has been successful.
Take the US 'Office', for instance. The BBC would presumably have been crying out for further episodes from Ricky Gervais et al, and I'd have thought any major channel worth its salt would have been similarly keen to poach such a show given the opportunity. Instead, the first series got buried on BBC Three, before subsequent ones were squirrelled away on ITV2 in the middle of the night. The US 'Life on Mars' only made it as far as FX, come to think of it, with not a sniff from a terrestrial channel.
A public service announcement
Just in case anyone's missed it, it's now being shown on More4.
Coincidentally Dave have started re-running the original UK series this week which as an enthusiastic latecomer to the series is helping match my scant, if not non-existent knowledge of the early episodes to the US version.
And IMHO William H. Macy's portrayal of Frank Gallagher is excellent.