Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Floating World]

Seems unlikey to be true to the original

http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/del-boy-chosen-for-us--only-fools-and-horses--remake-%E2%80%93-daily-tv-round-up.html

Alrite Dave?

[alistaircandlin]

I think the concept would transfer well, but it would end up as something completely different, that would be good, but in a different way from the original

It reminds me of The Office. I think it's best not to think about which one is superior - they are both good, just different.

For me the British original of The Office with Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais is much darker and closer to real life; I always get the feeling that the characters are exaggerated versions of people Gervais must have encountered. I actually found that series quite painful to watch at times. It really made me cringe because it was so close to the truth, - the reality of English life for many of us is working in grim surburban workplaces in jobs we don't enjoy; the people who get promoted are often wankers, and the decent types are these unhappy underacheivers. That's my two pence worth; anyway, it struck a chord for me.

I'd say the American revamp on The Office was much funnier. They went for the belly laughs - it was much more ridiculous and slapstick, but did this really well. Which one is better? I can't say. I'd choose the American version, any day of the week, if I wanted to chill out at the end of the day. The British one was more interesting as a piece of social commentary, and in Gervais's whole approach to scripting, characterisation, and filming. It tells you something about life in England; I'm not sure the US version tells you much about the reality of life in America. If I wanted to write an academic paper, I might focus on the British version more! As I say though, it does make me cringe. I love it, but find it painful to watch.

I think that Only Fools and Horses would transfer quite differently, because it's lighter than the Office and goes for more slapstick style laughs anyway - the famous since of Del falling through the bar and all that stuff. I could imagine that it would work quite well, as long as the casting was well done. I could imagine the American versions of Del and Rodney becoming popular in the way that the characters from the American Office did. The framework is already there: the loveable rogue, and his dorkish brother, good scripts. What could possibly go wrong?

On a bit of a tangent: why is it do you think, that Only Fools and Horses became almost a national institution?

Have you seen Stewart Lee's take on this? Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew0qiozLtpU

[cj1976]

Even if the remake is terrible, it can't be much worse than the later episodes of the orginal UK series. And probably a 100 times funnier than Stewart Lee.

[The Floating World]

It became an insitutions as it was

a. Hillarious

b. Amazingly written

c. Captured a rapidly changing working class culture that was looked back on with fondness.

[Julius]

The US version of Dear John was abominable.

[Skipperoo]

See also: American remakes of Spaced, Coupling and Red Dwarf. Devastatingly awful.

[Neil]

Watched a few of the repeats when I was back home over xmas, it has aged very badly.