US Remakes

POSTED BY: deepgirl187
UPDATED: Monday, September 7, 2026 16:55
VIEWED: 5678
PAGE 1 of 1

DEEPGIRL187

Sunday, October 14, 2007 1:50 AM

Me being the Doctor Who fan that I am, I decided to look up some of the other shows the actors have been in. Lo and behold do I come across Blackpool and Life On Mars. Both seem like interesting shows that I would like to check out. Unfortunately, I've run into (kind of) two problems.

The first is availability. Neither have been released in the US on DVD (though I do believe that Life On Mars has been shown on BBC America).

The second not-so-much-a-problem (more an annoyance) is the dreaded US remake. Blackpool has already been remade into Viva Laughlin (which to its credit has Principal Wood from Buffy in it), while Life On Mars is slated to be remade sometime next year, I believe.

Why, oh why (I ask redundantly) are the TV gods so boneheaded? Both shows had good actors to begin with; why mess with a good thing? But then, (as one person on the IMDB boards pointed out) if they air the UK version, they get no money. Make their own, and they get plenty (well, in theory at least).

*sigh*

In any case, what are you guys' opinions on the subject?

ETA: And would the BBC please get off their ass and release a Region 1 DVD set for both shows?

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"This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at 30 paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow."

REGINAROADIE

Sunday, October 14, 2007 3:37 AM

It's a wave. For a while, especially after the god-awful US version of COUPLING, the idea of re-making a British series for US TV would be considered suicide. And when the US version of THE OFFICE was being planned, everyone considered it to be a suicide mission. But after a fantastic season 2 when they really came into their own, they realized that if done right, that there can be successful jumps across the pond. Now it just remains to be seen whether or not any of them will actually work, or just die on the vine.

No interest in Blackpool or Viva Laughlin, but I would like to see the original LIFE ON MARS before David E. Kelley gets his hands on it. After seeing John Simm's perfect turn as The Master on DOCTOR WHO, I'd like to see him in the role that made him somewhat famous.

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Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

DTUCK

Sunday, October 14, 2007 3:44 AM

I haven't seen the US revision of Manchild, but, it'd be hard to live up to the original (in which Anthony Stewart Head starred).

A good example, IMO, would be Touching Evil. Jeffrey Donovan was just off-kilter enough as Creegan to make the show really click. Too bad it was axed after only half a season.

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DEEPGIRL187

Sunday, October 14, 2007 1:23 PM

I really like Jeffrey Donovan in Burn Notice, so it would have been cool to see that.

I think The Office is kind of the exception, not the rule, regarding remakes. US TV studios are simply too lazy (with a few exceptions; Heroes, Pushing Daisies) to put the effort into making an original (or at least interesting) show these days. Easier (and cheaper) to do a remake (from whatever country or time) and hope the unwashed masses are content with what they get.

Not saying that all remakes are horrible, I just don't think the studios want to put a lot of effort into their shows these days. Then again, we did get Chuck and Pushing Daisies this season, so all hope is not lost.

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"This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at 30 paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow."

IMNOTHERE

Sunday, October 14, 2007 8:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by deepgirl187:
Why, oh why (I ask redundantly) are the TV gods so boneheaded? Both shows had good actors to begin with; why mess with a good thing?

One possible (silly) reason is that UK drama series tend to have fairly short runs - typically 6-13 episodes per ¨season¨. Plus, we crazy Brits sometimes do really zany things like concluding a series while its still successful rather than flogging away at it until it jumps the shark. Life on Mars ran for two series of 8 episodes and then concluded - there's a spin-off called ¨Ashes to Ashes¨ in the works.

In USA terms that's too short for a season and too long for a mini-series. Personally, I think its far better than the endless US seasons that result in horribly padded-out plot arcs, filler episodes and clipshows. Actors can work on several shows at a time and although shows that completely tank sometimes get pulled off-air after a few episodes, usually they get the chance to run for a full season before the decision has to be made.

(Of course, UK TV does the oppsite extreme too - the main soaps run 3+ episodes a week 52 weeks a year...)

Actually, I think remaking ¨Life on Mars¨ is defensible because the fun relies so much on references to 70s UK culture. If you don't know Test Card F from a Watney's Party 7 or why someone might have 'oops for lunch then you'll be needing some background notes.

(P.s. - did you know they even tried to do a US version of Red Dwarf...? The pilot is out there on the internet somewhere...)

