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Old 12-20-2009, 11:51 AM   #1
wolf
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I must have missed the Amerian ABFAB. Thank goodness, I am so lucky. Loved the real thing, though.

I was devastated by what happened to Live and Loves of a She-Devil over here. ick.

And I have always harbored a suspicion that Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure was what happens when a Hollywoodian (a specific breed of American) gets hold of Doctor Who.
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Old 12-20-2009, 11:57 AM   #2
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I wonder if it is all about money?
Not a comment on America, just entertainment in general - and your system certainly works in a different way than ours.

Surely BBC America shows the originals (BBC originals of course) but it just doesn't generate enough interest country-wide.

So the option is bought up (benefiting the BBC) and the channel that buys it has effectively a home-grown hit which has already been tried and tested and achieved a certain amount of appreciation nationwide. They reap the advertising revenue.

I don't know how selling a British made series would work in terms of revenue. I'm sure it must (countries throughout the world buy our programmes without needing to remake them) but perhaps it's less feasible in America. Certainly when the remakes are made, FAR more money is thrown at them then in our meagre budgets.

Just a suggestion - I admit I don't really know how this works

And after all you employ a goodly number of our actors in American roles, so I'm not claiming some sort of bias here.
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Old 12-20-2009, 01:34 PM   #3
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I think the point about budgets might be central. American audiences are used to tv shows made with a certain amount of budgetary flair, which we just don;t do. Maybe our shows just seem a bit small and homemade to them?

I never considered that before actually. I always assumed that it was a case of networks and studios assuming too little of their audience (assuming that they wouldn;t be able/willing to make the leap), actually, thinking about it, it may be that they assume a greater level of sophistication in their viewers.
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Old 11-04-2010, 02:06 PM   #4
Sundae
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Found this on the back of the Sherlock Holmes query.

Just about to watch Monte Carlo or Bust.
Docu-comedy about three pairs of travellers trying to find the essence of France.
So far, so yawn. Who they then?

Jack Dee & Ade Edmondson
Jodie Kidd & Julian Clary
Penny Smith & Rory McGrath

Brits will know why I'm bothering, I expect most others to be baffled (well, as baffled as I am by Penny Smith)
Going to watch the 1st episode on ITV catch-up - I realised today it started last week! Now this will be a saga, as their online service appears to be put together with yoghurt cartons and string. But if it's any good, I'll watch again tonight in real time and report back.
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Old 11-04-2010, 02:39 PM   #5
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cool.

I wasted a bit of time on the Inbetweeners recently

Clunge.
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Old 11-04-2010, 03:06 PM   #6
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Meh - have heard pro and anti Inbetweeners.
One of the teachers said it's only funny if you're 19, another said that she and her husband wept with laughter regularly, another that she found it amusing but not complulsively so.

It's been an award winner here, but I admit I've never watched it. I often feel guilty when a programme goes on to international acclaim and I've just not bothered (being more interested in books than TV generally). So it's kinda reassuring when I'm reminded that not "everyone loves it".

Monte Carlo or Bust made me laugh out loud - not bad when I usually laugh with my mind not my belly. Very like the recent BBC Three Men in a Boat and spin-offs therefof - obvious comparison given that it features Rory McGrath and is narrated by Griff Rhys Jones.

I take it back re Penny Smith. All the participants seems to have rudimentary (or better) French, but she is apparently fluent. And she works well as Rory's foil. I'll tell you a secret... shhhhhh... I really fancy Rory McGrath, and have done since Chelmsford 123

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Last edited by Sundae; 11-04-2010 at 03:54 PM. Reason: Grammar more appalling than usual
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Old 11-04-2010, 04:39 PM   #7
monster
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundae Girl View Post
Meh - have heard pro and anti Inbetweeners.
One of the teachers said it's only funny if you're 19, another said that she and her husband wept with laughter regularly, another that she found it amusing but not complulsively so.

It's been an award winner here, but I admit I've never watched it. I often feel guilty when a programme goes on to international acclaim and I've just not bothered (being more interested in books than TV generally). So it's kinda reassuring when I'm reminded that not "everyone loves it"..
It made me howl with laughter at some parts and cringe with embarrasment in others. sadly, it definitely deteriorated by the series.
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Old 11-08-2010, 03:36 AM   #8
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What did you guys think of Lost in Austen?
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Old 11-08-2010, 04:34 AM   #9
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Didn't watch it, sorry.
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Old 11-09-2010, 05:36 AM   #10
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Probably just as well because I was going to criticise it.
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Old 11-09-2010, 08:38 AM   #11
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Well don't let that stop you, go ahead and rip it up.
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Old 11-09-2010, 08:16 AM   #12
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I have an allergic reaction to all things Austen.

i can read and enjoy as a historian, looking at it as a historical source...but I just find all that stuff unreadable for entertainment; and mostly unwatchable when done as period drama on tv. I realise that Lost in was something different, but I just couldn't bring myself to find out in what way.


I saw a really interesting news report recently about a new theory on Austen's writing style. It seems that our doyenne of perfect grammar and oh so correct English, was in fact way more experimental in her style than we'd previously realised. The versions of her work that made it to us were heavily edited and 'corrected' to conform to established standards of grammar and punctuation.

Much of the reason I find her work so unpleasant to read is the stilted dialogue and overly precise sentence structure. It's like reading a primer for grammar, rather than a story. Turns out that her original scribblings show a much more fluid style, more in keeping with modern authors than her contemporaries. One of the specific differences noted is in her presentation of dialogue; which in the original, pre-edited form was much more naturalistic than the dialogue that we get in the 'corrected' version.
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Last edited by DanaC; 11-09-2010 at 08:22 AM.
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Old 11-09-2010, 08:30 AM   #13
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I do enjoy reading Austen - as with Dickens I find after a page or two I fall into the rhythm. I just don't watch much TV.

The new series of Misfits starts Thursday, though.
So that'll be two programmes for me on one day alone! (True Blood series two on Channel 4). Thank goodness they're on the same channel to avoid any overlap.
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Old 11-10-2010, 06:13 AM   #14
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Interesting stuff Dana. I quite enjoy reading Austen once in a while and usually like the film and TV of her work. I only managed one episode of Lost in Austen. Suspension of reality isn't my strong point and I thought it was ridiculous that the heroine of the series would actually want to stay in or be able to cope in Austen's world or that one of Austen's heros would even look twice at her. I felt it was something that I should like/give a decent go to, but never did get around to watching that second episode and have no regrets.
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Old 11-18-2010, 08:33 PM   #15
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You guys should have told me about Mock the Week..... I had to find out in a Royal Wedding thread.......
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