The IT Crowd - US remake!

This falls into the category, why remake an iconic and hilarious UK sitcom that's perfect in every way?

Anyhoo, NBC won the bidding wars and landed this project as an Americanized multi-camera version with a pilot order. It will be produced by Bill Lawrence with writers Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan, all of whom previously worked on the NBC comedy Scrubs.

Like the original series that ran for four seasons on Channel 4, the U.S. version is a workplace comedy centering on two anti-social IT nerds stuck working in the basement of a major corporation, and their new ambitious female manager who knows nothing about computers.

For any techie-geeks that may be interested, I'd urge you to check out the brilliant Brit series.

 

This will be the second time it was adapted for US television. I think the first time it had Joel McHale. I don't think it made it to air though?

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmjpk4_the-it-crowd-us-pilot_fun

This is the McHale version.

 

Apparently the execs or boss of the network making the McHale version just didn't like it and canned it. For once not a bad decision and I really like McHale.

I would have thought the original UK version would work just as well in the US. Unless it needed to be 'toned down' a little for network TV?

 

Three words: Big Bang Theory

CBS has a highly-watched hit sitcom on their hands and NBC wants a little of the action. Since TV execs have little imagination whatsoever, they figure the only thing to do is to start their own "nerd" sitcom.

 

Love the Brit-com and am interested in what the NBC version will look like. Don't have any high hopes though.

 

If the ensemble is any good, maybe it will eventually take after the US "Office" and live a useful life of its own once it's thrown off the shackles of being a poor imitation of someone else's idea. But I'm not betting on it.

 

I like bed the Britcoms and doubt the U.S. version will be as funny...but I'll give it a shot to see.

 

I'll give it a try, but "Did you turn it off and then back on again?" doesn't work in anything but an Irish accent.

 

yeah that is exactly what it will turn out to be!

 

I wonder how they'll do the boss, Douglas (Matt Berry) Reynholm? I think a major reason he was so funny was that he said all sorts of disgusting thing in that very posh accent. In America, we don't really have an accent that denotes wealth and class.

Chad

 

There was some early talk that perhaps Mossy & Douglas Reynholm might come across for the US show, but I'm not sure if that's still the case. However, the people who know the original format the best, namely the series creator, Irishman Graham Linehan, will be ‘working closely’ with adapted pilot writer Bill Lawrence and executive producers Garrett Donovan and Neil Goldman. What that means in practice, I don't know, but at least they're making an effort.

 

I missed the whole accent thing. To me, British are British, unless they have a Scottish, Irish, or cockney accent.

 

He sounded like James Mason. At least to my ears.

Chad

 

LOL, electric sex pants! Douglas did grow on me, having been initially disappointed that Christopher Morris (Denholm Reynholm) had left. Denholm Reynholm could make me laugh without ever saying a word - that look is priceless!

 

They got The Office to work, so this could work too.

 

Yeah, but what about Coupling? That was a disaster when they tried it in the US.

 

I haven't seen either version of Coupling.

 

Another classic and brilliant Brit comedy. Definitely check out the original. Penned by Steven Moffat, current Dr Who showrunner, but don't let that put you off. While he's weak on scify, he's brilliant with relationship dialog.

 

Well...copying someone else's "nerd" sitcom. So even less imagination?

The Office is the only example ever brought up for successful UK-to-US remakes, and even then it only got good when they started writing their own scripts etc. It almost never works, I don't know why they bother. It'd probably be less risky to just come up with something new.

 

thats not true ! Three's Company was a pretty big show and that was a remake of man about the house !

 

As well as All In The Family and Sanford and Son.

 

They should make it a woman for starters. Maybe it's time for Sandra Bullock to do some TV.

 

And I would add only watch the first three seasons. Do not watch the fourth as a major dynamic went missing.

 

Fair enough but those are all really old shows. In the modern era it really hasn't worked well.

Although it's definitely true that the first three series are better for the reason you stated, the fourth series is still fun IMO. The best episodes are the really clever ones that play with timing and the perspective of each character...but saying more would give stuff away.