Editor’s Note: Warming Glow is not responsible for any riots caused the author’s preference for the Velvet Underground over the Beatles.
It’s no secret that America rules the cultural landscape. In sports, we’re the best (sorry cricket, but the NFL owns). In music, we’re the best (I’ll take the Velvet Underground over the Beatles any day). In remaking TV shows from other countries, we’re…well, we’re decent there. But it’s not like other countries have done much justice to our shows, either. Below are ten examples of shows made by one country and remade by another, and who did it better.
Original: ‘Forbrydelsen’ (Denmark) vs. Remake: ‘The Killing’ (US)
When I heard that AMC was going to be re-making “Forbrydelsen,” which translates to “The Crime” in Danish, I was incredibly excited. The original is creepy, slow-moving but not boring, and suspenseful throughout — all characteristics you could also use for AMC’s (and TV’s) best show, “Breaking Bad”. And so far through four episodes, AMC seems to have yet another Must Watch show (let’s just forget “Rubicon”, OK?) and one that’s slightly superior to the original, mostly because Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman make for a stronger duo than Sofie Gråbøl and Søren Malling (although both ladies know how to wear the hell out of ugly sweaters).
Winner: ‘The Killing’ (AMC)
Original: ‘The Office’ (UK) vs. Remake: ‘The Office’ (US)
The way we Americans think of “The Simpsons” is the way Brits look at the original “Office”—and for once, their hyperbolic ways are right (I still haven’t quite forgiven NME for naming the Artic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not as one of the five greatest British albums of all-time). Created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the BBC show was 14 episodes of perfection, which is why it was such a huge (and, frankly, predictable) risk for NBC to remake the show for American audiences. But after a shaky start that had the show trying to remain loyal to the source material while simultaneously fleshing out characters that weren’t featured players in the UK, Steve Carell’s “Office” can occasionally be great (see: “Scott’s Tots”) but is currently only the fourth-best sitcom on NBC Thursday nights. It falls short of the original.
Winner: The Office (BBC)
Original: ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ (UK) vs. Remake: ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ (US)
Choosing between the two versions is like choosing the better “Mystery Science Theater 3000” host, Joel or Mike (for the record, it’s Mike). Really, it comes down to whether you can stomach Drew Carey, or if you really like Clive Anderson. I, for one, can mostly pretend Carey’s not there—unless Colin or Ryan are making fun of him, as seen here—so it’ll be easy to pretend his upcoming “Improv-a-Ganza” never happened. Anyways, a lot of the British jokes went over my head when I used to watch the BBC’s “Whose Line,” which is the main reason I prefer our version—well, that, and the eye candy that is Laura Hall.
Original: ‘Married…with Children’ (US) vs. Remake: ‘Married for Life’ (UK)
The worst thing the British ever did to the Colonies is, without a question, when they tried to recapture the blue-collar greatness of “Married…with Children,” which defined the early years of FOX even better than “The Simpsons.” I mean, do they even have people like the slobbish Al Bundy and his buxom wife Peg over there? No, instead they’ve got Ted and Pam—wait for it—Butler. Their stuffiness knows no bounds (and it’s not like we ever ruined one of their great sitcoms…).
Winner: ‘Married… With Children’
Original: ‘Coupling’ (UK) vs. Remake: ‘Coupling’ (US)
There’s a reason it’s so fun to sh*t all over NBC: they make so many terrible decisions. They’re basically the TV network version of TK. In the past five years alone, there’s been: “Howie Do It”, “Kath & Kim”, “Windfall”, “Quarterlife”, “My Own Worst Enemy”…the list keeps going, including the most disappointing—and the show that NBC messed with the most, according to creator Steven Moffat—of all their would-be hits: “Coupling.” The original is not just funny but also sexy, a rare feat in comedy, meaning it’s everything “Friends” isn’t, while NBC’s 2003 remake, starring Jay Harrington (“Better Off Ted”), who really deserved better, is…well, it’s somewhere between “Joey” and “Homeboys in Outer Space” on the crappiness chart. Two stations — one in Utah and the other in Indiana — refused to air the remake. Although their official reason was that it was too racy to broadcast, I like to think it’s because the show just sucked, in which case: kudos, Utah and Indiana.
Winner: ‘Coupling’ (UK)
Original: ‘The Nanny’ (US) vs. Remake: ‘My Wonderful Nanny’ (Russia)
I don’t know what’s going on in the video, but I do know there’s no Fran Drescher, so:
Winner: ‘My Wonderful Nanny’ (Russia)
Original: ‘Shameless’ (UK) vs. Remake: ‘Shameless’ (US)
Showtime’s “Shameless” not only proved the “rawsome” Emmy Rossum could act, but it’s also already the network’s most consistent show. As much as I love “Dexter” and tolerate “Californication” and “Nurse Jackie,” all three of the those shows (not to mention “United States of Tara” and “Weeds”) often feel like they’re stalling for time with episodes that aren’t necessary to the main plot. “Shameless,” on the other hand, is such an intentional mess that it’s constantly rolling forward, with drunks, vengeful daddy’s girls, and topless woman at the wheel. But I’m not sure how long the U.S. version can keep up that pace doing 12 episodes every season. The U.K. original aired only eight episodes for its first four seasons, but has shown a slight strain of creativity over the next four, when it jumped to 14. Still:
Winner: ‘Shameless’ (UK)
Original: ‘Steptoe and Son’ (UK) vs. Remake: ‘Sanford and Son’ (US)
Here’s how Wikipedia describes “Steptoe and Son”: “Where other comedies revolved around interfering mothers-in-law and the sudden failure of the hero’s braces the moment his boss appeared, Steptoe’s focus was on the inter-generational conflict that marked out the 1960s. While father Albert Steptoe was—as his son often reminded him—a ‘dirty old man’, set in his grimy and grasping ways, 40-year-old son Harold was filled with social aspirations, not to say pretensions.” That’s, like, the most British description of anything ever—just replace “Steptoe” with “Chuzzlewit,” and you’ve got yourself a Dickens novel. I like the Red Foxx American remake, but Sanford and Sons’ Wikipedia description lost me at “junk dealer.”
Winner: ‘Steptoe and Son’ (UK)
Original: ‘The Big Bang Theory’ (US) vs. Remake: ‘Come from Aera 9’ (China)
Like the “Nanny” clip, no clue what’s going on, and all Google tells me is that it’s produced by this website in a language I don’t read, but it has the same celestial wipe between scenes and same annoying Sheldon. Still, Chuck Lorre isn’t involved, so the winner is:
Winner I: “Come from Aera 9” (China)
(Winner II: the self-hating person who uploaded the video and wrote this as its sic’d summary: “This is why I hate us Chiese, we copy everything the Americans,the Europeans and the Japanese do,and make it crap! May God destroy the nation of forgery who destroys everything we love !”)
Original: ‘The Itchy and Scratchy Show’ (US) vs. Remake: ‘Worker and Parasite’ (Russia)
A controversial choice, I know, but Eastern Europe’s favorite cat and mouse team is just too political for me. When I watch a mouse chase a cat around a factory, it’d better end in bloodshed, not confusing political symbolism.
Winner: ‘The Itchy and Scratchy Show’ (US)
