The original
Why not watch the original Australian version? It's brilliant.
[deleted]
You seem to have a case of mental instability. You should get that checked out.
shareHow do you spell troll roxelna.
share
MovieChat Forums > Rake (2014) Discussion > The original
Why bother watching a show with an unknown cast and too many geographic and cultural differences when we can just remake them with our fave stars in our familiar setting and with our cultural norms?
Take us down and all apart
Cherry Tree
Lay us out on the table
You're sharp alright...
Why bother watching a show with an unknown cast and too many geographic and cultural differences when we can just remake them with our fave stars in our familiar setting and with our cultural norms?
Thanks for reaffirming how xenophobic Americans are. share
Thanks for reaffirming how all people are a-holes.
shareI just explained how Americans are NOT xenophobic.
We have the money to remake them with our geography and cultural norms and our fave stars. It's that simple.
Foreigners would if they could. And don't think we'd care (or even realize) if foreigners were remaking or shows and films.
Take us down and all apart
Cherry Tree
Lay us out on the table
You're sharp alright...
And don't think we'd care (or even realize) if foreigners were remaking or shows and films.
It's not our fault you are so ignorant about what goes on outside your country. share
How is not watching a show imported from another country being ignorant of what goes on outside our borders?
Take us down and all apart
Cherry Tree
Lay us out on the table
You're sharp alright...
The problem Yorick_Brown, is that generally other countries seem to be comfortable watching something from a foreign country. They don't need it sanitized by placing the same story in their own country with their own actors. They can appreciate the differences other perspectives can bring.
The fact that America seems to require foreign TV shows/Movies to be remade in their own image is extremely narcissistic.
The original series was great, and having America remake it because they don't think their public will 'get' the original version is sad.
Awww, Yorick_brown..You never responded to my post, hehe.
shareSanitized? That's a strange choice of words.
America isn't the only country that remakes shows and foreign countries would do it more often if they could afford to do so; with their own actors and cultural norms.
Maybe this series will be great too. And the original won't magically disappear just by this show's existence.
Ribbons and detours meant nothing to me
Swaying our sentiments, pulling our strings...
Why are you so convinced foreign countries would remake shows more often if they could afford it? Where are you getting this information, because it sounds made up to me.
Can you back up your arguments?
Why are you so convinced foreign countries would remake shows more often if they could afford it? Where are you getting this information, because it sounds made up to me.
It's just natural to want to employ a country's own actors and write a show with their own cultural norms.
Can you back up your arguments?
You do know that are some foreign remakes of American shows?
And what exactly are you looking for as 'evidence' anyway?
Ribbons and detours meant nothing to me
Swaying our sentiments, pulling our strings... share
See that's the thing. I disagree it's natural. This world has so many differences to offer, I just find it a shame that you seem to be such an advocate of making remakes, rather than just appreciate a show for what it is and where it's made. It seems you think that instead of allowing shows from foreign countries to just exist as they are, they need to be remade in an American setting, with American actors, for American's to really appreciate them. I personally find that a very narrow way to view things.
Anyway, you have your opinion and I have mine. There's really no point in continuing this conversation. Let's just watch what we want.
See that's the thing. I disagree it's natural. This world has so many differences to offer, I just find it a shame that you seem to be such an advocate of making remakes, rather than just appreciate a show for what it is and where it's made.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to employ native actors and not want to misunderstand a joke or a reference or be confused by anything else due to cultural differences.
It doesn't mean they don't appreciate the original format; we can just afford to remake them more often.
It seems you think that instead of allowing shows from foreign countries to just exist as they are, they need to be remade in an American setting, with American actors, for American's to really appreciate them. I personally find that a very narrow way to view things.
Where are you getting that idea?
America imports plenty of anglophone Canadian shows and sometimes British shows.
Americans just can't stand the low episode count of British series and any country would want a series with their fave actors in the roles and their own cultural norms.
The original series will still be there for the curious viewer to watch.
Anyway, you have your opinion and I have mine. There's really no point in continuing this conversation. Let's just watch what we want.
Agreed
Ribbons and detours meant nothing to me
Swaying our sentiments, pulling our strings... share
Sorry to jump into such an old thread. I'm from the UK but I am curious short of stealing them how are you expecting the Americans to gain access to these foreign shows? They are for the most part dependent on remakes as they can't legally gain access to the originals. Hell even buying a foreign DVD breaks a law (that pretty much everyone breaks anyway.) in the States.
---
"That was the year of the gas leak, but I won't use that as an excuse."
The American channels could buy the broadcasting rights for the original shows and show it in America rather than remaking it.
Much like how for the most part British channels pay American channels for broadcasting rights rather than remaking the program.
He's as useless as a marzipan dildoshare
American free to air TV doesn't buy foreign content……… Rake AU is however shown on a cable network that you have to pay for Directv or something like that…… the Audience Channel i believe.
share[deleted]
SomeStranger 24 Brazil remade Married with Children and the BBC remade Law & Order.
shareWhat world do you live in?
Among my group of friends everyone raves about BBC shows like:
Sherlock
Doctor Who
The IT Crowd
Misfits
A decent group of Americans do watch foreign TV shows.
