British Shows are Always Better then there American equivlants

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PROVE ME WRONG

― anthony, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Cheers"="World Of Pub".

All the proof you need.

― Al, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

expand Alistar

― anthony, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"All in the Family" was MUCH better than whatever its British equivalent was.

And if Space 2001 = British Star Trek, then obviously Trek ruled.

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The British version of the quite dismal "Who's the Boss" which was called something else that I can't currently remember, was even sadder than sad. From the little I saw anyway. Very strange though with the same basic characters and even nearly the same plot, almost like deja vu for a while until I figured out that I was watching an adaptation.

― Kim, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i haven't seen every British show that has an American equivalent, but i know Ab Fab will always kick Sybill's ass.

― di, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The American version of "Dear John" was far better than the British one. The British version of "Mad about you" managed to be worse than the American one, amazingly.

― Michael Bourke, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Well you see, it's really the Canooks who we should be worried about. I mean, has anything ever topped Kids In the Hall? Anything at all? I say we all exile to Canada and do a sketch comedy show!

― timothy, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Three's Company was bad enough, but when I saw Robin's Nest, I realized it could be worse... Related topic: some of the best series on the BBC are so cheaply produced it's a turn off until you get used to it. Red Dwarf looks like Dr. Who, which looks an awful lot like The Land of The Lost to me.

― Nude Spock, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

wasn't it space 1999?

― Mike Hanle y, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

wasn't it space 1999?

Yes, it was. I stand corrected (by Hanle y, yet!)

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Where the british have a good idea they seem to suceed more in TV by not spreading the idea too thinly. Most of the best shows in the uk run for 2 or three series of 6 episodes each, written by a small number of writers who write all of them. long runners like doctor who had one writer per story (6 episodes). Of course the american comittee written comodity TV system also produces some gems (fraiser and MASH, for example(Is 'It ain't half hot mum' the UK MASH I think not but its scary to think).

Also the US can't be receiving our everyday dross of the minor schleb decorates your house whilst cooking with pets type shows that we seem to have a plenty.

UK shows seem to suceed better with smaller budgets. or at least did in the past. Doctor who was good because it required a certain suspension of disbelief, (that that quarry near elstree was a different planet each story)

― Ed, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think this thread is based entirely on AbFab v. Cybil and Men Behaving Badly v. Men Behaving Badly. I mean, come on now, this is clearly a false assertation. I mean, Who's Line Is It? American is crap, but WHo's Line Is It? British is even worse.

― Ally, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(Mr. Show has topped Kids in The Hall for sketch comedy)

― fritz, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

conclusive proof of american superiority:
sanford & son MOPS THE FLOOR with steptoe & son.

― fred solinger, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Why in the hell would anyone remake Who's the Boss? Wasn't it bad enough the first time around?

― Samantha, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm going to remake Who's The Boss. I'm Angela, Ramon is Tony Danza, Otis is that kid, and Steph is Alyssa Milano. My mom is the old chick. It'll be fannnntastic.

― Ally, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Can I be Tony Danza's Ulcer?

― Mike Hanle y, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The argument is rubbish. If you're talking direct transatlantic 'translations' then I think it's just that they're rubbish either way round (not mentioned yet: our version of the Golden Girls, yours of 'Queer as Folk', which I haven't seen). Loose 'premise borrowing' often also results in shit: see 'Bob Martin' (an embarassing Larry Sanders variant that somehow has its defenders), that David Baddiel 'version' of Seinfeld that was so bad I've cast its name from my memory and 'Coupling' (kind of a ruder Friends but rubbish).

― Nick, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

dude, that kid is gay. seriously.

― fred solinger, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

America LOVES British TV. Thats why we have BBC America on cable and our public stations play BritComs all the time. Anyone seen 'Are You Being Served?' Or 'Allo 'Allo?

― Tator, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

If you really loved us, you'd put it on network TV.
America has a fucked up idea of public service broadcasting. How is showing repeats of UK sitcoms from the 70s a public service. Lord Reith must be turning in his grave. Is it cause British = 'cultural'?

― Nick, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It's cause British shows are cheap b/c no one wants to watch them.

― Samantha, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

That sounds more plausible than Tator's analysis.

