MovieChat Forums > The IT Crowd (2006) Discussion > Won't Fly

Won't Fly

posted 17 years ago by MrFinch0001
19 replies | jump to latest

I can't believe that the American producers are thinking of trying to copy yet another British comedy. Haven't they figured out that when you try to copy something as great as British Comedy at its finest, it fails. All you need to do is take a look at the Bean movie which failed when compared to the Mr. Bean TV Show. Now granted, with the US version staring one of the same characters (Moss) and it having the same executive producer it may work...but they will need to bring over more of the original cast. If they brought the whole cast over here, with our longer seasons (instead of 6 or 8 episodes in the UK), it has potential...but they need the rest of the cast. It just won't work with different characters. And I'm also hoping Channel 4 doesn't cancel the show either....I think it's brilliant and has potential for atleast 4 or more seasons in the UK.

</end rant>

[–] vegasjeff 17 years ago

I'd have to say that I felt it did work with the other actors. Now if the original Moss (Ayoade) wasn't there, then I'd have to agree, that it wouldn't work. It's like trying to get someone besides Michael Richards to play Kramer, he'll always be Kramer, and Ayoade will always be Moss.

[–] boonie45 17 years ago

I completely agree here. For some reason American broadcasters feel that a British comedy will A. Always work in America, and B. Won't work with the British accent. There are many shows that I think the accents play a key role in the plot. I thought that some of the slang that was used in Monty Python made the for great television, whether you were an American or British!

I guess we will just have to wait and see...but I don't see this working. (For the same reason the "Americanized" The Office doesn't work as well.

5 stars for the original IT Crowd.
4 stars for NBC seeing how funny it is.
1 star for them disassembling the great cast.

[–] dyaghoobian 17 years ago

Since The Office is about the only British comedy (or drama) I ever didn't like - I can't comment on the American version. Some things need to be Americanized - not the accents but the language and humor. Saint Python was always about 1/2 crap, 1/2 funny and I wouldn't be surprised if Brits and Americans would disagree about which was which. There are permissible words and topics in the UK that - for a family viewing show like this one - would not fly over here. I love this show but TVs big market is prime time; that's where the advertising bucks are. (PBS runs Father Ted and Vicar of Dibley around midnight. There's no profit in that time slot.) We don't want to explain to our kids/grandkids what the couple in the bathroom were doing in episode 1 - or have them imitating it. That won't fly, not the accents. My 12-year-old gets the jokes, likes the show. This is one of the few Britcoms I can share with her at all; most have too much inappropriate language and subjects. I don't know what British families do; maybe the kids go to bed earlier.

[–] bbasile 17 years ago

I have to disagree. We all saw how well The Office did when made into an American version. The biggest thing that needs to be done to ensure it's success in America is change the jokes that only Europeans get, like the tapas sequence.

[–] MissFizzBizzle 17 years ago

I got the tapas sequence and I'm not European. Plus the Office worked in America because the original creators were so involved, and they didn't try replacing exact characters. They were similar, but were allowed to be different so there wouldn't be comparisons.

I'm an Aussie, and we're not like Brits at all. In fact our history tells us not to like Britian (we evolved out of being their prison after all). Yet their sitcoms are something we hold very dear to our collective heart. So I'm quite offended that they're not good enough for the American market...

The history of American adaptations certainly doesn't bode well, even with one original actor (see doomed Red Dwarf USA as case in point; Robert Llewellyn just couldn't save it).

Anyway, we rarely get the American versions over here so I'll stop complaining.

[–] Nick J 17 years ago

Don't you have tapas in America?
That would be hard to believe!

Tthe producers here feel that British viewers are capable of understanding American accents and jokes. I'm sure the reverse is also true, but the US producers appear to have a lack of faith in thier viewing public.

In American comedy, which is frequently shown on British TV, there are sometimes occasions when we Brits will not get it. Most notably is when names of various US celebrities are mentioned - this happens alot in Futurama with the heads in the jars and special guest voices. Many of those special guests just aren't famous here. However it does not seriously detract from the show.

So there might be occasions in British comedies where Americans don't get the jokes, but I don't think it will matter very much.

[–] firegilnotguns 17 years ago

They do have tapas in the US...

[–] abbyolcese 17 years ago

What about The Office?

[–] fordyrox 17 years ago

^ The 'Americanised' version of the office never even got near the original UK version.

As for The IT Crowd, the only reason I think it may work is because Ayoade is in it. He was by far the best actor in the UK version and he may just save this US version a piece of dignity.

[–] darkvirus 17 years ago

The american version of office at first wasn't as good, but in season 2 and 3 every episode that wasn't based on michael was far better than the british office. IT crowd may work yet, but it'll have to overcome a lot.

