"Our intention is to create another classic television show from this brilliant original format," said NBC's Angela Bromstad.
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? It will probably suck big time
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8235372.stm
This is just another senseless remake of a good, powerful production. The original was hard hitting, revolutionary and relevant to the time. The last two installments were a perfect end and return to this series. The last two made in the 2002 and 2006 allowed us to see Jane Tennison as she was getting older and gave the viewers closure with the characters which we were not allowed when the PS5 was shown.
I am not saying that the US redo of the Office is not good, by far of the British programmes redone on American television it is the only success in the recent attempts. Life on Mars was basically a weaken down PC version of the British version until that idiotic ending. The Eleventh Hour was shown in America using the same scripts as the British version, what let it down was the lack of a actor the quality and screen presence of Patrick Stewart as Prof. Hood.
Any American version of Prime Suspect will have the PC overtones that ruined the Life on Mars and The Eleventh Hour (please, people smoked in 1973, it is a fact of life and reality). If this would have proposed before that Super Bowl incident of a few years ago, better yet it was done at the same time in the early 90s, it might have a chance. American television is not capable of making the hard hitting Non-political Correct programmes that made the seven series of Prime Suspect a success and as hard hitting in the present day. We broke the glass ceiling for women in police dramas with Cagney and Lacey in the 80s and shattered it with Prime Suspect in the 90s.
Do not get me started on potential candidates to replace Dame Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison. As far as I am concerned she is the only one who was capable of being Tennison now, then or ever. In the same note, DCI Jane Tennison made Helen Mirren as much as Dame Helen made Jane Tennison.
I will admit I did like some aspects of the NBC remake of Prime Suspect, but I think Maria Bello was the wrong person to portray Jane Tennison (or Jane Timoney, aka, Jane Tennison). I never cottoned to her because she could never, in my opinion, pull off the strong characters she was supposed to portray, whether it was Dr. Del Amico in ER or Edie Stall in A History of Violence or, most egregiously, taking over as Evie in the third Mummy installment.
Of course, with Helen Mirren being seen by us Americans as an Oscar winner, those were big shoes to fill. Perhaps that's why Julianne Moore would have been a better choice or possibly, a younger version of Jodie Foster.
Anyway, as I've said before, American television execs always have an eye on syndication, so the main plot strength of the original -- a case being solved at the end of the season -- was done away with in favor of a case-of-the-week format. While the shows looked great and were well-written, viewers could go to just about any other police procedural and see the same thing, especially with Mariska Hargitay already established on Law & Order: SVU.
Plus, Jane Tennison of the original stood out as a DCI in England who was constantly being passed over by the "good ol' boy" club. That was prevalent in 1991, but 22 years later, it's blase. (Never mind that the plot line had already been done, in some form or fashion, with Police Woman in the 70's and Cagney & Lacey in the 80's; had an American version of Prime Suspect come out in the 90's, in the hands of Jodie Foster, it might have worked better).
Oh well, live and learn.
I'm on the fence with this. I liked the Americanised Life on Mars and Traffic (although I haven't seen the British version of the latter), I'm optimistic about Edge of Darkness, and I've heard good things about State of Play. On the other hand, is sexism in the police force as prevalent as it was in the early '90s? And I can't think of an American actor who'd fit the role of Jane Tennison the way Helen Mirren did.
The Angels Have the Phone Box
"And I can't think of an American actor who'd fit the role of Jane Tennison the way Helen Mirren did."
They're courting Julianne Moore and Maria Bello for the role.
"And the rest they say is...sex!"
-One Tree Hill (The CW)
Interesting. It occurred to me that Jodie Foster would do a good job, if Silence of the Lambs is any indication, and she's about the same age as Helen Mirren was when she made the first Prime Suspect.
I think how I feel about this one will depend on how they treat the storyline of the original miniseries. Are they talking about using it as a two-hour pilot to launch a full season, or are they just adapting the miniseries? I think I'd prefer the latter, honestly, because I'm pretty sure the original was supposed to be a one-off. Not that the later ones weren't good, but they became less and less about Prime Suspects.
