Syfy's all-new drama series Being Human, starring Sam Witwer (Smallville, Battlestar Galactica), Meaghan Rath (The Assistants), Sam Huntington (Cavemen, Superman Returns) and Mark Pellegrino (Lost, Supernatural) has commenced production in Montreal, Canada. Adam Kane (The Mentalist, Heroes) is Director and Co-Executive Producer with Executive Producer Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth) and husband and wife Executive Producers/Writers Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) and Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood). Muse Entertainment is producing 13 1-hour episodes for Syfy.
Being Human, a re-imagining of the acclaimed UK series created by Toby Whithouse, follows three paranormal, 20-something roommates living in Boston - vampire "Aidan" (Witwer), werewolf "Josh" (Huntington) and ghost "Sally" (Rath) - as they struggle to hide their dark secrets from the world, while helping each other navigate the complexities of living double lives and trying to be human. Mark Pellegrino plays Aidan's charismatic but menacing vampire mentor "Bishop."
The producer is Irene Litinsky (Human Trafficking, The Phantom) of Muse Entertainment, the director of photography is Pierre Jodoin (The Last Templar, Secrets of the Mountain) and the production designer is Zoe Sakellaropoulo (The Last Templar, The Phantom).
Being Human [US Version] - Teaser
11 Sept 2010
Being Human (US)
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I get what you're saying but I didn't mean in terms of rating numbers. I meant that the show as a whole is well received by critics and those who do manage to view it. So, I was merely asking why remake something for an American audience when the Americans who do watch it have no issues with it being British? It seems like it would make more financial sense to actually promote the British version of the show and get it out there, as opposed to just making it American. Like I said, I have no problems with remakes on the whole if they have a viable reason for it, but there doesn't seem to be much reason behind this other than making it American.
ReplyDeleteBut after saying that, I'm not judging this remake until I see a few episodes. I tend to give everything a chance, whether it's completely insane or completely boring.
As I said, critical praise does not necessarily translate into a viable audience. Because a small few people watched, liked, and enjoyed it in it's original version does not mean it will be true on a larger scale. As I said in the first post I made, different cultures have different sensibilities. They respond to different types of jokes, different plot devices, different pacing.
ReplyDeleteThe original was well received by a very *very* limited audience, and critical praise it's received does not necessarily translate into a viable audience. I would argue that most people have no clue the show exists (as I did not until this summer). It's the type of niche foreign show that people here only find out about if they're looking for it, or have friends who are into that kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteBut, no. It has not caught on in terms of numbers. Even when compared to other genre shows on cable, few people are watching. A lot of people don't even get the channel it's on (BBCAmerica is a premium channel, and not even guaranteed at that depending on what part of the country you're in or what cable/satellite provider you're using). In fact, as far as I'm aware (and I could be off on this) it currently has an even smaller audience than The Office did when it was brought over (and I can only speak for the Office as it was brought over to the US, I have no idea about how the original faired in any of the dozen or so other countries it was remade in).
As for the trailer, you're not missing anything. It's just a teaser, there's no footage of the actual show yet.
This is the internet. People love to bash things based on little to no information.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while I agree that remakes can be done quite well and have their own merit sometimes, I'm a little confused why they would remake this show for American audiences when the British version has been so well received there. I'm not opposed to a remake but it doesn't seem all that necessary to have an American version of this.
Saying that, I can't even see the teaser... all I hear is the music.
There are valid reasons for remaking shows for different cultures. Different cultures appreciate different aesthetics, different jokes/plot devices. Taking a basic concept and making it more culturally identifiable for a new group isn't inherently awful, nor does it mean the new version will be "watered down". Did the remake of Kath and Kim suck? Yes. But it's not fair to automatically assume this will be true of every remake.
ReplyDeleteThere have been some American remakes of foreign shows that have been as or more successful and beloved than the originals. Three's Company and All in the Family were both based on British sitcoms. Ugly Betty was a remake of a telenovela and lauded it's first few seasons. In Treatment is a critical darling and based on an Israeli show called BeTipul. And there have been quite a few US shows remade in the UK and elsewhere. Maude, The Golden Girls, Married With Children, and Law & Order: UK are just a few -- although, I can't speak to their quality.
Whether it's good or not is entirely dependent on who is making it show and how much care and attention they put into it.
And while you didn't necessarily do this, I'm getting really sick of seeing people bash this show before it's even had a chance to air. It says to me they're going to hate it no matter what just out of spite for a remake (a remake likely wouldn't have happened that if the people who created the show and hold the rights to didn't want it too. See: the Spaced remake falling apart). They're setting it up to fail before it starts. And that's really unfortunate. It's an interesting concept and I for one would like to see how it pans out with this new direction.
But... you kind just showed you're not understanding what I've said.
ReplyDeleteI haven't said that just because some like the show, that it would do great in a larger sense. My point is that, to me, it makes much more financial sense to try and sell the product that exists (and is well liked but not widely known about due to lack of promotion), instead of remaking it when it doesn't appear to need remaking. But, again, I'm not against a remake if it warrants it... I just don't really see it here all that much.
And, I don't think you can say the UK humour is generally dry, while American humour is generally much more broad. To me, both countries generally devolve into toilet humour jokes, while you'll find the odd wit and dry sense of humour here and there.
No, I believe I understand you very well. I just disagree with the sentiment. Again, I will say that just because SOME people like it does not mean it will do well in a larger sense.
ReplyDeleteAnd having spent time in the US and UK I don't think the sense of humor is as close as you do. US humor is generally much more broad, while UK humor is very dry. Yes there are people who enjoy both (myself included), but there is a reason British shows rarely, if ever, make it beyond "cult status" in the US.
Yeah, still not sure you really understand what I've said.
ReplyDeleteThe Americans who *have* seen the show (critics and regular people alike) love the show as it is. The British culture does not get in the way of the storytelling and, in fact, enhances it for most Americans.
While I know the British version might not be a huge hit, what I've said is, to me, it makes more financial sense to promote the original version (which is well received) to a wider audience, rather than remaking it and risking it flopping.
As someone who was born in the UK, travelled America, and now a resident of Australia, I can say that as a whole, all three countries share a very common humour. There really is not much of a culture clash when it comes to television shows.
As a much beloved fan of the UK version, this U.S. promo is pretty lame.
ReplyDeleteIm always nervous when they attempt a remake so soon after a perfectly brilliant show, which is still running after all on TV. I will quantify this by admitting that I grew up in England so may be biased to the original but only in the same way that if they decided to remake a still running U.S. show blatantly and set it in the U.K. I would feel the same way. I prefer fresh new original ideas not copycats and despair if they water them down. When main stream America butchered the Brilliant Kath and Kim I wanted to weep.
ReplyDelete#beinghumanUS I'm actually really looking forward to it. I hope it grabs me more than the UK version. I know that #beinghumanUK is univerally loved, but it didn't grab me. I hope that the US version will be more to my liking.
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with your conversation, really... but I can't see the clip. Can anyone tell me what it showed?
ReplyDeletehaha i wrote an amazing peice on giving the US version a chance but stupid thing didn't post so i'm not bothering anymore. That aside this page got me thinking what if there was a UK version of True Blood....haha that would suck! so I see where ppl are coming when they say it's bullshit that the US is doing a remake of Being Human. Either way I think ppl should watch the remake before they bitch about how it's crap instead of critizing before it's even out.
ReplyDeleteSyfy's 'Being Human' is not the first remake, there is usally a pattern how an american channel adapts a British TV show. Sorry, I don't see a reason for this remake besides Syfy's lack of originality.
ReplyDelete