Kath and Kim: US Version

[Skylace]

Crap. That is what best describes this new series. Selma Blair acts like a 10 year old who still thinks she's Malibu Barbie. Molly Shannon is overrated in her "comic genius" and falls flat on her face. And John Michael Higgins character comes across as a repressed homosexual who is dating this woman as a cover.
It is destined to be one of the worst remakes ever. I also think NBC knew this or why would it have sandwiched the premiere between "My Name is Earl" and "The Office"?
If you missed it last night, you didn't miss anything.

[SpursFan1902]

It infuriates me that US television can't do anything but steal from other countries!! We usually do such a crap job at the remakes...Men Behaving Badly is just one example. I hear that the US "Office" is good, but I have never seen it, the original was so brilliant, I just can't. I see that we have done a remake of "Life on Mars" and even though it has alot of big stars, I am sure it will be crap too...If we like the idea so much, why don't we just show the originals!!

[luke]

thats what i don't understand, why do they feel the need to remake these great shows for american audiences? they don't remake american stuff for here

[Skylace]

[faceless]

I think the need that the producers see is in the cultural references - they think that people won't be able to understand the local jokes so make them in a way that they think will appeal to their own audience. They think people are thick basically!

It did work with The Office, but I've not seen those others you mentioned Sky - Brighton Belles didn't even register on my comedy but I hear I didn't miss much.

[Skylace]

Three's Company was a remake of of Man About the House, Sanford and Son was a remake of Steptoe and Son, All In the Family was a remake of Till Death us Due Part.

These were all highly successful shows in the US and were great. Jack Tripper, Chrissie Snow, Archie Bunker (don't forget the Mrs. Beasley doll that was huge because of the show either), Red Foxx, and more are cultural icons over here because of the successful remakes of UK shows.

Also don't forget Dear John (same name), Welcome Back Kotter (Please Sir), Queer As Folk (same name), and a lot of other reality shows like American Idol, What Not to Wear, Trading Spaces (Changing Rooms), Hell's Kitchen.

Lots of UK shows have been remade successfully. I think the biggest problem is the shows that are remade that are bad are more than the good ones and are also so bad that they're hard not to forget. Also, with the introduction of BBCA more people are seeing the original show and are able to compare, where in the 70s, 80s and even a good part of the 90s, that wasn't the case.

Granted, I will say, I have a shirt in my drawer that reads "The British Version of this shirt is better!"

[faceless]

I've just started watching this. They're portrayed as properly sexy! What the blithering fuck didn't they understand about the original idea?

[eefanincan]

I had meant to watch it, but totally forgot, so glad to hear I didn't miss anything.

I suppose if you'd never seen the original, it might be something you'd enjoy, but if you're always comparing a remake to the original, then it generally doesn't hold up well.

[pirtybirdy]

I was able to watch the original when our Australian coucher Janbo was kind enough to post them. I didn't really get the comedy. I watched a couple of more of the originals and still didn't get what was so funny about the show. So, my thoughts were that if I didn't like the original, I probably won't like the remake. Especially when they don't often make good remakes. I agree with Sky that we got some good ones out of remakes that a lot of times we forget about, but it's usually disappointing when they remake a perfectly good original. What I'd like to see is the original British version being given prime time US broadcast channel slots. I think that the guys who run these big tv corporations underestimate the American population's ability to appreciate and enjoy other good works that don't originate from here(America). That being said, I'm glad I didn't miss anything.....