Being Human - BBC Show

X · December 15, 2010, 11:51:01 AM

Quote from: Sheppard on December 15, 2010, 10:38:21 AM
Quote from: X on December 15, 2010, 09:42:47 AM
The US is very prude when it comes to sex. You can kill babies on tv, but nudity or partial nudity and profanity is a big no no.

Have you seen the original show and the trailers for the SyFy version? Cause it looks like the same show exactly with different actors.

I've seen the ads and there are similar scenes, but those scenes aren't the ones that will be called into question later. I don't think we'll see a naked shape change or hear anywhere near the same level of profanity.

As far as the scenes go, I don't see any shot for shot scenes in any of the trailers. The voice overs are closer to the UK show, but there is nothing that's an exact take.

ElfManDan · December 15, 2010, 05:24:13 PM

Yeah that's probably true about the profanity. The major complaint for me is that I wish Americans could have a chance to view it on TV before they remake it, but whatever I'll watch it and find out what they've done with it. Still bugs me though, but I see your point X.

Geekyfanboy · December 15, 2010, 05:31:07 PM

Quote from: Sheppard on December 15, 2010, 05:24:13 PM
Yeah that's probably true about the profanity. The major complaint for me is that I wish Americans could have a chance to view it on TV before they remake it, but whatever I'll watch it and find out what they've done with it. Still bugs me though, but I see your point X.

Being Human has been on BBC America

ElfManDan · December 15, 2010, 05:38:15 PM

I don't get BBC America back home. So I didn't know that.

Feathers · December 16, 2010, 12:35:16 AM

Coming back to some of these...

Quote from: X on December 15, 2010, 05:27:47 AMStudies have shown that accents can be a turn off to some people and that some of the plot points won't carry over to the audience of another country. Most people like to have something familiar about their programming. Even if they haven't been to every place that a show takes place in, having customs and settings from their country seems to help a show sell better.

This says a lot about the attitudes within US to me. Although I agree that some franchises have remade stuff over here, they are mostly the reality shows I don't watch. For the rest, we get the US shows.

Foreign language remakes I could accept a little easier.

Quote from: X on December 15, 2010, 05:27:47 AMThis is also why Merlin failed on NBC here. Great show, but Americans have a fantasy of Europe that doesn't always meet expectations.

That's just insulting really (even if it is true). Europe doesn't live up to US expectations so they remake a series to avoid having to think about it? How rude!

Rico · December 16, 2010, 05:22:04 AM

Quote from: Feathers on December 16, 2010, 12:35:16 AM
Coming back to some of these...

Quote from: X on December 15, 2010, 05:27:47 AMStudies have shown that accents can be a turn off to some people and that some of the plot points won't carry over to the audience of another country. Most people like to have something familiar about their programming. Even if they haven't been to every place that a show takes place in, having customs and settings from their country seems to help a show sell better.

This says a lot about the attitudes within US to me. Although I agree that some franchises have remade stuff over here, they are mostly the reality shows I don't watch. For the rest, we get the US shows.

Foreign language remakes I could accept a little easier.

Quote from: X on December 15, 2010, 05:27:47 AMThis is also why Merlin failed on NBC here. Great show, but Americans have a fantasy of Europe that doesn't always meet expectations.

That's just insulting really (even if it is true). Europe doesn't live up to US expectations so they remake a series to avoid having to think about it? How rude!

There are some very big assumptions made in some of these statements. Series and movies fail over here that are completely American made so I really don't think you can generalize any of this. Remakes are done all the time. For a variety of reasons. I don't think any of us can speak for everyone in our particular country. I speak only for myself. There is a much greater variety out in the world than most people ever are exposed to. In any case I think everyone should always keep an open mind and form their own viewpoint.

X · December 16, 2010, 06:13:31 AM

Quote from: Rico on December 16, 2010, 05:22:04 AM
There is a much greater variety out in the world than most people ever are exposed to. In any case I think everyone should always keep an open mind and form their own viewpoint.

You're preaching to the choir here boss. I think that those people here, regardless of their political stances, religion, or walks of life, are more open minded than others in their demographic. I don't know if it's because we enjoy sci-fi and can see what tomorrow might bring, or because we see what tomorrow might bring and can enjoy sci-fi.

