US to get its own Little Britain

Sundae · 08-09-2006, 11:56 AM

BBC America has already shown the original Little Britain series, but according to this there may be a different version made for US audiences.

I'm not a HUGE fan of Little Britain myself - not enough character development. Oh okay - I just don't find it that funny. I do kinda wonder how it could possible be Americanised....? Doesn't that take away its unique appeal?

MaggieL · 08-09-2006, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

I do kinda wonder how it could possible be Americanised....? Doesn't that take away its unique appeal?

Ever see the Hollywood version of Red Dwarf? It was awful...

Sundae · 08-09-2006, 12:41 PM

I did. It saddened me.

Ibby · 08-09-2006, 12:44 PM

Hahahaha, i HAVE the US Red Dwarf pilot on my computer, as well as a bunch of other episodes.

Undertoad · 08-09-2006, 12:48 PM

I'm gonna eat you little fishie!
I'm gonna eat you little fishie!
I'm gonna eat you little fishie!
Cause I like eating fish!

classic

Sundae · 08-09-2006, 12:50 PM

Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast....

Ibby · 08-09-2006, 01:11 PM

Stoke me a clipper, I'll be back for christmas!

The End is by far the best Red Dwarf episode EVER, but I really like Bodyswap and Future Echoes and all the other things that were in the book. Into the sixth season and beyond... it really started getting bad.

MaggieL · 08-09-2006, 01:46 PM

"Emergency. Emergency. There's an emergency going on. It's still going on. It's still an emergency. This is an emergency announcement."

"This is not a drill. This is a drill." {holds up electric hand drill, pushes trigger}

Ibby · 08-09-2006, 01:49 PM

"Dave, everybody is dead. Everybody is dead, Dave. Everybody, Dave, is dead. Everybody is, Dave, dead."

"You've got to help me! You've got to be my hands, my touch" "No, nuh-uh, I know the kinds of things you like to touch, no way!"

JayMcGee · 08-09-2006, 06:05 PM

never mind, we'll always have parrots....

08-14-2006, 01:31 AM

I have not seen the show... but did this not work for the Office?

When I saw the title all I could think was... I still get to see my own dentist!

Sundae · 08-14-2006, 05:53 AM

Although The Office broke the mould of sitcoms at the time (mock documentary, downplayed humour, unknown stars) it was still reasonably easy to translate. People work in offices all over the world. There are middle managers without people skills and over-inflated egos everywhere.

Little Britain on the other hand is a collection of grotesque and grossly exaggerated characters. Some could be Americanised I suppose, but there are many I see as quintessentially British. Although when I started going through them in my head I reaslised there were more that could be translated than I first thought.

My only qualm would be how easily recognisable it could be, and whether the characters would need more explanation/ back story to be funny. For example Dafydd (The Only Gay in the Village) is effectively about people growing up in small isolated places, believing they are the only person experiencing problems. It's turned on its head in the sketch, as Llanddewi-Brefi is shown to be an open minded community full of gays, bi-sexuals, fetishists, TVs etc etc. This is heightened by the fact it is set in a tiny Welsh village - the sort of place that you would expect to be a "dry" Chapel village. Would these sort of non-verbal jokes be possible when set on a continent rather than a small island?

DanaC · 08-14-2006, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Little Britain on the other hand is a collection of grotesque and grossly exaggerated characters. Some could be Americanised I suppose, but there are many I see as quintessentially British. Although when I started going through them in my head I reaslised there were more that could be translated than I first thought.

I wonderef about that too. Having thought about it though, I think it has potential. All they'd have to do would be to concentrate on quintessentially Americian characters....... America has its small towns and its back of beyond. Maybe it'll work

Sundae · 08-14-2006, 08:42 AM

I just think they'll have to change too much.

For example Emily the Rubbish Transvestite relies in part on Britain's long tradition of drag (pantomime, Monty Python, Kenny Everett etc). We find men dressed as women inherently funny, so the audience immediately accepts the humour in the situation. Would a man dressed as an Edwardian lady be a fit subject for humour in the American Midwest for example?

I am thinking about this too hard aren't I? I look forward to seeing it anyway, it's a win-win situation. You either get to deride it and claim Lucas & Walliams have sold out (thus gaining a measure of superiority over rich, talented, successful people) or you split your sides laughing. It's all good babe.

DanaC · 08-14-2006, 08:54 AM

I think if they try to adapt their current stable of characters they'll fail miserably. They need to create new characters with an american audience in mind.

