Comments on: FOX to remake Ab Fab

By: algernon

algernon — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:25:03 +0000

It never ceases to amaze me that hollywood will try and try again, despite a consistent track record of failure, to (re)produce british comedy brilliance.

Guaranteed that these american efforts have not so much to do with actually producing something good, as it does contactual payoffs and back scratching.

By: lilli

lilli — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:00:28 +0000

There was talk in 2000 of an American version of ‘This Life’. Thank God that never happened.
Americans should stay away from British and Australian shows. The humour just does not translate.
Am I the only one surprised that the US version of Kath and Kim is a dud?

By: knoxoverstreet

knoxoverstreet — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:17:58 +0000

Star Trek tNG is another and is in some opinions better then the original. although personally I rate them equally.

To be fair though the brits are remaking Bewitched which has fail written all over it.

By: David Knox

David Knox — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:49:51 +0000

Even remakes that stay in their country of origin are struggling. Bionic Woman? Knight Rider? Terminator (spin off).? At least Battlestar Galactica was cool …and who set the tone for that? An Aussie.

Doctor Who is one of the few other revivals to hold up.

By: lab_brat

lab_brat — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:30:32 +0000

“Sanford and Son, Three’s Company, All in the Family”

All of which are 30 years old. Nothing more recent?

“Yeah, like Australia doesn’t have many failed remakes

Survivor
Queer Eye
Temptation Island
Wheel of Fortune
Top Gear?”

Well its a little early to call it on Top Gear, but I can understand shows like Survivor/Temptation Island and Wheel getting a local version, as they are contestant based and to be eligible for prizes you’d need to be a resident of said country. (and wheel was very successful I thought, it ran for -years-) But when you are talking about shows that rely heavily on a country’s culture as part of the jokes, then it doesn’t translate well when you “remake” them imo. And OK maybe there was a time when it was working. When it did translate well. But that time isn’t now and its being proved again and again with failed pilots, bad reviews and low ratings.

By: ali

ali — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:16:47 +0000

A US Ab Fab wont translate well at all. All the charm of the show was in the complete incorrectness of the characters which the US version wouldn’t retain. That said, Mitch Hurwitz is great so its not a complete write off yet.

By: David Knox

David Knox — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:34:20 +0000

Didn’t see it, but Jean Smart is terrific.

By: LoveMyDog

LoveMyDog — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:45:27 +0000

The Americans have proven time and time again that they have no grasp of the british humour – why oh why must they keep trying!?

On another note, I must be one of the few people who cannot stand the remade version of the Office – so, so bad!

By: stevie g

stevie g — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:31:29 +0000

Will & Grace had a lot of ABfab sensibilities. Karen was like an American version of the girls. There was also a short lived sit com from the 90s that stared Jean Smart, (who was the presidents wife in 24 and Samantha Whos’ mother,) that I think, was said to be a kind of Amercian version of AB fab. I enjoyed that one. Just looked up the name, it was called High Society.

By: knoxoverstreet

knoxoverstreet — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:01:59 +0000

Was going to mention Three’s Company ,possibly the only US remake to arguably be better then the original (Man About The House). You can’t transplant Ab Fab to sunny LA it won’t work

By: Sephiroth_FF

Sephiroth_FF — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:43:17 +0000

Mitch Hurwitz did a great job with Arrested Development and I look forward to his future work but I just don’t understand all these remakes.

America have proven that they’re very, very capable of making original shows but they heavily rely on remakes. A lot of remakes fail. Some turn out to be quite good but most of the time, they’ll never top the original.

I just want to stop hearing the word “remake” and start hearing about some new and exciting ideas.

By: David Knox

David Knox — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:50:37 +0000

Whoa… Wheel had years in Oz….

By: Russell

Russell — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:34 +0000

Yeah, like Australia doesn’t have many failed remakes

Survivor
Queer Eye
Temptation Island
Wheel of Fortune
Top Gear?

By: David Knox

David Knox — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:47:34 +0000

Sanford and Son, Three’s Company, All in the Family….

By: lab_brat

lab_brat — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:49:27 +0000

omg. why? why do they keep doing this?

aside from “the office” are there any remakes of british comedies that have actually worked?

By: Bernadette

Bernadette — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:15:34 +0000

Is NOTHING sacred?

And more to the point….is there no one with a single original idea left among the 300 million inhabitants of America?

@Matt – thanks for the memory jogger – I had completely wiped that awful US version of Men Behaving Badly from my mind – now I have to forget all over again which will take a lot of alcohol