How decent a group? Doctor Who's Christmas special delivered around 2.5m viewers on BBC America, and the last season of Sherlock averaged around 3m. Those audiences aren't small, but compare Doctor Who's ratings with the 5m viewers for Game of Thrones on HBO, or the 12m viewers that The Walking Dead gets on AMC. Compare Sherlock's ratings with the 9m viewers that Elementary averages on CBS.
The fact is that people in any country are more likely to watch programmes produced in that country. America is not the only country to do this - there have been many UK versions of American drama and comedy series, and people remake non-scripted shows all the time.
Remakes are part and parcel of the way the world works. The US version will have a longer run, higher production values, and a charismatic, well-known lead. Will it be better than the Australian version? Maybe not. Will it be less risque, more suitable for network television in the States? Probably. But will it be bad? I doubt it.
It staggers belief that people can love the Australian version yet claim that the US version will be bad.
The fact that you have the right to do a thing does not make it the right thing to do
"It staggers belief that people can love the Australian version yet claim that the US version will be bad."
People take this subject way too seriously. There's usually room for an original and an adaptation. As a for instance, I thoroughly enjoyed BOTH the UK Office and the US Office, for all their differences and similarities.
I watch Shameless regularly, and it only makes me curious to watch the original some time.
If we can adapt Shakespeare to West Side Story, 10 Things I Hate About You, etc., we can adapt a TV series without feeling bad about it.
As an American I much prefer foreign films and shows. My husband, also American, and I watch BBC America more often than our own netwirks.
The movies and shows are much more engaging, interesting, well written and intelligent. Our film industry has cannibalized itself doing remakes of their OWN MOVIES & hasn't had an original idea in years, the televisions are all poor, pale remakes of other countries original thought.
I completely agree! I also like how many English shows have two or three episodes a SEASON - they seem to have a different concept of "story" and are content to make a series that fits a story well, instead of dragging a story out over 13+ episodes. I'd rather see three brilliant episodes of Sherlock or Bletchley Circle than a dozen or more of CSI/NCIS, etc.
shareI watch Shameless regularly, and it only makes me curious to watch the original some time.
Shameless is one of the very few US remakes of British humor where the remake surpasses the original. IMO.
---
"That was the year of the gas leak, but I won't use that as an excuse." share
Don't forget Coronation Street. Its not my cup of tea (no pun intended) but it has a significant enough following in America
shareAre modern adaptations of Shakespeare sad? West Side Story, 10 Things I Hate About You, etc?
shareHow is it NOT??
shareAlas poor Yorick... Foreigners? Really? Or(sic) our shows and films remade. They seldom are but when they are they aren't neccessarily batter, just different n order to appeal to foreigners. The original Rake was superb without a doubt. I'll reserve judgement (yes, we all judge) until I've watched a few episodes which are due to air in Canada in January. Can Greg K do justice to Richard Roxburgh? I hope so.. tough act to follow and to be honest, he wouldn't have been my choice but this role could be his chance to shine. I think the American version of 'Shameless' is brilliant and superbly transmogrified. There's every reason to expect the same with 'Rake'. Give it a chance. Work in progress for certain!
shareAs an American, I have to disagree. The UK version of Law and Order is horrendous. At the same time, so is the American version of Shameless. Don't get me wrong, William H Macy is a great actor, but he is no Frank Gallagher. That distinction will always belong to David Threlfall. He is absolutely brilliant in that role and should be the only one that ever plays it. American versions of foreign shows have a notorious fail rate. Just to name a few, the IT Crowd and The Thick of It couldn't even make it to a pilot, and Coupling only made seven or so episodes(and thankfully no more because it was horrible). It's not even like we Americans are unaware of the bastardization of British TV. We even made a show about it called Episodes. To all British readers, I recommend it highly if you hate the way us yanks rip off your TV shows. As an American you might actually like it considering that it has Matt Leblanc from Friends fame in it. Personally, I think it maybe his best role to date.
As far as Aussie TV goes, the only import that I am aware of was Wilfred. But even in that show, the Dog is the original actor from the series created back in Australia. I have watched a little Aussie TV (via bit-torrents). Unfortunately, I have never seen the original versions of Wilfred, but it seems to me that Jason Gann is probably the most important character. I loved the first two seasons of Underbelly, and see no way of ever translating these to "American Culture and Geography" considering that its based on the Australian underworld.
The only successful import beyond reality TV shows might be "The Office." Though the American version of the show translated the original from the most depressing and dismal point of view to a show of hope. Which always seemed weird to me considering that Anthony Burgess was once told that he had should omit the 21st chapter of "A Clockwork Orange" because Americans are too cynical to buy into the happy ending. I guess us Americans have changed since the 60's, or us literate ones are the Cynics.