― Nick, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Has anyone seen the documentary 42 Up (or others in the series - 21 Up, 28 Up, etc.)?

― youn, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Only the 42-up one, sadly. It's a great documentary. For those who don't know, the makers looked at the lives and thoughts of several British children at the age of 7, from a variety of backgrounds, then followed it up at 21 etc. So you get both a cross-sectional and longitudinal slant on things. Simple idea but provides a wonderful portrait of British society and growing up in general. Very sad in parts. I wish would show the old ones again.

― Nick, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Allo Allo >>>> British = cultural above all others QED

― mark s, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Mr. Show has topped Kids in The Hall for sketch comedy

Mr. Show can bite me. I had it all hyped to hell by a friend, then I saw some episodes and they all fell flat! Odenkirk's crowning glory was on The Ben Stiller Show.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I just watched 42 Up yesterday; it was really good. I wish I could find the earlier ones!

Does the man who became a MP for Hackney still have the seat? He, the math teacher, and the woman who took the bereavement counseling course (Suzy, I think) are my favorites. The physics professor was the worst!

― youn, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

(Mr. Show has topped Kids in The Hall for sketch comedy)

damn straight. it's a crying shame it's on HBO and that the rest of the world will never get to FEEL THE STING of AMERICAN SKETCH- COMEDY SUPREMACY.

― your null fame, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Coupling even more contrived than friends with stupider, shallower, less attractive characters and a ruder, sex obsessed storyline. However way,way,way funnier so wins by a long nose.

― Billy Dods, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

As Time Goes By isnt old. And their old shows are still better than our new ones.

― Tator, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Wish that we got some new ones. American TV shows would be blown out of the water.

― Tator, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Surely all you US folks are laughing at in those old Britcoms are the jarring changes from videotape-interior to grainy filmstock- exterior. Turns an episode of 'The Good Life' into a sense-jamming Oliver Stone rollercoaster.

Any comments on The Ropers vs George & Mildred? I've yet to meet anyone who has seen both.

― Michael Jones, Saturday, 13 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

American version of cracker = Worst thing EVER

― Fatnick, Saturday, 13 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

42-up etc. I've seen em all, one time or another (7-up only as repeat: tho I am 41, I didn't have a TV at four: wouldn't fit into the paperbag-in-the-middle-of-the-road we lived in haha).

He wasn't *MP* for Hackney (that = Brian Sedgemore and/or Dianne Abbott) but a councillor: did he win a seat, I forget? Hackney Council is currently in financial meltdown, w/only a handful of independent councilors not implicated in active scandal or passive didn't-nothing scandal, or whatever.

― mark s, Saturday, 13 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

mark s, I'm sure you know loads more about the American system, than I do the British. Does this work - Councillor:MP::Representative:Senator? (And does this mean you once looked like those children in b & w?!?!)

It was notable that nearly all of the working class women worked, but the upper class women didn't. Not that there's anything wrong with that. And it made me wonder how much class determines one's character - or maybe just what's easy for the rest of the world to identify.

― youn, Saturday, 13 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Councillor = member of local government council of some description
US Representative = UK MP
US Senator = UK Lord, I suppose though there isn't any exact equivalent

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Saturday, 13 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

in UK borough and town councillors get elected to local councils for local laws (eg parking zones, who does the trash collection, unemployment, library provision blah blah)
MP for a district gets sent to houses of parliament (=equiv congress sorta) (all UK has 630 total, I think: Robin C wd know)
Lords sit in House of Lords: NOT elected chiz chiz but chosen by govt or inherited, and only linked to a district by personal choice, no legal-juridical link. eg Lord Tebbit of Chingford because Chingford was his constituency when still an MP and chose to celebrate that, but Lord Wyatt of Weeford bcuz he was born there (I think) and liked the idea.

― mark s, Saturday, 13 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

And as I have returned so I can reveal ha ha: 659 MPs. I think Mark's estimate would have been closer to the truth a while back: there were 650 MPs in 1985, that much I know, and that is all I know.

This is a good read: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ott/sevenup.htm

― Robin Carmody, Sunday, 14 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

re whos line is it anyway......tv versions british or american = dud, but radio versions on r4 before was well good. back me up ed

― ambrose, Sunday, 14 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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