The Angels Have the Phone Box
You folks can relax............heard that NBC shelved it,least for now!!
shareThere is a chance that NBC might drop the project all together. AMC is planning to remake the Danish show Forbrydelsen for American audiences. Forbrydelsen is considered to be The Wire meets Prime Suspect type of show. The American version will be titled The Killing and it will focus on the murder of a young girl, while focusing on police, the grieving family and politics in Seattle. If the show gets made before Prime Suspect it will likely get more support from critics because it's on a cable network.
shareYeah,NBC should realize if it ain't broke,don't fix it!!!!!
shareI liked the first season of The Killing, but now the show is suffering from being "Hollywoodized," so to speak. American television executives always have an eye toward syndication, so a drama can't be an end-alone or stand-alone (i.e., a plot line resolved at the end of the season). This is what is hurting The Killing. The second season felt like, as Bilbo said to Gandalf, "butter spread over too much bread."
This is what killed Twin Peaks, ultimately.
As far as I am concerned, Jodie Foster overacts every role. I've never liked her in ANYTHING. In fact, she spoils it for me, so if they did redo "Prime Suspect" I wouldn't watch it, UNLESS NETFLIX DID IT. I've been enjoying the remakes by NETFLIX for a couple of years now. Can't beat it! I cancelled regular cable tv, bought a ROKU and pay $8.65/month for a subscription to Netflix and $4.99/month for a subscription to Acorn TV and that is that. I bank the $130/month I save by not having cable tv and use it for vacations.
Life is a journey not a destination. Fear nothing.
Watch the Brit version of State of Play from Netflix and see why the US version does not play very well at all...
Russell Crowe is just going through the motions and why he is so fat only he and his beer bottle know...
Bill Nighy is great as the paper's editor in the UK version and while H Mirren tries the entire process is just not as good...
it deserved the longer telling of the series vs a movie--taking too many short cuts gutted the dimensions of the story...
"...That's the beauty of argument, Joey. If you argue correctly, you're never wrong..."
Americans can't seem to make their own stuff any more. They have to steal ideas from other countries.
http://learnyourdamnhomophones.com/ Learn your damn homophones.
And then put a patent on it =)
Ahh those sly yanks....
[deleted]
"Americans can't seem to make their own stuff any more. They have to steal ideas from other countries. "
Really? They only made the best TV series of all time in The Wire.
Also Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and The Sopranos are excellent TV Dramas.
Great shows, the ones you mentioned, but with all due respect: there's a huge difference between Hollywood and the rest of the world. However great these shows are, they still deal with all those stereotypical concepts Hollywood ALWAYS deqls with.
shareYeah, police procedurals have never been done before.
This will be the high point of my day; it's all downhill from here.
First off I just saw the first episode of the remake and I thought it was excellent and could prove to be an amazing series if it keeps up in quality.
Now for what I really want to say. I don't understand people's problems with remakes. The anger on these message boards seems to me an emotion wasted on a non issue. For one, you will always have the original show or film. They are not going anywhere and will never be affected by any type of remake. Also if the remake sucks, it will get canceled or no one will watch. Again who cares and good riddance. But once again, you will still have the original, nothing changes. And finally, what if the remake is as good or maybe even better than the original? All the more better I say, now you'll have two sources to go for the entertainment you want. And once again, the original will always be there to keep you warm if you go through anger withdrawals because they remade your beloved show.
All in all it makes no sense to me and you people have to get a grip with yourselves and look at the big picture. Which is...the original will always be there and the remake will either be bad and get canceled or be good and then there really isn't any issue is there.
I beg you if your going to waste you time complaining about something on here, please do it for an issue that is actually worth the time and energy
I have watched all of the episodes so far of the remake and I have to say I think it is outstanding so far, it is one of my favorites of the new series. I was curious how the Americanized version would be and was pleasantly surprised. I see nothing wrong with remakes, like they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I'm not sure if viewers should really try to compare the similarities/differences between the British and American versions of the show as there are probably always going to be slight changes because of cultural differences between the two nationalities.
shareI think the success is dependent on the lead. Helen Mirren's boots are hard to fill.
Glad they got Maria Bello instead of someone like Jennifer Love Hewitt. Still haven't watched it but it's gotten great reviews. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the original.
- Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine
It's actually pretty good so far.
shareIt is a paycheck for Angela Bromstad etal. Ya gotta make a livin'!
"Take your potato chips and go!" The Seven Year Itch
Wasn't The Closer based on Prime Suspect?
share