Anyway, I am using this post to critic the many positions of Yorick_Brown the troll. Unlike you Yorick_Brown, some of us proud Americans do appreciate TV shows from their origins without needing the "American" bastardization presented to us. Reality tv shows are a prime example. In BBC versions when they want to make an announcement of who has been fired or kicked out of the house, they just say "Sasha you are out." The American version is "And the one that is out..... is.... Commercial Break ... One of the contestants is about to be kicked out of the house...And the one to be kicked out.....is....."camera focuses tight head shot on every cast member that has a chance of being kicked out for dramatic effect..."Sasha, pack your bags." Anyone that says this improves their TV experience is lying. Watching British versions of this sequence makes me realize how sad our tv experience is. Another factor of British Reality TV that is actually better than US TV is the amount of time used to plug some corporate brand or another. Seriously, watch the US and UK version of the Apprentice. The US version is a non-stop brand plugging whore in comparison. Just so no one is offended, my definition of whore is anyone that will f@#( someone for money. Being a whore does not necessitate being female. Not only a male, but even a show can be a whore.
Now one might assume that I hate all American shows, but this would be incorrect. In the last decade, the US has managed to create "The Wire", "The Shield", "Community", "Happy Endings", "Lost", "Justified", "Parks and Recs", "Its Sunny in Philadelphia", "Archer", and so much more. We have it in us to create great shows without copying other countries. Cable TV has been responsible for most of these shows. And the typical season count for these shows is 10 to 13 episodes instead of the typical 24 episodes a season. And again, this is aimed at Yorik_Browns comment that US tv needs at least 24 episodes a season. No we don't. We would rather have a good story than a spread out one. "Life on Mars" is a prime example of this. The original lasted 2 seasons at 8 episodes a season. The US version starred Harvey Keitel and lasted 17 episodes in the first season and ended with some space sleep non sense. More episodes just diluted the story to the point the US market lost interest. So they came up with a ridiculous ending just to put an end to it. The original ended up spinning off into another series. You are starting to sound like an industry troll.
Anyway, I am using this post to critic the many positions of Yorick_Brown the troll.
I'm not a troll. What an overused and misused term on the net now.
By the way, Britons pay for TV. It is much less privatized than American TV.
And the typical season count for these shows is 10 to 13 episodes instead of the typical 24 episodes a season.
And for British programs, sometimes they are as low as six!
And again, this is aimed at Yorik_Browns comment that US tv needs at least 24 episodes a season.
When did I ever say that?
he US version starred Harvey Keitel and lasted 17 episodes in the first season and ended with some space sleep non sense. More episodes just diluted the story to the point the US market lost interest. So they came up with a ridiculous ending just to put an end to it.
Actually, the show was meant to last for many seasons but flopped from the start.
The network was nice enough to give the series a conclusion.
Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite... share
Sorry, I just assumed you were a troll due to what I construed as the rather xenophobic attitude that you seemed to push through out your post. Notice that I used the word construed in that last sentence. The reason for that verb is that I am now willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. But I might suggest in your future post that when you point out the cultural and geographical differences between foreign shows and our own, you should leave out money. You seem to be implying that we are the only ones that have it and that my friend does sound rather xenophobic. There are plenty of foreign shows with high production value.
As for the number of episodes, I was kind of going by a general memory of a quote I remembered from one of your post, not exact words. Your actual quote was the following:
Americans just can't stand the low episode count of British series and any country would want a series with their fave actors in the roles and their own cultural norms.
I guess my main point was the cable TV has come closer to adopting the fewer episode format of the BBC than that of the Major Networks usual 24 episodes a season format. Most Aussie shows I have watched had something like 10 to 13 episodes a season. Rake itself has 8 Aussie version episodes a season and 6 US episodes projected so far. I guess that my point is that us Americans are more accepting of low episode counts than you imply.
And finally, yes Life on Mars was supposed to last for more than one season. My suggestion was the networks attempt to extend a show that was originally meant for 8 hours into a 24 hour production was a mistake. It might have actually worked if the Network would have allowed the US version to map two seasons of British TV to one Year of US TV. Instead, we got 8 episodes mapped to 16 and one retarded "you were dreaming in space" ending. The network did not do us any favors with that ending. share
Munky Funk, your list of terrific american shows... terrific. Your comments about Life on Mars is a classic example of how some US producers just don't get what the show was about. Not the US viewing public, but some producers.
I disagree with the comment about The Office: The american version may have been popular (how many seasons?) but I would submit that apart from lining up the characters, no way is like the RG's original. Not without hope? The Christmas episode had nothing but hope, but I agree with you that the overall show was not optimistic.
You just explained how Americans are ethnocentric, which is not quite the opposite of xenophobic (although it's often posed that way).
shareI wouldn't call Los Angeles a cultural norm.
I recently read a Hollyweird newspaper article about how the UK show "Cracker" inspired much of Rake. Cracker was, and still is, an order of magnitude further out than most shows. It didn't break rules, it smashed them. Here are the listings for Cracker:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105977/ original
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118290/ remake
This to me was the worst ever re-do of an absolutely brilliant TV show, yes, even surpassing Life on Mars. I had no idea it had even been redone, and people used to look at me like I was mad for going on and on about how good it was, not realizing that they thought I was talking about the remake.