08-09-2006, 11:56 AM	#1
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	US to get its own Little Britain BBC America has already shown the original Little Britain series, but according to this there may be a different version made for US audiences. I'm not a HUGE fan of Little Britain myself - not enough character development. Oh okay - I just don't find it that funny. I do kinda wonder how it could possible be Americanised....? Doesn't that take away its unique appeal? __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

08-09-2006, 12:41 PM	#3
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	I did. It saddened me. __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

08-09-2006, 12:44 PM	#4
Ibby erika Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: "the high up north" Posts: 6,127	Hahahaha, i HAVE the US Red Dwarf pilot on my computer, as well as a bunch of other episodes. __________________ not really back, you didn't see me, i was never here shhhhhh

08-09-2006, 12:50 PM	#6
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.... __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

08-09-2006, 01:11 PM	#7
Ibby erika Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: "the high up north" Posts: 6,127	Stoke me a clipper, I'll be back for christmas! The End is by far the best Red Dwarf episode EVER, but I really like Bodyswap and Future Echoes and all the other things that were in the book. Into the sixth season and beyond... it really started getting bad. __________________ not really back, you didn't see me, i was never here shhhhhh

08-09-2006, 12:48 PM	#5
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I'm gonna eat you little fishie! I'm gonna eat you little fishie! I'm gonna eat you little fishie! Cause I like eating fish! classic

08-09-2006, 01:46 PM	#8
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	"Emergency. Emergency. There's an emergency going on. It's still going on. It's still an emergency. This is an emergency announcement." "This is not a drill. *This* is a drill." {holds up electric hand drill, pushes trigger} __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..."

08-09-2006, 01:49 PM	#9
Ibby erika Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: "the high up north" Posts: 6,127	"Dave, everybody is dead. Everybody is dead, Dave. Everybody, Dave, is dead. Everybody is, Dave, dead." "You've got to help me! You've got to be my hands, my touch" "No, nuh-uh, I know the kinds of things you like to touch, no way!" __________________ not really back, you didn't see me, i was never here shhhhhh

08-09-2006, 06:05 PM	#10
JayMcGee Cardigan-wearing man Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Much Binding In The Marsh Posts: 1,082	never mind, we'll always have parrots.... __________________ I like wearing cardigans...... my current favourite is an orange cable-knit with real leatherette buttons.

08-14-2006, 01:31 AM	#11
rkzenrage Guest Posts: n/a	I have not seen the show... but did this not work for the Office? When I saw the title all I could think was... I still get to see my own dentist!

08-14-2006, 05:53 AM	#12
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	Although The Office broke the mould of sitcoms at the time (mock documentary, downplayed humour, unknown stars) it was still reasonably easy to translate. People work in offices all over the world. There are middle managers without people skills and over-inflated egos everywhere. Little Britain on the other hand is a collection of grotesque and grossly exaggerated characters. Some could be Americanised I suppose, but there are many I see as quintessentially British. Although when I started going through them in my head I reaslised there were more that could be translated than I first thought. My only qualm would be how easily recognisable it could be, and whether the characters would need more explanation/ back story to be funny. For example Dafydd (The Only Gay in the Village) is effectively about people growing up in small isolated places, believing they are the only person experiencing problems. It's turned on its head in the sketch, as Llanddewi-Brefi is shown to be an open minded community full of gays, bi-sexuals, fetishists, TVs etc etc. This is heightened by the fact it is set in a tiny Welsh village - the sort of place that you would expect to be a "dry" Chapel village. Would these sort of non-verbal jokes be possible when set on a continent rather than a small island? __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

08-14-2006, 08:42 AM	#14
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	I just think they'll have to change too much. For example Emily the Rubbish Transvestite relies in part on Britain's long tradition of drag (pantomime, Monty Python, Kenny Everett etc). We find men dressed as women inherently funny, so the audience immediately accepts the humour in the situation. Would a man dressed as an Edwardian lady be a fit subject for humour in the American Midwest for example? I am thinking about this too hard aren't I? I look forward to seeing it anyway, it's a win-win situation. You either get to deride it and claim Lucas & Walliams have sold out (thus gaining a measure of superiority over rich, talented, successful people) or you split your sides laughing. It's all good babe. __________________ Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac

08-14-2006, 08:54 AM	#15
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	I think if they try to adapt their current stable of characters they'll fail miserably. They need to create new characters with an american audience in mind.

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