Sometimes get surveys through for NBC asking me questions about show synopsis that they are thinking of doing. And the premise for Gavin and stacey popped up - even down to the names of the characters. wonder if they're trying to flog it to American networks right now?
shareI was watching the Johnathan Ross show yesterday and he was talking to the witers of it James Corden (Smithy) and Ruth Jones (Nessa) and they confirmed that NBC have bought the rights to the Format, and the plan is that the couple will be from different states, I really hope this goes well cos it's a brilliant show,
I wouldn't like to see another British idea go down the pan like most other shows they have tried like Coupling (Ok everyone says it was kind of like Friends cos there were six of them, but it was a very clever show then America tried and it bombed apparently) and Men Behaving Badly, Teachers, (probably many more) all great shows for Britain but for some reason they just havent worked out over there when the do their versions apart from The Office
Now I could see that actually working...But could I see it running for 22 episodes.. I'm not sure.
Oh and BTW Teachers wasn't remade in america, the US show called teachers (featuring Sarah Alexander of coupling fame) was a half hour comedy show bearing no resemblance to Teachers UK.
Well I typed in Teachers on this site and under the Movie Connections heading it says
Version of
"Teachers" (2001)
- American version of the British show
I have also typed the show on the internet and found a description of the show and the characters on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teachers_%28US_TV_series%29
It sounds quite like what used to happen in Teachers UK like teachers not being bothered to teach and instead hang around outside all that sort of stuff
They said that in the US version (that they are executive-producing) the boy would be from New Jersey, a clever equivalent to Essex as Jersey Girl/Essex Girl jokes are the same, and the girl from one of the Carolinas (I forget which)
shareUnfortunately there has already been a show much like this..it was called "Dharma and Greg" and is now in syndication.
shareIt is nothing like Dharma and Greg.
Gavin and Stacey are not chalk and cheese and are similar in outlook, class and education, but they ARE separated by income and geography.
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Please God no! America is just proving how devoid of culture it is by constantly nicking ideas from British TV programmes. Almost every American show that is a remake of a British one has failed. Red Dwarf USA, D.C. Follies (adapted from Spitting Image), Life is Wild (adapted from Wild at Heart), Chateau Snavely, Amanda's, Payne (all adapted from Fawlty Towers). I could carry on but I'd be here all night. For once America leave English television alone instead of trying to mangle it and pass it off as something original. Leave Gavin and Stacey alone.
shareAs much as USA copies UK they are still miles ahead with humor than UK.
Apart from My Family which was based of USA stuff anyway UK can't do nothing to compete with US.
oh no we've had about 40 odd years of brilliant stuff from the uk you wanna check it out
shareMy Family= Not Funny
You want funny try:
Red Dwarf
Men Behaving Badly
Fawlty Towers
Game On
Only Fools and Horses
One Foot In The Grave
Blackadder
Gavin and Stacey
Nighty Night
The Office
Extras
+ a whole lot more
Funny American sitcoms
Friends, series 1 and 2. (After those it just got boring)
Grounded For Life (only for Megan Pryce though)
I was going to agree with this point about America doing some brilliant comedy (Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier etc) until I read your comment about UK only having My Family that's any good. My Family is possibly the worst example of bland unfunny family 'entertainment' that we have ever produced! For a quality example of British comedy look no further than Gavin & Stacey.
shareROFL, thats made my day. Ever think of writing comedy?:-p
sharethey can't do nothing to compete with US? Nice grammar. You just argued against yourself with a double negative.
and the UK is miles ahead in humor. All In the Family, Three's Company, The Office, to name a few, were all based on UK shows. Not to mention shows like American Idol, etc. And then there are loads of UK shows that haven't been re-made that are brilliant like Only Fools and Horses, Last of the Summer Wine, etc.
How many great American comedy shows can you name? Maybe one every ten years.
