Maybe it could have worked if it were about Moss getting a job in an American company after Reinhold industries went broke. But not a redo of the same script.
The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]
31–40 of 281 posts
Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]
#32Honestly I didn't think it was that bad. It certainly wasn't its own creation, like the difference between the UK Office and US Office.
Not sure either show would have worked without Moss though.
Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]
#33I'm pretty sure this pilot is the same script as episode 1 of the original UK series. Clearly someone felt the need to recast and reshoot the series with US actors (plus Richard Ayoade), like they did the US Office. I wonder if that's old thinking (or wasn't actually needed) - the amount of UK TV that's now on Netflix and other OTT platforms seems to suggest that US audiences are open to enjoying original UK series w…
A lot of people in the US would turn it off because "I can't understand what they are saying with their funny accent". The reason they get away with being on Netflix is that they don't need to be super popular to be worth it for the streaming networks if they pick it up for a cheap price.
Linear TV had a limited number of time slots and had to be very choosey with what they put on. It needed to have massive appeal in all parts of the country.
Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]
#34I'm pretty sure this pilot is the same script as episode 1 of the original UK series. Clearly someone felt the need to recast and reshoot the series with US actors (plus Richard Ayoade), like they did the US Office. I wonder if that's old thinking (or wasn't actually needed) - the amount of UK TV that's now on Netflix and other OTT platforms seems to suggest that US audiences are open to enjoying original UK series w…
Part of it is simply different television formats. The Office UK specifically aired on BBC One without commercials which meant that it had to be cut down to fit on a major network's timeslot of 20-24 min. Shows like that typically have to go to special TV stations like PBS or BBC America in order to get a commercial-free timeslot or (in BBC America's case) finagled into a less common time slot with weird commercial b…
Mostly agree with all you have to say minus the reference as Steve carrell being a safe, reliable pick at the time period. Being on the daily show is a great metric for a casting director as far as quality goes but in reality he had close to zero exposure and public recognition before the office.
That fact is supported by how bad the first season of the US office did ratings wise. People warmed up to it quickly thanks to the quality of writing, but the showrunners and producers clearly didn't feel confident in the future success of Steve carrell as a leading star or they wouldn't have ordered he get hair plugs to make him more look more likable.
Lastly, there is something to be said, at least regarding comedy, about differences in taste between cultures. British and US comedy have often been quite different over the last 70 years and is evident in the stylistic differences between the british and us versions of the office in season 1.
Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]
#35I'm pretty sure this pilot is the same script as episode 1 of the original UK series. Clearly someone felt the need to recast and reshoot the series with US actors (plus Richard Ayoade), like they did the US Office. I wonder if that's old thinking (or wasn't actually needed) - the amount of UK TV that's now on Netflix and other OTT platforms seems to suggest that US audiences are open to enjoying original UK series w…
A lot of people in the US would turn it off because "I can't understand what they are saying with their funny accent". The reason they get away with being on Netflix is that they don't need to be super popular to be worth it for the streaming networks if they pick it up for a cheap price. Linear TV had a limited number of time slots and had to be very choosey with what they put on. It needed to have massive appeal in…
> "I can't understand what they are saying with their funny accent"
This is charitable. Probably a lot of folks here just have a general disdain for all things foreign.
I am not sure anyone has ever tried to put numbers to the distinction between the two groups.
Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]
#36The cast seemed a bit off.
Actually, I bet they could literally have dropped in the cast of Better Off Ted and tweaked it a bit to Americanize this show.
Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd be really curious to find out what Richard Ayoade thought of the entire situation. "So you want me to come play the exact same character, saying the exact same lines and doing the exact same things ... but now it's a 'US' version?"
The guy is a legend. Travel Man is excellent and a great format. Rewatched during lockdown and completely recommend.
The formula for Travel Man was genius.
The producers just have to pick various people who are a good pick to play off Richard Ayoade being himself, and send them off places to film how they get along with each other. Ideally, picking people who love to travel and have a good time to slightly annoy Richard.
TV that produces itself.
The curve ball, which defied all expectations, was the episode in Madeira which paired him up with someone with a similarly rapid-fire and dour wit: Robert Webb. In contrast to the rest of the series, one of the funniest things I've ever watched.
Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]
#38Ye gad.
Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]
#39Why ye do this has always been utterly baffling to me.
Re: The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not at all. There's a cadre of people who enjoy British television programming in America, but they don't count. I'd estimate that the number of people that have watched for example the UK office is maybe 1% or less than the people that watched the US office in the US.
You wouldn't have look very hard to find an American who has seen Downton Abbey, Doctor Who, or Bake Off. The biggest problem keeping Americans from watching UK TV is access, not some inherent dislike or disinterest in compelling television whenever British people are involved. A show has to be wildly popular before Americans even get the chance to be exposed to it, which really limits the amount of viewers for UK pr…
> The biggest problem keeping Americans from watching UK TV is access
I love British TV. I would happily pay for a UK television license if I could access iPlayer/Channel 4/etc from the US. I don’t get why they are so hell bent against making more money and insist on region locking content. Instead I have to resort to pirating it or buying import DVDs/BluRays.
A long time ago I used to pay for a Linux shell account on a UK provider so I could access iPlayer via a SOCKS proxy. (This was long before VPN providers were popular.). It was awesome to see the latest Top Gear or Kitchen Nightmare episode. It’s a shame we’re locked out of such wonderful content.