The IT Crowd US Pilot (2007) [video]

Post by pram » Thu, Sep 22, 2022, 3:37 AM UTC

c4ptnjack wrote: post #34

Longlius wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 thank…

Post by physhster » Thu, Sep 22, 2022, 3:40 AM UTC

dotBen wrote: post #8

I'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…

Post by KerrAvon » Thu, Sep 22, 2022, 3:51 AM UTC

bckygldstn wrote: post #21

autoexec wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

There was a US remake of Taskmaster, which is like 50% a panel show. It was exceedingly terrible despite keeping 1 of the 2 UK hosts, and especially compared to the excellent New Zealand and Swedish Taskmaster remakes. I agree about access though. I've introduced a bunch of US friends to Taksmaster who devour the seasons available on youtube, but are then out of options to see the rest.

Post by KerrAvon » Thu, Sep 22, 2022, 3:54 AM UTC

lostlogin wrote: post #30

ShakataGaNai wrote: post #15

Earlier 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.

Post by KerrAvon » Thu, Sep 22, 2022, 4:01 AM UTC

martinflack wrote: post #60

Bluecobra wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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 o…

You should look into BritBox[0], a BBC and ITV project, available on Roku, Amazon, and probably other platforms. I have no affiliation; I was just born and raised as a child in the UK and miss the shows. It's got quite a lot. [0] https://www.britbox.com/us/