I'm here in America and even though I wouldnt say they mangle EVERY one - they certainly do destroy MANY. See, they won't leave a creative force alone here in the States - they overthink everything, they test every idea, they want to water down everything - they want it to be like everything else - somethinbg that is daring or different scares them. NBC had to kill and strangle the sex and spark out of COUPLING to learn how NOT to mess with the OFFICE. It's like COUPLING was the sacrifical lamb on the altar so that THE OFFICE could emerge somewhat intact. Right now U.S.network televison has six or seven suits giving notes on EVERY single aspect of a comedy and that is a sureifre way to make some bland crap - comedy by committee. Yikes! The BRits do it right - let the creative teams have more freedom - only make six and see what happens - that way the financial gamble isn't so huge, so there's a bit more creative leeway. Smart.
shareNBC should just stack all the money they plan on spending on this project, pour gasoline on it, and light it on fire. Either way, it'll end the same.
shareI just don't understand why American networks don't just buy the rights to British shows and SHOW THEM instead of making their own terrible copies - The IT Crowd, The Office, I'm With Stupid... Tell me, when is Little America going into production??
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keep your eyes on the road!
Okay, if it makes you feel any better!
~ See No Evil, Hear No Evil
EX-ACT-LY! It's not like they're speaking German or Turkish or something... they're speaking English with an accent (and it takes about five seconds of getting used to)... why can't they just play the UK versions on American channels?!
share^^ Because then the American's can't take credit for it.
Gavin and Stacey would be rubbish as a US show (just as The Office, Fawlty Towers, the IT Crowd and countless others have been)
They try to copy it but never get the humour quite right.
there hasnt been a good american comedy since seinfeld, american comedy is awful at the moment, uk comedy is 100 times better.
sharethe office worked in america, but other than that i cant think of another crossover...
shareAmerican comedy is far different from ours, and to be honest, a lot of it is rubbish - Sure, there are some pretty class US shows, but the thing is, they're their own stuff!! Not something they found on BBC1, and added a US on the end...
shareTo be fair, there has been a LOT of original, great comedy that doesn't rely on quick pay-offs and clichéd, stereotypical characters, even on network television - Scrubs, Community, My Name Is Earl to name just three.
In fact, Seinfeld wasn't even that original itself. It was still an audience sitcom with simple jokes and stock characters. The "But nothing happens and that's original!" thing is untrue too; lots of sitcoms were mostly shows where 'nothing happens' - the rest just had a simple set-up in the FIRST episode, like "Guy moves into apartment with two girls!", but from there-on out, 'nothing happens' on those shows either. I'm not saying Seinfeld is bad - it's just not as original as people claim.
___
Twitter: http://twitter.com/aps87
Exactly. I'm guessing that Stacey would be Canadian or Hispanic or something. Also the audience would be subjected to roughly twenty-four episodes in a row. Which is more than the original had in it's entire three year run.
shareAmerican networks are too busy cancelling decent shows and forcing reality TV crap down people's throats to actually show quality shows from outside their realm of genius.
share"American networks are too busy cancelling decent shows and forcing reality TV crap down people's throats to actually show quality shows from outside their realm of genius"
This is sooo true. There is nothing on American Tv right now that is remotely interesting. Just reality shows and Show with Hillbilly's that can't even speak clear English.
We do get a lot of Brit shows here on BBC America's cable tv channel.
http://www.bbcamerica.com/
The americanized versions of Brit tv are probably created for the idiots that are too stupid (or afraid) to watch the BBC versions.
i was trying to think who would be good casting for the american version...i know both smithy and nessa are overweight in the UK version but i don't think that would translate well in the US market (americans tend to like shows/characters where all the actors are somewhat glamorous or that they can find attractive):
gavin =
stacey =
smithy =
nessa =
Have you even watched the show? Those have to be the most ridiculous actor/role suggestions I have EVER seen, and I've seen some terrible ones in the past. (Calum Best for James Bond?)
Seems to me you're just trying and failing to name contemporary american actors.
well i figured its a cast of 20-something-year-olds, the main four characters atleast, so i drew upon past TV actors from recent shows and in that age group likely to sign up for another TV project/network sitcom...sure there are better 'contemporary american actors' out there, but truthfully it would be best if they went with relatively unknowns for these roles, and solely rely on veterans to play the roles of the parents
sharehalf the cast of scooby doo on a remake of one of the UKs funniest comedies in ages. No no no...
shareNessa is a 40-something year old, larger than average, truck driver...sarah Michelle Gellar....really?
shareWhen I saw the guy who plays Sock on Reaper (Tyler Labine), the character reminded me a lot of James Cordon playing Smithy.