I think that most people here won't think twice about checking out an import, bu I also think that there aren't as many people out there in general population that are interested in the same.

In truth, I think the remakes might really come down to money and creative control.

If you remake a show, you might pay a little for the brand, but then you get to pocket the lion's share of the profits. If you import the show, I think that the money that you pull in might be substantially less.

A SyFy Being human means that they get to profit from the show in the short term with ads if it's successful and in the long term with the syndication and rerun dollars.

As I type this, I also realize another big difference that might be a underlying reason.

Run time.

It might be that the US isn't as prude as I think, but they just cut the sexy stuff since something needs to get cut to fit a UK show into a US time slot and still have time for commercials.

Being human has a list 60 minute run time. Doctor who is about 45 minutes.

Most US hour long shows clock around 42 minutes. That means they they don't have to cut anything from DW.

For being human, that would mean something like 18 minutes of show is cut each week. That would add up to several episodes worth of material for a 12 episode run.

It might be as simple as that. The formats don't match and something has to give. Either a loss of show over here, or more adverts over there.

Rico · December 16, 2010, 06:36:13 AM

I remember when they did that US based remake of "Life on Mars." Didn't end up doing very well in the ratings. I think there are many factors that determine if a show takes off or not.

You know what I really would love one day would be to go home and turn on my home media center and have access to content from around the world as it comes out. Movies, TV, music, etc. For example, I really started to enjoy the music I heard in Taiwan when I was there but it's hard to get here, even via iTunes, Amazon, etc. Anyway, maybe some day this will happen and the world will feel a little closer.

ElfManDan · December 16, 2010, 11:30:06 AM

Quote from: Rico on December 16, 2010, 06:36:13 AM
I remember when they did that US based remake of "Life on Mars." Didn't end up doing very well in the ratings. I think there are many factors that determine if a show takes off or not.

You know what I really would love one day would be to go home and turn on my home media center and have access to content from around the world as it comes out. Movies, TV, music, etc. For example, I really started to enjoy the music I heard in Taiwan when I was there but it's hard to get here, even via iTunes, Amazon, etc. Anyway, maybe some day this will happen and the world will feel a little closer.

I didn't want to watch the "Life on Mars" here cause I hadn't seen the original first. I agree with you Rico that it would be great to have media available from around the world. It's too bad that probably won't be for a very long time. I hate being behind on some of my favorite shows.

bevs_plaything · March 13, 2011, 03:12:12 PM

Series 3's finale has just aired here and all I can say is OMG!!!!!! :o

Pyrovile · March 14, 2011, 03:29:09 AM

bev, I know! What the? How? I was stunned at the end. Next season is going to be wild!

Sheppard....I did watch the original LoM and tried to watch the US version. It was such a pale version that it was unwatchable.

X · March 15, 2011, 09:37:01 PM

I'm still pissed and joyed by the ending.

Roddenberry · November 12, 2011, 07:10:51 AM

Finally got around to watching this having gotten the season 1-3 box set last week. Excluding sport, I don't watch as aired TV anymore, just TV DVD box sets Halfway through season 1 and it's damn good telly.

It manages to be creepy, funny, sexy, endearing & disturbing, sometimes in the same scenes.

bevs_plaything · February 05, 2012, 02:36:20 PM

Series' 4 opening episode has just finished over here. A lot of changes, and I found it a lot better than expected/feared!!

Pyrovile · February 05, 2012, 08:20:57 PM

Quote from: bevs_plaything on February 05, 2012, 02:36:20 PM
Series' 4 opening episode has just finished over here. A lot of changes, and I found it a lot better than expected/feared!!

I found it to be depressing as hell. [spoiler] Too much off camera stuff. I know that Toby Whithouse writes for Doctor Who, but did we have to go all Who and start jumping around in time? In the space of 2 episodes we've lost 3 of the 4 principal characters, that is going to be frelling hard to overcome. If this season isn't brilliant beyond belief it will be the last. I so want to be wrong. [/spoiler]