Oh, and mentioning US Remakes gives me an excuse to plug Ultraviolet (The 1998 UK mini-series NOT the recent Movie) which was going to be remade for US but wasn't (I really hope the movie was not some mutated descendent of this). Torchwood without the laughs (and better) - more would have been nice, but the story was concluded nicely.

JAYNEZTOWN

Monday, December 16, 2024 7:53 PM

Lionsgate CEO on ‘Borderlands’ Box Office Disaster: ‘Nearly Everything That Could Go Wrong, Did Go Wrong’

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Nobody 2 is next

then its 'Kill' a 2024 Indian Hindi-language action thriller

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JAYNEZTOWN

Thursday, March 6, 2025 5:45 PM

they were getting DEI SJW money?

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not an AI parody with Artificial Chatbot art

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JAYNEZTOWN

Friday, March 14, 2025 5:17 PM

wow they blocked the trailer....anyways

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JAYNEZTOWN

Friday, August 29, 2025 4:56 PM

Andor fixed Star Wars

JAYNEZTOWN

Sunday, April 19, 2026 3:58 PM

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Saturday, April 25, 2026 2:42 PM

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6IXSTRINGJACK

Sunday, April 26, 2026 3:19 AM

My old man saw it and didn't find Generation V objectionable, despite the obvious woke crap. I think he just resigned himself to it.

I haven't watched anything beyond Season 3 of the original show. It was obvious where the writers and showrunner were going with the show and I didn't feel it was worth watching anymore.

It's too bad. Season 1 was great. Season 2 was pretty decent too.

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JAYNEZTOWN

Thursday, May 7, 2026 4:09 PM

10 Sci-Fi TV Shows That Deserve A Remake

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/10-sci-fi-tv-shows-190
200941.html

6IXSTRINGJACK

Thursday, May 7, 2026 8:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by JAYNEZTOWN:
10 Sci-Fi TV Shows That Deserve A Remake

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/10-sci-fi-tv-shows-190
200941.html

My first thought is to say "meh" to that entire list...

But then again, that's what we should be remaking if we're going to remake anything. All the "meh"...

Leave the greats and the classics alone.

Give us remakes of Automan and Homeboys from Outerspace, please.

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Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

JAYNEZTOWN

Friday, June 12, 2026 7:30 PM

They say a Zelda movie or tv show is coming

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JAYNEZTOWN

Saturday, June 13, 2026 6:26 PM

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JAYNEZTOWN

Sunday, July 5, 2026 3:37 AM

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https://www.aol.com/articles/4-worst-western-movie-remakes-160000000.h
tml

6IXSTRINGJACK

Sunday, July 5, 2026 3:59 AM

3 movies I've never heard of and a thorough disagreement from me.

I saw Wild Wild West at a 2-fer drive in theater and it was perfectly acceptable right around the millennium turnover mid-summer schlock.

I'm pretty sure that anybody calling Wild Wild West the worst Western remake of all time also thinks that E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial on 2600 is the worst Atari game ever made because AVGN said it 15 years ago too. Really easy to do in 2026 too, when Will Smith became an acceptable black male punching bag. Everyone knows that movie would never have made that list as little as 5 years ago.

And I love Kevin Costner and will defend Waterworld to the grave, but I'd call Wyatt Earp the worst Western remake that wasn't helped none by the fact it came out only 6 months after Tombstone.

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

JAYNEZTOWN

Sunday, July 26, 2026 11:18 PM

sick of remakes, try CARRIE

6IXSTRINGJACK

Sunday, July 26, 2026 11:46 PM

I don't understand.

"Sick of remakes? Watch this remake."

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

JAYNEZTOWN

Monday, July 27, 2026 1:42 AM

exactly, remake bad movies not ones that are good or 'why mess with a good thing?'

it will probably be crap anyways

they are hunger to try find the next franchise hidden in some old trash can of history and then try reanimate it to bleed it to death again because....gone are the days when Hollywood used to try original ideas

6IXSTRINGJACK

Monday, July 27, 2026 4:49 AM

"I wonder if it's a remake. A remake of the awful remake. Or even worse, "it's own thing".

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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

JAYNEZTOWN

Wednesday, August 5, 2026 2:43 PM

I would have liked to see them try Stargate again

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JAYNEZTOWN

Wednesday, August 5, 2026 4:18 PM

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Giant Freakin Robot

JAYNEZTOWN

Saturday, August 22, 2026 1:23 AM

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JAYNEZTOWN

Monday, September 7, 2026 4:55 PM

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