For those who like the US version of Shameless, I think the UK version has a slight edge, although the protagonist in the UK version really shines as Leslie Titmus in a BBC mini-series Paradise Postponed (and Titmus Revisited) which was written by John Mortimer, who wrote Rumpole. Cleaver actually calls another lawyer "Rumpole" as an insult, much the same way calling someone Einstein is an insult.
On a positive note, at least they never remade "Yes, Minister."
And I still think Dennis Leary would have made a better Keegan (Cleaver).
"I think my percentage of Chimp DNA is higher than others" C. Greene
"We have the money to remake them with our geography and cultural norms and our fave stars. It's that simple. "
At last a chance to improve upon Shakespeare. Not enough wise-crackin' kids in Lear.
Thanks for reaffirming that Americans are not the only ones who stereotype people.
shareThanks for reaffirming how xenophobic Americans are.
Do you know what's going on right now with the tensions between Australians and foreigners/immigrants living in the country?
I don't think they hold a gold-standard when it comes to welcome mats. share
The tensios in Oz with immigration isn't to do with immigrants per se but the amount that have come here in the last 10 years. Oz went from 18 million to 24 million in that time which probably isn't big from a US perspective but it's big from an Australian one. Especially as most of the country lives on the coast and has a lot of desert. Plus most immigrants move to Melbourne and Sydney. Add millions of immigrants to any city in a short time and you're asking for trouble. Especially when most don't speak English.
Add the fact that politicians want 50 million here within the next 30 years and it's got a lot of people very nervous. Especially as most of those will probably come from Asia, India and the Middle East.
Instead of mixing like immigrants always have we're now getting large pockets that refuse to mix. Problem? You bet it is. From an Aussie perspective the landscape here has changed so much in 10 years I don't recognise it. I'd give anything for a time machine that could take us back to the 80's. That's when Oz was relaxed and fun. Now everyone's wound up.
No one in America has heard of Sam Neil, Hugo Weaving, or Rachel Griffiths.
The AU version is brilliant.
[deleted]
@Yorick_Brown
Because:
a) US versions of overseas TV shows often suck, destroying all of the character and charm of the originals by trying too hard to make them more palatable to 'middle America', and
b) it's a friggin legal/courtroom satire. In English. Can't you understand words like 'your honour' and such if it's spoken with an Aussie accent? Or follow the plot of a TV show unless there is a Chrysler building/Brooklyn Bridge/Statue of Liberty in the friggin' background??
Maybe they should cast Judge Judy in it for you, so you don't get all disorientated.
why not just buy and air the Aussie version?
lets see..
life on mars
kath and kim
being human
I am sure there are dozens more... good shows in English that are ruined in the translation.
Wake up America..
the rest of the world watches your shows and understands the stories even though they are set in places we will never visit. We have to learn (or learn to ignore) various local cultural references.
Perhaps if you started to show the American people that there is a world outside of the USA then various other parts of the world might stop being so antiUSA.
The American version of "Being Human" is a hit.
Anyway...
Wake up America..
the rest of the world watches your shows and understands the stories even though they are set in places we will never visit. We have to learn (or learn to ignore) various local cultural references.
Simply because you can't afford to remake them and if you could, Americans wouldn't know or care when you were remaking our shows.
Perhaps if you started to show the American people that there is a world outside of the USA then various other parts of the world might stop being so antiUSA.
What a petty reason to be anti-USA.
We get that there is a world outside of America just fine. We simply don't feel the need to see it when we can see our own.
Take us down and all apart
Cherry Tree
Lay us out on the table
You're sharp alright... share
it not an issue of "Simply because you can't afford to remake them " (which is just rude)- we just choose not to - we remake reality shows and we have "stolen" some recipes for late night tv and game shows, but dramas don't need to be rewritten, and as a culture we have learnt a lot about the US, England and Canada by watching dramas written and/or set in those countries.
It also isn't about having local actors - all a drama really needs is GOOD actors - sure Being Human may be a success - but there was nothing wrong with the UK version - the stories are good, the locations irrelevant and the actors reputable and capable. I have seen plenty of otherwise good US shows spoilt with wooden actors.
The networks would get better value for their money by airing an original, and continue to back other shows rather than cancel them at the first hint of ratings failure (aka firefly?)
As for the antiUS sentiment - this isn't petty at all - the rest of the world doesn't dislike America because you don't watch our TV shows (and I am sorry but I don't think Canada really counts as the US watching a show set in Canada is like a Texan watching a show set in California), the issue is one that throughout the world people actually think/believe that the US doesn't care about the world outside of the US and its own interests. I see this almost everyday - and I think little things like extending the culture of your citizens beyond your own shores will be one (albeit small) step in changing this. Sure there are many reasons why there is Anti(insert western cultured country here) sentiment - but the feeling that we do not understand/care beyond our own interests is certainly one of them. As an Australian I don't think we are that much different to the US - but I think we can all learn something from other cultures - and given so many of us are "educated" by the television we watch I seriously think it is important.
it not an issue of "Simply because you can't afford to remake them " (which is just rude)- we just choose not to - we remake reality shows and we have "stolen" some recipes for late night tv and game shows, but dramas don't need to be rewritten, and as a culture we have learnt a lot about the US, England and Canada by watching dramas written and/or set in those countries.