[–] maru013 17 years ago

So Ayoade is the only original cast member to be in this version? Weird. He's my favorite, but how are they all going to fit together. I assume that he is keeping his normal accent and voice, it would be too weird if they changed that. I genuinely hope that it does well, I think even the fact that these big networks are looking at more original comedy is a step in the right direction, maybe not the most creative way to go, (simply paying someone to remake their show over here, instead of coming up with new ideas) but it is in the right direction. I really wish they would have brought over the whole cast, does anyone know why that didn't happen? Did the other cast not want to come over here, or did they not want the other members? I was wondering why the UK IT Crowd hadn't been shown on BBCAmerica yet, I guess because of this deal, maybe it wont be for a long time. That's kinda lame, because I think it would have done well. Some shows have more cultural references that are harder to understand than others, the IT Crowd isn't that bad. It's not like the Mighty Boosh or something, all day long with 'berk' and 'conkers' and stuff like that. I don't think it would have been too far a stretch at all to just have the original, plus, it was fairly tame, not much of any kind of adult material. I guess they just underestimate the US public, or maybe they just didn't have the guts to try something new.

[–] andrew-834 17 years ago

Another reason it wont be as good. The original went popular with the "IT Crowd" in real life. The show has had more coverage via the Internet then from BBC. NBC will make a much more watered down version that wont be worth downloading or viewing via Youtube

They all think about how funny it is, but no one realized where the popularity came from, the computer monitor.

[–] BramOh 17 years ago

I find it much easier to enjoy (this is one example) the US Office by forgetting it's origins and watching it as it's own unique program. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful of it's British origins (any show influenced by something outside our borders is a welcome change) but when I stopped trying to compare characters, storylines, etc it is in fact one of the best sitcoms the US has ever produced.

As long as the original creators are heavily involved, the original Moss stays on, and the only other change they make besides casting is references that are obscure to American audiences then I feel this has a decent chance. Well and one other item: some executive's wife at the network doesn't decide she hates it and pressures her husband to put it on a rotation of death (moving it's airing nights and/or times every few weeks so no one can find it). This has unfortunately happened before, 2 notable examples are Firefly and Newsradio.

Regardless of what happens with the US version, we'll still have the UK original and I've learned to appreciate the short 6 episode series. Some of their best only end up with 1 series, The Thick of It comes to mind right away which coincidentally also has a US version in the works right now.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] newyorkjetsfan 17 years ago

The US version of "The Office" is arguably the best show on television here in the US. Also, Executives are right in getting rid of the accents when bring a british show to the US. As an American, I have literally never laughed once at a single british comedy show or movie. In some cases I don't understand the slang and in other cases It just isn't funny to me. I'll bet many American viewers feel the same way.

thats what she said

[–] kittenmalibu 17 years ago

Well as an American, I am insulted by the rubbish "comedy" overall (at least in the past decade). Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm notwithstanding, the American sitcom is just the same old *beep* rehashed over and over. In fact, if I may be so bold to say, I am hard pressed to find anything worth watching on US telly, with the exception of reality shows (at least they're entertaining...Thanks Gordon Ramsay...). I have NEVER understood how people could watch tripe like Friends, Joey, Everybody Loves Raymond, Will and Grace, Scrubs, etc. I have never once laughed at these shows. And within the last few years, the networks have been rolling out "gems" like: 'Til Death, The War At Home, The Loop, American Dad (Family Guy but not as funny...though I'm not a big fan of FG either.), Happy Hour, Andy Barker PI, Thank God You're Here, Knights of Prosperity, Help Me Help You, Men In Trees, The Nine, and so many more it would take forever to list....

Sorry, but I mainly watch Britcoms because they're clever and not obvious laugh track lined B.S. that isn't funny.

That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it...

www.myspace.com/kickasskunoichi

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] fordyrox 17 years ago

Series 2 is due out in September/October time 'cause I was at the filming of one of the episodes at Pinewood Studios. I guess we Brits just like to keep our shows consistently funny and not over-run our shows and lose the humour which, no offence to Americans, happens to the majority of their shows. Maybe, as you say, budget has something to do with it but I'm not sure.

"Welease Woger!"

[–] Cocktailsfor2 10 years ago

As an American, I have literally never laughed once at a single british [sic] comedy show or movie. In some cases I don't understand the slang and in other cases It just isn't funny to me. I'll bet many American viewers feel the same way.

I would think more Americans disagree with your sentiment than agree, but it's easy to see why you feel the way you do, given your username.

[I kid, I kid! Mostly.]
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