A Funny Business
An interesting programme is on tomorrow, for once. On at 10:35pm on BBC ONE, Imagine...: A Funny Business is about - well, as suits such a wonderfully-researched site such as this, here is a direct cut and paste of the BBC press release:
A Funny Business
Wednesday 19 November
Hot on the heels of the success of Britain's reality TV formats in the United States comes the current spate of British sitcoms headed stateside.
All very exciting and lucrative for the British writers and producers, but the key difference with American network TV is that in order for a series to survive it must deliver audiences to the commercials - or die.
By following the US version of Coupling from pilot to network and considering how The Office will translate, Imagine explores the current popularity of UK comedy in the US and examines the transformations that British comedies undergo during the Atlantic crossing.
Through archive footage and interviews, Imagine reveals how often US versions of classic British comedies go spectacularly wrong and asks whether American executives have learnt from past mistakes such as the US version of Porridge or the casting of Bill Cosby as One Foot in the Grave's Victor Meldrew.
Now, it doesn't say Red Dwarf will be featured; in fact, it probably isn't. But it would be a good example to use, and it's always possible it just isn't mentioned in the press release, so it's worth a watch. It sounds worth a watch anyway, actually.
Comments
"Through archive footage and interviews, Imagine reveals how often US versions of classic British comedies go hand over arse and asks whether American executives have learnt from past mistakes such as the US version of Porridge or the casting of Bill Cosby as One Foot in the Grave's Victor Meldrew."
Weird of them to say "hand over arse". What does that mean anyway?
Posted by Quotation Marker at November 18, 2003 04:21 PM
Yeah, I think they meant "hand-over-arse" (with hyphens) as in "heel-over-toe" or "Stropthort-on-Trent". Makes sense that way but still a strange phrase.
Incidentally, did anyone see this programme? Quite interesting in a way. Liked the way the two Office writers were gleeful at the prospect of becoming so rich.
Posted by Rights of Passage at November 20, 2003 10:28 AM
I totally agree with the chap who said "hand over arse" should have had hyphens. Makes it much more like every town near a river that I love (which was the intention, was it not?).
Meanwhile, I think "...classic British comedies go mouth-over-tit and asks whether American executives have learnt from past mistakes..." would have run more smoothly than the original, but who am I to offer my perspective? All the other evidence suggests that the writer of the article was a fucking genius pal.
Posted by Indistinguished and Deservedly So at November 20, 2003 11:58 PM
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