It is a simple matter of cost.
Reality TV and talk shows are very inexpensive to make as opposed to dramas.
Not only would Americans not begrudge you if you ever remade our shows, we simply wouldn't care at all to begin with.
It also isn't about having local actors - all a drama really needs is GOOD actors - sure Being Human may be a success - but there was nothing wrong with the UK version - the stories are good, the locations irrelevant and the actors reputable and capable. I have seen plenty of otherwise good US shows spoilt with wooden actors.
Nobody said there was anything wrong with any of the foreign productions America remakes.
They are simply geographically and culturally different (and NOT inferior) and we Americans have the money to remake them with our geographical and cultural norms.
The networks would get better value for their money by airing an original, and continue to back other shows rather than cancel them at the first hint of ratings failure (aka firefly?)
We still import (anglophone) Canadian shows and the occasional British show.
But foreign productions have much shorter seasons than typical American productions and in the long run, viewers would find prefer watching a longer season of a remake of a foreign production with an American setting and characters.
As for the antiUS sentiment - this isn't petty at all - the rest of the world doesn't dislike America because you don't watch our TV shows (and I am sorry but I don't think Canada really counts as the US watching a show set in Canada is like a Texan watching a show set in California), the issue is one that throughout the world people actually think/believe that the US doesn't care about the world outside of the US and its own interests.
Why wouldn't Canada count? Is is a separate nation and legitimately a foreign country.
We simply have more cultural and geographic similarities with Canada than with other anglophone nations like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the U.K., and Ireland.
I see this almost everyday - and I think little things like extending the culture of your citizens beyond your own shores will be one (albeit small) step in changing this. Sure there are many reasons why there is Anti(insert western cultured country here) sentiment - but the feeling that we do not understand/care beyond our own interests is certainly one of them. As an Australian I don't think we are that much different to the US - but I think we can all learn something from other cultures - and given so many of us are "educated" by the television we watch I seriously think it is important.
Yes. Americans are an arrogant, entitled people but that doesn't stop us from admiring and respecting different cultures.
It's just a stereotype that we don't care about other events. It is simply that we're a very large and populous nation that forces us to concentrate on domestic issues first and foremost.
But we're also a very rich nation and have the money and power to remake foreign productions with familiar cultural and geographical setting.
Every other nation's citizen would want to do the same if they could and we wouldn't stereotype them as insular and uncaring about the outside world if they did so.
Take us down and all apart
Cherry Tree
Lay us out on the table
You're sharp alright... share
well not only is this the final nail in the coffin of sams career after oz the wizard of *beep* but he is actually attached to this stupid pointless remake
A TV movie no less.... What the flying *beep*
Insert @V@T@R
Wow, I just wanted to interject here, realizing this is an old thread and not wanting to rekindle any more intolerance on the subject. I have not seen the show yet and was looking for comments on how it was. I am gladd to know there is an original from another country and will see if it is avaialable to view online via netflix, hulu, amazon, etc.
First I want to share I almost always love the foreign version of a show more, possibly because I have seen it first and identified it with the actors of the original. For example, Being Human, The Office and there is another I can't think of at the moment. So I would love to watch the original if available for me to watch, as I do agree a glimpse into other cultures as well as the commonality of being human (part of humanity not the show) is interesting and sought after.. with that being said~
It seems the banter on both sides have a lot of assumptions. but hey we are human so that is part of the territory and almost impossible to not assume. It is a brain thing. There are infinite reasons why a foreign show is copied, but I would suggest that the saying it is flattery is probably the best. In the case of the Office, the American actors bring that American thing to the table as annoying as the British one but makes it funny.If there wasn't such a good American cast I would hate it, but I still love the British version most.
It really is all good and yes, some of the things said about American movies/TV or true. I can tell when a movie isn't a typical American movie and love foreign films for that reason, even with subtitles as they offer a straight forward, less edited or politically correct version of life, meaning often not always. I especially notice sex is not so secret and nudity is common when required for the script where American films often lack that balance. Just my opinion. I am NOT right about this, it is always perspective.
I don't jump to defend being American as I see a lot of things ridiculous and spoiled about us, myself included. My most embarassing experience of being American is "you are in this country so speak English" while we benefit from cheap labor and many Americans speak only English. While my friends in Iran, Israel, Germany, India, Netherlands, and other places speak multiple languages. So we sometimes are in our own little world (again in my opinion) not really seeing how we are seen by others on our planet.
I highly recommend the documentary THE LISTENIGN PROJECT.
Well just my 2 cents, I can see both sides of this argument and also that the argument points to our humanity. we all see things through our perspective and then argue that the other is wrong because our personal perspective/truth is right and their's is wrong...
gigi
Two quick points: I don't think other countries can see the point in remaking US shows. NYPD Blue set in Sydney/Melbourne? What's the point? Boston Legal... I know; Hobart Legal! Even shows that would seem a shoe-in have been left alone. The Pamela Anderson lifesaving show was big here years ago. No one thought it a good idea to remake into something about Bondi Beach.
