British Comedy Guide

American remake that went badly wrong.

America has remade Four Weddings and a Funeral and its being panned by the critics. Also criticised for how it portrayed British women and LGBT. Since when has a remake of a foreign classic improve things ?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7587362/

What are the worst remakes you've seen ? Or have there been any successes ?

That film clip bears no resemblance to 4 weddings.
They should have called it something else.
Or are they trying to hang on the shirt tails.

Yanks shouldn't be allowed to touch British films. They don't understand them and then f**k them up.

I'd like to see a septic rehash of Withnail and I, possibly starring Will Ferrell and Eddie Murphy.

In fairness to the USA, their films and television programmes are in many cases leagues ahead of anything Britain has ever produced. Having said that, their films and television programmes are in many other cases absolute crap.

When it comes to remakes, the biggest mistake America has ever made lies not in remaking a British production: it's in remaking their own Sergeant Bilko.

Quote: Text Lexus @ 9th August 2019, 10:49 PM

I'd like to see a septic rehash of Withnail and I, possibly starring Will Ferrell and Eddie Murphy.

I would not.

Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 10th August 2019, 9:53 AM

I would not.

Bloody hell MM, here's me agreeing with you again. :O

Doomed! We're doomed! The end of the world in nigh.............................. :(

Quote: Rood Eye @ 10th August 2019, 9:47 AM

In fairness to the USA, their television programmes are in many cases leagues ahead of anything Britain has ever produced.

That's not a view held by industry pros. USA studios were hanging on the coat tails and looking at the work of British TV in awe for long periods like the 70s and again in the 00s when The Office sparked a revolution in sitcom making which stretched across the pond.

American remakes of our comedy films tend to change them into louder and cruder relatives with most of the subtleties replaced with smack you in the face humour. We have very different performance art cultures although they are both getting less different and picking up bits of each others. Ours are getting louder and theirs are beginning to get a bit more subtle, waffle waffle but I can't really think of any great examples right now. Sleepy

Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting that American films and TV programmes are or have been in every case superior to British films and TV programmes.

I do, however, feel that several of the best American films and TV programmes are superior to the best British films and TV programmes.

Needless to say, lots of British films and TV programmes are vastly superior to lots of American films and TV programmes.

Thinking specifically about remakes, the American Whose Line Is It Anyway? was in my view much better than the original British version.

It's all subjective, of course and I wouldn't expect everybody (or even anybody) to agree with me but I just thought I'd throw in a bit of support for America as it's taken quite a bit of slagging on BCG recently.

I am ever mindful of the fact that if they had not come to our aid in 1942 . . .

Well, you know what I mean.

Quote: Michael Monkhouse @ 10th August 2019, 9:53 AM

I would not.

Nor would I really ... I was attempting to employ something not unadjacent to sarcasm. I would however be fascinated to see what our tea-tossing cousins might make of such a project.

Though I still can't bring myself to watch the American Ladykillers even though it's allegedly not bad.

There is the reverse example; US not bad "Grounded for Life" sitcom was remade in UK as "In with the Flynns" (with Will Mellor) - not a good one IMO.

No it was awful, and iirc was written by the same US team with possibly a Brit or two added for cultural differences. I remember one of the yanks being interviewed and saying they hope to bring the US style of team writing to British TV. No thank you Missy, take it back to that there country. And of course they did as IWTF kicked the can after one unfunny series of bland join the dots scripting.

Quote: Rood Eye @ 10th August 2019, 7:55 PM

Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting that American films and TV programmes are or have been in every case superior to British films and TV programmes.

I do, however, feel that several of the best American films and TV programmes are superior to the best British films and TV programmes.

On TV progs only which ones make you feel that because I've never felt that? I don't watch a lot of American TV so I haven't seen any of this Sopranos or Breaking Bad stuff everyone was going on about. On sitcoms, comedy dramas, documentaries and period dramas I cannot think of one that is done better by anyone never mind the Yanks.

Quote: Rood Eye @ 10th August 2019, 9:47 AM

In fairness to the USA, their films and television programmes are in many cases leagues ahead of anything Britain has ever produced. Having said that, their films and television programmes are in many other cases absolute crap.

Quote: Rood Eye @ 10th August 2019, 7:55 PM

Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting that American films and TV programmes are or have been in every case superior to British films and TV programmes.
I do, however, feel that several of the best American films and TV programmes are superior to the best British films and TV programmes.
Needless to say, lots of British films and TV programmes are vastly superior to lots of American films and TV programmes.
It's all subjective, of course and I wouldn't expect everybody (or even anybody) to agree with me but I just thought I'd throw in a bit of support for America as it's taken quite a bit of slagging on BCG recently.

Well make yer bleedin' mind up - talk about sitting on the fence.

Quote: Rood Eye @ 10th August 2019, 7:55 PM

Well, you know what I mean.

Yeah, going around the houses with two posts and concluding nothing.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 11th August 2019, 9:15 AM

going around the houses with two posts and concluding nothing.

That's one of the nicest reviews I've ever received on BCG.

Some would say I've gone around the houses with almost 2400 posts and concluded nothing.

Thank you for your support. Laughing out loud

You keep telling yourself it's a compliment, and Tut Tut, you've slipped a LOL in.................... :|

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