The chick who plays the Emo secretary on Free Radio could probably get away with the Ruth Jones.
An American remake just seems pointless since kind of the whole point is that one half of the characters are based on Essex, and the other half is based on South Wales. What would be the sterile American equivalent? An upper-middle class white Floridian, and a Puerto Rican?
essex ~ city/suburbs of new jersey, philly, boston
south wales ~ any small town in alabama, mississippi, or one of the other bible belt states
Doesn't Ruth Jones realize that no one could ever be as amazingly hilarious as she is as Nessa!!!!
sharejust heard it on the radio from the mouth of james cordon -- its gonna be new jersey and south carolina...i was pretty close!!!
shareYES. Tyler Labine as Smithy.
That's the most perfect statement currently on the internet.
NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO yet another fabulous British Comedy is going to be ruined by the States!!!!!
HAPPY ST.GEORGE'S DAYTO THE ENGLISHXX
First of all, the original "Gavin and Stacey" will be airing on BBC America this August, so Americans will be able to see the original show, as was the same with Coupling, Catherine Tate, The Office etc., before they make a crappy US copy. Second, it's not the American consumer/television watchers fault that these shows - when re-made - don't translate; it's the fault of TV execs who assume that we're complete idiots and insult our intelligence by having to spell everything out for us or "Americanize" it or make it politically correct. Part of the reason I loved the original version of, "The Office" is because the Ricky Gervais character tries so hard to be "cool" and politically correct. The Brits make fun of the PC BS that goes on in the office place, and the people in Hollywood take the PC crap so seriously that they don't have the stones to make fun of it. No minion in corporate America takes the PC thing seriously - usually just the office cat-lady who takes everything too seriously. Still, the US version of "The Office" is decent because they got Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to take creative part in the American version.
BTW: before my fellow Americans get their panties in a bundle about my "PC BS" comment - I'm not talking about general respect of others, our differences and office etiquette and politeness, I'm talking about stupid PC crap in the workplace. Most Brits are raised learning good manners, so I can see how the whole PC thing is a joke to them - or could go too far.
i agree that it's no one particular persons fault, but it's just such a shame to see good shows changed so dramatically to 'suit' the american audience whilst still trying to keep it british. it just doesnt work!
share[deleted]
BBCAmerica has picked up the original. I hate the fact the NBC is trying to remake this. Another failed copy of at Brit show. The only success has been the Office and I don't watch it.
share[deleted]
I live in NYC.
I'm tired of American execs remaking everything. I like gavin & stacey just fine.
The coupling remake totally blew.
~Lo
http://www.mindbrat.info
There is the possibility that NBC wants to remake this because no one at that network can come up with anything new. The overabundence of "reality shows", three hundred different versions of "Law and Order" and "CSI", and numerous "LA Law" clones show that originality no longer exists in American television programming.
All creatures will make merry--under pain of death
Would my fellow Englishmen stop being derogatory to the yanks (and southerners), America has lots of great comedy Sgt Bilko, Friends, Arrested Development, Scrubs, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Fraiser, South Park, Family Guy etc.
Even if you prefer English comedy like myself (most have been mentioned), America has lots of great comedy.
Anyway TV execs have a low opinion of the public, on both sides of the channel and screen some really questionable shows, thats why TV programs suck. Look what channel 5 has done to Noddy, Rupert the Bear (will probably take the piss now), my favourite childhood programs.
Well said re: american comedies. I become really annoyed with some of my countrymen saying "the yanks are *beep* at comedy". It seems to be de rigeur to slag Friends off, when it ran for 10 years and was, in my opinion, very *beep* funny.
Also, people say the yanks don't get irony, which just isn't true. Anyone who saw the Larry Sanders show will agree with me. Incidentally, I'm pretty sure this was a big influence on The Office (original UK version).
I would like to add the following shows to the previous posters list of great comedies.