And yes, Canada is a proud stand alone country. I think some of us just think Canada is simply the USA but with a better health system and less shooting deaths. Trust me, from down under, it's an easy mistake to make.
"Canada is like living in the attic apartment above a really good party" Robin Williams. That being said, Testees is one of my top-10 all time favorites.
I think my percentage of Chimp DNA is higher than others. Cleaver Greene
Congratulations Frank.
You just managed to insult Canadian tv as much as Yorick_Brown has been attacking Australian tv. I was on your side until i got to that sentence.
Canada is saturated with crap American shows unlike any other place in the world. Those cheap American imports make up the majority of Canadian broadcasters' schedules and the rest is mostly news programmes. Unlike with Australia or the UK Canadian shows are in direct competition with American shows. The Canadian shows that do get made usually get quashed in the ratings by the American shows which have vastly more prominent promotion. Should any of the Canadian shows that do get made be picked up by an American broadcaster they often get remodeled to satisfy that 'middle America' previously mentioned and so the original Canadian show itself BECOMES the American remake before it is ever broadcast. It is the shows which American broadcasters pass on that often are the real greats. The cast of Being Human is from many places but it is actually a Canadian show that is set in the USA not an actual American show. BBC America is said to be the reason why the Canadian show Orphan Black has an obscured setting that is in both/neither country simultaneously but does acknowledge the UK as a real place. Rookie Blue is full of references to places in Toronto but some people on IMDb still insist that it is American because they don't understand that American currency is accepted in Canada about as often as Canadian currency is rejected in America. Do Australian broadcasters demand that shows from New Zealand be set in ambiguous locations with subtle suggestions that it is actually in Perth. That is almost standard practice with Canadian shows and US broadcasters. That not-so-popular show Falcon Beach actually had alternate takes for any time a location was mentioned so that the version shown in the USA presented the show as set in New England instead of Manitoba. I am uncertain which version would have been shown in Australia. Conversely there are a good many American shows which are actually made in and around Vancouver and Toronto and thus have Canadian contributions behind the scenes or even holding the camera.
And looking at later comments....
Yorick_Brown actually makes some attempt at defending the autonomy of Canadian tv.
Yorick_Brown, if you look at things you would find that similar geography and culture exists between Canadian and Australian and Canadian and British just as much as Canadian and American. You actually seem to be arguing that because of lack of proximity there are inherent cultural differences of some significance that are relevant to a satirical legal drama that wouldn't be found in Canada where the legal system is much more akin to Australia than USA. I don't think it is the geography, topography, cuisine, or other aspects of culture. It is more a matter of linguistics and proximity. In all of those other countries the average person sounds noticeably different from most any American when they speak and there are words and phrases used which are unfamiliar to the common American. Canadians speak with the absurd pronunciations that American media portray us with as much as we live in igloos and have penguins for pets. Once you cross that border it is instant perma-winter. There is also the matter that in Ireland, Australia, and the UK they drive on the left and so any scenes with vehicular traffic would be obviously foreign. Canada is one of the few parts of the former British Empire where one drives on the right. Ditto for the USA. That is a legitimate cultural difference but it still has little to do with the ocean.
I think everything else so far in this thread came before FOX released that nearly 4 minute trailer for Rake yesterday. Having now seen about 9% of the episode it is easier to predict what the rest of it will be like. I was hoping this would be a remake that was as good as the original but i am disappointed. The charm and whit of the Australian satire seems to have been replaced with the absurdity of the American comedy. Sure, you have the money and can do it and in the process validate all of the cultural norms you love so much. The rest of the world meanwhile will probably think it is an absolute waste.
I am a Texan living in California, dated a Canadian for years so your reference there is asinine at best; i lived in Sydney with my Montreal born beau for years and have been following the Aussie hit show 'Rake' starring Richard be-still-my-beating-heart Roxburgh here IN the US being aired on the Audience Network (which is NOT a foreign channel) since its first season! I can't wait to see what happens with Clever Greene next! In fact the original is such a hit here ALREADY <-- did I mention its been playing since the first season IN the US?? The remake is an attempt to give it a broader audience on a mainstream network. Contributing to that are some of the folks from the original. Have you bothered to inform your mates how bitter you are that their Aussie brilliance is reaching the globe?... Wow. 'Resent' much??
So perhaps you should 'educate' yourself on what's actually happening within US borders before you open your yap.
What's more, having lived in Sydney working for an attorney and continuing in law back in the states the courts and legal system is completely different. 'Relevance' is key to good writing.
....
Anyway, looking forward to Greg Kinnear, which is the best match to Roxburgh as you can get!
it is not an issue of "Simply because you can't afford to remake them " (which is just rude)- we just choose not to - we remake reality shows and we have "stolen" some recipes for late night tv and game shows, but dramas don't need to be rewritten, and as a culture we have learnt a lot about the US, England and Canada by watching dramas written and/or set in those countries.
It is a big factor here though, the cost to make drama here is not worth it to do a remake, if there weren't incentives to make local Aussie drama they wouldn't make those either, we would be full of reality shows because they are cheap an more overseas imported shows.
