I'm afraid of Americans

[trinityofone]

Trailer for ABC's Life on Mars remake

...

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

There goes my strategy of remaining cautiously optimistic! Reality: 1, Optimism: 0

Also, I think it's worth noting that I finally hit my limit with American Voice Over Guy. I miss the calm, soothing voices of the BBC. I can be ex-pat now?

Picture it:

Some Guy in a Pub, 5 Years From Now: So what finally drove you away? Was it political?
Me: Nope. They remade Life on Mars.

Comments

[dogeared.livejournal.com]

Oh, my god. :| DO NOT WANT.

[slodwick.livejournal.com]

GOD. It might not even be so terribly, horribly wrong if they cut out that ridiculous announcer, and didn't try so hard to make it look like some wacky dramedy like it's fucking Desperate Housewives. TRIN, IT MAKES ME SAD IN THE SOUL.

*icon is suddenly appropriate*

[amireal.livejournal.com]

Okay, even as I am not a HUGE fan of the original LoM, I can that is-- probably not so amazing.

HOWEVER.

COLM MEANY. Which I think is amazingly ironic and other things. *G*

[dovil.livejournal.com]

Because it would have been so hard just to play the original on American TV?! It's not like it's not in English. :(

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

GET IT AWAAAAAAAAY.

*hides behind couch*

[j00j.livejournal.com]

American Voice Over Guy is totally annoying.

Although the part where Gene Hunt is being played by Chief O'Brien? Hilarious.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

IT MAKES ME SAD, TOO. Because I wanted to give it a chance! I really did! I mean, it's set in L.A.—that's my city! How cool would that have been if it were good, or even, you know, DECENT?

The removal of announcer guy will almost certainly improve it, but still... I was totally planning to watch the pilot, and now I'm not sure I'll be able to get through it without being very, very drunk.

I believe your icon depicts EXACTLY what John Simm said in reference to this! (In my head, anyway.)

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Look, he's my favorite Crazy Irish Space Terrorist ever, but he's just. Not Gene Hunt. AT ALL.

*sniffles*

[shadowhuntress.livejournal.com]

Yee-ah. I couldn't get rid of my o_O face while watching that. I've always liked Colm Meaney, but this is just a pale Gene imitation. He deserves better, and so do we.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Oh, but didn't you know that poor Americans like myself can't understand British people, or, in fact, anyone who speaks in an accent that differs from our own? I had to have a translator follow me around the entire time I lived in Ireland. Siria and I have never carried on a conversation without the aid of an interpreter. Trufax!

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I LITERALLY FACEPALMED. It was just...gah.

Los Angeles deserves better. It could have been so cool! Damn damn damn.

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

I think the lead actor is British, and Colm is, obviously, Irish, and this is supposed to be an American version, so :shrugs:

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I believe this has killed what remained of my sense of humor. Now there is only hair-rending and weeping.

And, of course, Zool.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

They're both Irish, actually, I believe. APPARENTLY THERE WERE NO AMERICAN ACTORS IN AMERICA.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Going rapidly in the other direction, in fact! *flees*

[roaringmice.livejournal.com]

They played the British version on cable. But US networks (Not cable. Networks.) do NOT pick up foreign programs and show them as they are because yes, when tested, British shows do not do well when picked up wholesale and tested before US audiences. And yes, sadly, one of the issues is the accents, but it's also the cultural references, the terminology used, the type of drama/comedy that appeals in the US v. the UK, and etc.

You'd think it wouldn't matter. Actually, it does.

[taurenova.livejournal.com]

The Voice Over Guy + Cheesy 70s Blaxploitation movie music = FAIL. And I normally like cheesy 70s Blaxploitation movie music.

It's trying to hard to pitch the wackiness. LoM was about Sam's journey and his totally gay relationship with Gene. About learning who you are and where you come from and why you are who you are. And solving crime and kicking ass whilst at it.

Though, as I commented to a friend of mine, I do like that Colm Meaney is clearly playing Gene Hunt via the Grumpy Irishman school of acting. At least he's trying to play the show differently. Unlike everyone else involved.

[amalthia]

From what I saw it looks like they are copying everything from the original??? but I liked the other guy that plays Sam more...i've only seen one episode of Life on Mars but I already like the UK version better.

[dovil.livejournal.com]

I think it should be made compulsory that every citizen have a passport and travel overseas. Also for it to be compulsary to like kittens.

[dovil.livejournal.com]

It must have been awful, staggering about unable to know what people were saying, what signs said. I hope you spoke very slowly and loudly at her and gave her a shiny penny every time she got something right.

Network Executives really do seem to think that the great unwashed tv viewing public are completely moronic. Viewers get dished out nothing more than formulaic comfort food when these studios have the opportunity to actually nudge people out of their comfort zones and learn them some things, dontcha know. Stupid tv. *clutches tv*

[sweetvalleyslut.livejournal.com]

I can't even watch it. It's still David. E. Fucking Kelley, isn't it? Blech.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Yeah, although he may be leaving. Not that that would help at this point. SIGH.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Colm Meaney will do something interesting with the part. However, I don't want something interesting with the part. I want our Gene Hunt. Which I guess means I was unlikely to be satisfied no matter what, but the wacky wackiness! and SWATteam!Sam aren't doing anything to convince me I am being too picky or sentimental, that's for sure.

I think the preexisting fandom will have to make up for this by writing a LOT of porn. *nods solemnly*

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

My recommendation: watch more of the original and pretend the U.S. version does not exist. John Simm and Philip Glenister will make denial a lovely experience, I promise you. :)

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

It may be Toronto pretending to be L.A., or a combination of both; I'm too traumatized to watch it again and try to tell. But I maintain that L.A. would have been an awesome city to tell this story in, as the city is an important character and L.A. has, shall we say, a dramatic personality.

*unlike Randy Newman, loves L.A. without irony*