US version of Life On Mars.... Why can't you guys just watch the original!!!

[Vic Wertz]

ithuriel wrote:

You can probably find an unlock for your player here:

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks

Typically it is just a matter of pushing a few buttons on the remote, opening the disc tray, and turning the power off and on. You should be able to watch any region dvds in about 2 minutes or less. I assume this is okay talk because the codes are built in by the manufacturer, you just have to unlock them.

It's ok talk because it's not illegal—while the player manufacturers have signed a license agreement with the DVD Consortium (or whoever it is that licenses the technology these days) and agreed to support region coding in players not sold as region-free, consumers have no legal obligation to keep them that way.

I think I've seen that site before, and it confirms that my primary player requires a Windows PC and a serial cable to modify.

[Vattnisse]

R-type wrote:

The US remake of The Office is pretty cool; its become its own thing. The WORST remake the US has done is Kath and Kim! It's awful.

Did you ever see the US version of The Royle family? Now that was awful.

[Bill Dunn]

Chris Banks wrote:

I have to say the math confuses me, to be honest. It's difficult to imagine how paying for the rights and then producing your own version of someone's show is more profitable than simply buying broadcast rights for the original. I suppose it's a question of whose pockets are being filled, and there's always DVD sales to consider if something does well (a fairly big if).

My personal preference would be for making something original over redoing someone else's work, but then, I'm not a studio executive, so what do I know?

Sometimes that sort of thing works. PBS does alright with it and has ever since they showed Monty Python back in the 1970s. But sometimes the humor just doesn't quite translate the way a remake, if well done, can enable it to do so.

[ithuriel]

There is a reason English humor is referred to with the qualifier "English." It absolutely does not translate well to other countries. Some people will like it, but they will be a niche market compared to those you will potentially reach by adapting it. Additionally airing a show with all british actors has a similar effect. You pull less people. So while you have to pay for both the rights and the production to remake something, you are gambling for a bigger rate of success to offset that. Also- if you can make it past four seasons then you can move into syndication at some point and then potentially make a lot more money with the reruns. You are more likely to make that goal with local actors and humor. (Late disclaimer: My gf works in acquiring new series- both original and adaptations so I pick up a bit here and there.)