There is no way that here we could make a quality remake of drama like the UK did with Law And Order UK, because of the cost. That is why shows like Rake, Wonderland, House Husbands, Offspring, Puberty Blues, Winners And Losers, The Doctor Blake Mysteries and etc., only have short seasons even though they outrate most of the US imports.
It is actually cheaper to import shows from other countries than to make them here and with the loosening of rules, that is why we have seen so many New Zealand shows appear on our screens lately because it passes as local content under a Trade Agreement. (http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2012/06/nz-shows-on-the-rise-as-local-cont ent.html)
Personally I enjoyed this version of Rake myself (as I do Wilfred as well) and am also looking forward to Rake returning on ABC1 on Feb 09th for Season 3.
share
We did...
And as it so happens we are awake! "Rake" starring Richard Roxburgh airs in the US right after the complete season airs in Australia. It has been since its beginning in 2010 on the Audience Network, which is not a foreign channel. Which makes everything else you say after this make you come off as incredibly resentful and stupid.
Fans of Clever Greene here 'resent' having to wait till your "Rake" viewing season is over just as "Downton Abbey" fans in Australia and New Zealand are made to wait not only till UK season is over but then it airs in other countries next (including US) before finally reaching Aussie's and Kiwi's at the bottom of the viewing audience list. I know this for certain because I am banned by my Aussie & Kiwi mates from discussing it on social media until it airs in their countries. You should really consider making friends and then you would be more informed as to what goes on outside your own borders instead of wasting the clock presuming what goes on within ours.
Frank Americans watch Doctor Who, Sherlock, Downtown Abbey, Luther and there were American fans of Red Dwarf and Merlin as well. Canadian shows are popular in the states. I am sure there is an American fan base for the Almighty Johnsons as well.
And I am certain there are people in other nations who would refuse to watch American or British shows because they don't care about learning about the local cultural references of countries outside their own.
Also frank I guess it must be comforting to know that your country is completely flawless and that America is the only country to have problems on this planet. Or maybe not the only one to have problems but the absolute worst country in existence.
sharea) US versions of overseas TV shows often suck, destroying all of the character and charm of the originals by trying too hard to make them more palatable to 'middle America', and
That's your opinion. There have been plenty of hits and flops of American remakes on film and TV.
b) it's a friggin legal/courtroom satire. In English. Can't you understand words like 'your honour' and such if it's spoken with an Aussie accent? Or follow the plot of a TV show unless there is a Chrysler building/Brooklyn Bridge/Statue of Liberty in the friggin' background??
We import plenty of anglophone Canadian shows because of similar geography and culture. And we can see lots of British programming too.
It's nothing personal. We simply don't need to bother adjusting.
Take us down and all apart
Cherry Tree
Lay us out on the table
You're sharp alright... share
I think the basic point of the original post is that the Australian version has a charm that the American version won't be able to pull off. The fact that Richard Roxburgh is one of Australia's finest actors (not most successful, but finest) is one of the main reasons for its success. He brings to the role something that Kinnear will be hard pressed to replicate as he is a)unconvincing as a degenerate, and b) second rate at acting.
It speaks volumes that Australian shows being converted to the US are carrying Australians in them. Rake already has two Australian actors signed up, and Wilfred went as far as keeping the same actor in the lead role. I think that shows just how pointless US remakes are.
Either way, I wouldn't advocate people DON'T watch the US version of Rake. I would just encourage everyone, whether they're planning on watching the US one or not, to watch the Australian version because it is a rare piece of TV brilliance from our government station.
I think the basic point of the original post is that the Australian version has a charm that the American version won't be able to pull off.
You shouldn't expect a remake to be a carbon copy of the original.
As long as the show is well-written and cast, the show can be charming all on its own.
It speaks volumes that Australian shows being converted to the US are carrying Australians in them. Rake already has two Australian actors signed up, and Wilfred went as far as keeping the same actor in the lead role. I think that shows just how pointless US remakes are.
In "Rake's" case, that's just a coincidence.
It is a current trend in Hollywood right now, especially since the recession and the relatively recent WGA strike's impact, to cast much cheaper foreign actors from the U.K. and Australia.
Pilot season has tons of shows-both original and adapted-with foreign-born actors in prominent roles.
Take it slow
Take it easy on me
Shed some light
Shed some light on things... share
[deleted]
I wish I could have been as generous as you in describing the US version, but I agree completely about the original, and the performance of RIchard Roxburgh. I pine for the return of that show, and it has to rate, on my own personal scale, in the top three television shows I've ever watched. I really missed the complexities of the characters, and the true warmth and affection shown to Cleever by his inner circle. Changing the Missy & ex-wife characters' relationships with Cleever was a huge disappointment, as was the change of focus on Cleever/Keegan's appreciation for "the law" over "justice". They had an opportunity to recreate greatness in American form, and they blew it.
shareYou really do have a chip on your shoulder,don't you?
Get over your jealousy of America. You will be a happier person if you do.
Unfortunately, due to the current level of success of US TV shows in the UK, we are unlikely to see the original, just the US re-make.
