Spaced

By Luth Brodie | June 17, 2008
Filed Under Cinema/TV, Luth Nonsense, Reel Life |

This blog post is a good 8 out 10 on the work avoidance meter.

Last night I was searching the net for when Burn Notice, Eureka and Psych start up again and imagine my shock at finding out that Fox made a pilot of an Americanized adaption of the brilliant UK show called Spaced. It’s this slice of perfection of cult tv shows that should stay just the way they are. Spaced is a perfect example creative inspiration at it’s best. Luckily while the pilot has been made, the entire project has died an early death.

Bugger Fox broadcasting. Not only do they have faux news but they were stupid enough to cancel Family Guy oh so long ago - they only get a few points for bringing it back - but they were behind the horrible way in which Firefly was treated. Thankfully they passed on it. *deep sigh of relief*

Possibly due to the success of The Office remake for American TV and/or Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright’s films - Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. When they first came out with the announcement of the Office remake, I had many issues with that. Granted its not nearly as good as the origional, but it still had the brilliant Ricky Gervais (the origional creator) as a producer. A lot of people said it worked and maybe it did get more people to watch the origional, but I can’t say much since I haven’t watched it. But it could not have worked without the origional creators input.

In the press release they did mention Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright but completly left out Jessica Stevenson. On further digging I found out that none of them have been consulted about the show and all have been vocal against the entire thing. How the bloody hell can you have Spaced without those three?! How could Tim or Daisy be written or played by anyone but Pegg or Stevenson?! Some creative projects ooze the blood, sweat and tears from the creators. You know it when you see it. Other projects are made for money and that spark is just missing.

It would be like what West Wing was after Aaron Sorkin left. It’d be like a major movie studio remaking Clerks.

While there are some really great TV shows from the states, the only way Spaced would end up on the networks would be to seriously water it down. And you just can’t have a gen-x subculture comedy and still water it down enough for American network tv of today.

It’s not like there are so many cultural differences between the US and the UK. At least not so much presented in the show. Most of the references are about films (mostly American), video games, comics, and many other cultural references that are actually shared between the two countries. If Shaun of The Dead was well recieved, why would you need to Americanize the pretty simular TV show? Even in Shaun of The Dead the referenced Spaced! That didn’t ruin the film for those who hadn’t seen the show. Bloody hell, if people don’t get it as is, then they never would not because of the differences between Americans and Brits, but because of not being geeky enough. Those people have American Idol to keep them entertained.

I saw it when I first arrived in London and loved every min of it and in veiwings years later only a few things stand out as more understandable now.

If you haven’t seen it and like gen-x subculture and dry humour, I highly suggest trying it out after it comes out on region 1 DvD in July. And if you really like Brit comedy, I highly suggest also trying out Black Books.

Below is the first ep in the crap youtube format: