MovieChat Forums > Blackadder II (1986) Discussion > Could the Americans do there own Blackad...

Could the Americans do there own Blackadder?


Many shows have been redone in the US, and as Blackadder is one of the premier comedies ever made, I wondered if they could create there own show.

This is a show I wish could be remade or continued, if not here then there.

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Why not just watch the original instead of destroying it with a remake??
Also America does not have as much History as the UK, so what era would you set it in? The Civil War? Wild West?

I assure you I'm not officer, I've only had a few ales

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I have seen and reseen the original, and wish for more. The civil War and the Wild West would be excellent eras.

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Why not just watch the original instead of destroying it with a remake??

Remakes don't destroy the originals. Get a clue.

Also America does not have as much History as the UK, so what era would you set it in? The Civil War? Wild West?

What a stupid, stupid, stupid thing to say. Don't be so provincial, thinking that if it's not European, it's not history. Idiot.

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Remakes don't destroy the originals. Get a clue.

Okay, maybe I should have worded that a bit better. What I meant was that American TV companies take alot of British shows and try and re-make them. Not many are successful apart from maybe The Office being the big exception. I think most people are like myself who wonder why don't you just watch the original instead of making a really bad remake? Especially when said show is considered a classic.

What a stupid, stupid, stupid thing to say. Don't be so provincial, thinking that if it's not European, it's not history. Idiot.

Wow...... Why have you taken offense to a genuine question? I wasn't try to have a go at anyone. And where did I that if it's not European, it's not history? Are you this rude to everyone you come across or just being a keyboard warrior? If anyone is coming across as an idiot on this thread, naxself, its you.

Yorkshire is a place. Yorkshire is a state of mind.

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It's a fact that USA has almost no history. It's a baby country.

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No no no no no!
Blackadder worked so well because of the British humour and Blackadder's personality and his characters. An american remake would be so much worse, and I would not allow myself to call it Blackadder. Why remake something that's nearly perfect? Americans can just enjoy what's already been made.

For those who want to believe no proof is needed. For those who cant believe no evidence is enough

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US TV has made a few good remakes of British sitcomes, The Office, and American Workplace is excellent. I dont see why the US couldnt do the same with Blackadder. Despite being a youngish country history wise there is still plenty of scope. Frankly Im surprised the US havent attempted a remake yet

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I don't think that would work. People usually remake things that didn't go well to make it better, and there really is no reason to try to improve Blackadder.

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No one should remake Blackadder but there was a brilliant US series called THANKS - that satirized the Pilgrims here (Cloris Leachman played a Puritan grandmother). Entertainment Weekly raved about it. It's here on IMDB and Sara Vowell of NPR/American Life fame also raves about it and writes about it in her book The Wordy Shipmates.

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You would need the perfect Blackadder, what American could you/anyone see in that role?

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NO!

They've already attempted and failed so many other British comedies, I doubt they'd get as lucky as they did with The Office again.

___
WOOF WOOF!

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They have now remade Shameless too.

Yorkshire is a place. Yorkshire is a state of mind.

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Not unless they develop irony and sarcasm.

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If they found writers with as much love of language as Elton & Curtis then it could possibly succeed. Nationality & era are merely the backdrop.

"Sir, let those laugh that win."- Barry Lyndon

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Having been an American all my life, I assure you we could not.
As someone mentioned earlier, we don't have nearly as much history, and from my perspective, merely following president after president would be tedious.
I also think Americans take their own history very, very seriously and see each battle and war as a landmark for civil liberties.

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Your last point is the crux of the reason why it would never work. To the vast majority of Americans, history is one of two things:
1. insufferably boring; or
2. sacrosanct.

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, to name a few obvious examples, practically aren't people to many (especially conservative) Americans--they're impersonal ideals. You can't play them as humorous, or even realistic, characters, because you have to show the negative with the positive. The "Founding Fathers" were perfect, and any obvious mistakes (slavery, the plowing under of American Indians, anti-immigrant violence, etc.) are swept under the rug.

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that would be a terrible idea. Im american, and I can tell you that i'm 100% sure that it would suck. besides, blackadder had a pretty good run,4 seasons is plenty. don't mess with perfection.

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America doesn't really have a long enough history. The Blackadder show went from the 11th century until the 20th. And the humour is different so it would lose its edge.

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The americans did try their own blackadder set during the revolutionary war. The reslts were....interesting to say the least.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNca7IsC8qE

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Like they did Red Dwarf? No, it's very British dark humor, might as well do a whole new thing with Indians for ex. and conflict with the settlers.

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