I love the Australian original and to me, Richard Roxburgh owns the role totally and I cannot see how anyone else can play Cleaver Greene. However I will give the US version a go - as it is bound to air on Fox UK here at some point.
We used to get all the Aussie shows in the UK, now we only get a few - the usual soaps & the unlikable The Slap (is that being made by the US too?) Oh, and we got the US re-make of Wilfred - which is indeed very funny. But I would liked to have seen the original too.
"US versions of overseas TV shows often suck."
Define "often". Kath n Kim, and what else?
It should be a pretty high standard, since TV shows IN GENERAL often suck. I'd venture a guess that the adaptations have a significantly higher rate of success.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_television_shows_based_on_foreign_shows
The above link shows a relatively low rate of outright suckage, compared to TV's overall success rate.
THANK YOU! This version disappointed me to no end. The Australian version has been on hiatus for two years, probably because they've been working on this disaster. The subtlety and humor are nearly nonexistent. :( No cannibal...a serial killer!! The complexity is infinitesimal compared to the original.
shareYou do realise that this was made in Australia, not outer mongolia.
There are no major differences between US and Australian culture, and Greg Kinnear is not going to be anywhere near as good as the original lead actor Richard Roxburgh in this show.
Instead of waiting for the remake I would recommend people watch the original as I highly doubt Greg Kinnear will be strong enough as an actor to pull this show off.
There are no major differences between US and Australian culture...
Sure there are. We're separated by whole oceans. There are bound to be some cultural differences along with geographical ones.
...And Greg Kinnear is not going to be anywhere near as good as the original lead actor Richard Roxburgh in this show.
Instead of waiting for the remake I would recommend people watch the original as I highly doubt Greg Kinnear will be strong enough as an actor to pull this show off.
How could you know that? Kinnear is a very good and likeable actor.
Take us down and all apart
Cherry Tree
Lay us out on the table
You're sharp alright... share
Kinnear is strong actor but there is no way he fits this role. The original Aussie series is brilliant. They should just air it here in the US but that will never happen. I will watch the premiere but I can guarantee you it won't be as good. For starters they would need to recast Rake and air it on cable. Someone like Campbell Scott would be my choice.
Is that Amazon Prime pumpkin-spiced?
Of course it won't be as good.
You've already made up your mind about the quality of the show.
I wish you were the one
Wish you were the one that got away...
-The Civil Wars
You mean dumb it down to suit American tastes? No thanks. I'll take the unknown actors portraying smart, witty, complex characters over this nonsense any day.
shareSo true. Same concept as McDonald's in Paris. If you're really diligent, you can avoid all contact with any cultural and geographic differences outside our borders, even if you absolutely have to travel outside the U.S. This is why you should avoid foreign films, restaurants serving foreign food, and Toyotas.
shareHow very insular of you. Why not broaden your experience with characters and situations set outside your own culture? Kinear if fine but Richard Roxburgh is a consummate actor.
shareThe original was great, I doubt they will get away with the same stuff on American television. It will be a watered down version.
shareThe original was great, I doubt they will get away with the same stuff on American television. It will be a watered down version.
This is dead-on right. I've been a Roxburgh fan since his 2002 turn as Sherlock Holmes in a BBC production of "Hound of the Baskervilles" and sought out "Rake" when I heard about it. I even liked him in Van Helsing, and that's saying something. "Rake" was brilliant, and it saddens me to think that all that Americans at large will know of it is Greg Kinnear mugging his way through a diluted ripoff.
I was born and have lived all my life within the geographic boundaries of the good 'ol USA, if it matters.
Authority is the aqua regia of golden character. share
[deleted]
Why do t.v. execs insist on trying to remake programs from other countries when the original is so outstanding? Is it ego, thinking they can make a better version here in the u.s.??????????
shareWhy do t.v. execs insist on trying to remake programs from other countries when the original is so outstanding?
Why can't the remake be outstanding too?
Is it ego, thinking they can make a better version here in the u.s.??????????
Americans simply wouldn't watch the original if it were broadcast here.
Ribbons and detours meant nothing to me
Swaying our sympathies, pulling our strings... share
Scott1md
I think maybe that US television execs also view Americans as moron and think that everything must be spoon fed to them.
Where and how?
That said, no matter how good it is, I'll still be interested in seeing an American adaptation. There's room for both.
[deleted]
I'm Australian and I say why not watch this new version?
I think the original was great. There's no reason to not let the Americans enjoy a version of it more accustom to them. If they enjoy it so much and they want to see where it began in the Australian version? Go nuts.
The Office I think was an excellent example of this. I originally saw the US version of the show and loved it. I then went back to see what the UK version was all about.
End of the day, I just hope they enjoy it and what Greg Kinnear is bringing to the lead role.
I'm an Aussie as well & just watched the US remake. While it lacked some of the charm of the original, Greg Kinnear does hold some hope that this show may improve. I just wish it was remade by HBO or Showtime as a show like this needs to be more risque with its language.
As to the argument over US remakes it is always hit & miss. Show like The Office, Shameless demonstrated that Americans can do remakes as good if not better than the original when there is good writing, direction & acting.