Reflections on the puddle of life

I'm going to have to come back and watch the clips when I get a bit of time :) You just brought to mind my niece who is all about looking things up on Google if she has a question.

It's a great series, though I haven't caught many. I wonder if the US version will water down the horrible-ness of the kids with the "Culkin effect" they tend to have on children? Then again, Malcolm in the Middle seems to have overcome a bit of that.

Well, sadly, if they're going to script it, which I'm sure they will, it will not work. They will not be able to let go of that sort of control.

I sort of remember another import about some couples, maybe that was the name of it, that they tried to redo, but they couldn't bring that off either.

In defense of TV here in the states, they can do somethings, occasionally. "Modern Family" is really good.

As for "The Office," it is probably hard, also, to see something you are familiar with and see it redone in the hands of another. I like "The Office," in very small doses. Some one in a magazine pointed out, maybe Gervase, (is that his name, the creator of the show?) that in England they do shows for a much shorter time, and here they go one much longer. Ad infinitum, some would say.

I've got to go do some cleaning. I'll come back to look at the clips. The kids look cute, particularly the little girl

Oh, I tried to watch one before I logged off, Fifth, and I couldn't. Youtube said the BBC blocked it in the U.S. because of copyright laws. Sorry.

oh, that's a shame.

Qimi, I haven't really got a problem with US TV but rather I think that British comedy shows don't translate well into American copies. One of our most loved TV comedies, Dad's Army, had an American counterpart which lasted, I think, one show. It just didn't work. Imagine if someone tried to make Monty Python? It just wouldn't work. Perhaps it would work as a reimagined project?

I hope that makes sense. I'm a bit rambly today

Too true about the British and TV series lengths. Hustle and Doc Martin are highly enjoyed but wish there were more episodes of each.

An American Monty Python? I laugh at the thought. But thank you kindly, fifth; by the way, I did not think you were being unkind, just brutally honest. Your clarification kind of highlights American TV producers difficulty in adapting English shows. They are trying to restyle culture, and I just don't think they are taking that into account.

Personally, I think almost all of American TV reeks of desperation in their almost comical desire to make money. If they could just bring themselves to back off that idea just a little, and respect the art of creating for this medium, I think it would all be a lot better.

I did like The Office both in the UK and US. They were two different shows and I think they worked well in different ways. Dwight Shrute was a brilliant character.

I'm curious. Those children are acting improvisationally? Seems like they're too young to be so in control as actors. Or there are a heck of a lot of out takes. As to the concept, it seems like they're trying to merge reality shows with sitcoms, or said a little differently, trying to give form to formless life.

Thanks for the comments everyone

Virgil the children do improvise. As I understand it they're given an overview of what the scenes about and then they're given free reign. There probably are a lot of outtakes, but actually all that's really being asked of them is to behave like children. It means that the dialogue is much more natural, because the children are expressing themselves in their own way. I'm going to do a couple of transcripts, seems as you can't watch the clips, so you can see what I mean. They're expression is not that different to what I see in my kids, which is probably why I find it so funny. I think you're right about giving form to formless life, I think a lot of British sitcoms do this, such as The Office, and The Royle Family - have you ever seen that? It's basically about people sitting round and watching TV, but it is brilliant!
mtpspur I hear what you're saying about series length. Sometimes it feels like they're over before they've begun, whereas US shows (like Heroes which we're watching at the moment) seem to run on and on.
Qimi I think you're right about trying to restyle culture, I think that's why it doesn't always work. It'd be like trying to produce a British version of Friends, it just wouldn't work. Some things are transferable, mainly reality TV shows, but others are so rooted in the culture in which they originated that it just doesn't translate. So for British shows, for me, it would include Only Fools and Horses, Red Dwarf and Fawlty Towers along with those I already mentioned. Perhaps, though, Outnumbered will work for an American audience with an American cast. Thinking about it, there are some things in Outnumbered which a UK audience wouldn't have a problem with (because our humour is not, generally, that politically correct - ever seen Little Britain, or Allo Allo?) but may be perceived as offensive elsewhere. For example, there was a scene in the airport where Karen was asking if it was just Muslims that blew up planes, and a number of scenes where the children interrogate a vicar about God and Jesus. Some of the humour is a bit close to the bone.

Originally Posted by TheFifthElement

Virgil the children do improvise. As I understand it they're given an overview of what the scenes about and then they're given free reign. There probably are a lot of outtakes, but actually all that's really being asked of them is to behave like children. It means that the dialogue is much more natural, because the children are expressing themselves in their own way.

Well, then they're outstanding actors. We did some improvisational acting in college creative writing classes and we basically sucked. Improvisational acting is not easy. No wonder british actors have such great reputations.

I think you're right about giving form to formless life, I think a lot of British sitcoms do this, such as The Office, and The Royle Family - have you ever seen that? It's basically about people sitting round and watching TV, but it is brilliant!

No I haven't and I don't think we have that here. At least I'm not familiar with it, but then again I don't watch too much TV. We have reality shows but that sounds different.