(In no particular order) Curb your Enthusiasm, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, That 70's Show, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men.
I still like friends even though channel 4 is aiming for the record of the most repeated series of all time.
sharemy 2 cents.
as much as i dont want this show americanised, you cannot deny the fact that Tina Yothers is a dead ringer for Nessa.
http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Celebrity-Fit-Club-tv-14.jpg
also, why do people think that Gavin should be from NJ and Stacey from NC or AL or someplace down south? i read someplace that they'd be hopping airplanes to visit one another. have they even seen the original?! they'd NEVER get to one another quick enuff - you cant just hop a damn plane on short notice to wherever you want. it takes time, planning, and it's not that cheap.
i say, have Gavin be from like NY and Stacey from Philly or someplace like that. that way, they can still hop a bus or cab or drive back and forth. look at the characters in The Office, often driving from Scranton (PA) to NY. DUH!
thats all i've got for now.
Yeah I agree, the plane premise would be a bit silly. You could even do it all in NYC or another big city. Just have one from a suburb and another from the city, or a very small neighborhood right outside the city. Something that's doable in a bus or train.
I don't know why I'm fussing about something so small, it's not going to work. I think James and Ruth should write a few more series for the UK version. I'm so upset that it's over already.
Having lived in America for the last fourteen years, I'm quite used to American television, and I am always comparing it to English tv. It isn't the same comedy. It's easy for one side to say, "your comedy is not funny, you have no sense of humour, your stuff is crap", but it's hard to say which is better because it is all a matter of opinion. Different people think different things are funny. As it happens, I think Friends was the funniest program on television, and then everything else that I like, in terms of comedy, is English.
Sadly, I think most (not all), Americans would not find the English version funny. To me, some of the best bits are the one-liners from Ness, like when she says "tidy" or "what's occurin'?". Also when when they're all in the bathroom at the restaurant and every time someone says "who's Seth?" Dawn or Pam sort of whispers, "the black fellow" while circling their faces with a finger. Or how Pam has names for everyone like "Big Fat Sue". Or Bryn's obsession with all the new technology like ipods and facebook. Or lastly, that fiasco with Smithy wanting Gavin's portion of chips on top of his own. Those sorts of things aren't funny in America. It doesn't catch on as well because Americans like jokes. The beauty of these latest British comedies is that they are so real. We aren't laughing at jokes, and there is no studio audience telling us when we should laugh. We are laughing at real people that have their funny antics, while going through real problems. No one looks like Jennifer Aniston or Courtney Cox, which only adds to the realism.
I don't mean to bash all Americans, because I know that some will strongly disagree with what I've just said when it pertains to them. The problem is, they're the minority. Like I've said, I've lived here for fourteen years. I read the television ratings and know a good deal about public opinion as I've moved around a lot.
All in all, if this were to work in the US, it would have to be its own version, because I just don't see the English version catching on. The only problem is that it isn't exactly the greatest story line without the comedy, and the writers would have to try really hard to make it funny, or it would take after just a few episodes. They would also have to cast someone relatively famous, or otherwise no one would watch it (except for people that already knew about the UK version).
I am really hoping I am wrong, and that it does well, but I just don't see that happening.
well put. tho i wouldnt bash ALL american sitcoms, but i do agree with much of what you said. that is why i (an american) watch quite a few britcoms. i love em! and i love the realness of Gavin & Stacey as well.
:)
Well said!
I think it wouldn't work so well in America because they just have a different idea of comedy than us. Even if the show was called "Gavin and Stacey", it would never be the same because they'd have to change it so much to make it suitable for an American audience.
It's in the works last i heard. This is the leaked cast;
Stacey; Emma Stone
Gavin; Jason Segel
Smithy; Jonah Hill (they've ordered him to put on 80 pounds)
Nessa; Gaboury Sidibe
Pam; Lorraine Bracco
Mick; George Clooney
Dave; Dennis Quaid
Bryn: Charles Barkley
Gwen; Nina Hartley
It's a modern day family complication about a man from Manhattan and a girl from Queens and their ongoing relationship and complicated but comedic family values!