Spaced Being Remade For US TV

[Happenstance]

The series that launched a thousand quotes, almost as many careers and two extremely funny films is set to be remade for a US audience. Yes, Spaced, that sublimely geeky and bloody hilarious show from the talented Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes (formerly Stevenson), is headed for a US TV reinvention. Now brace yourselves for the bad news. Ready?

Sure?

It's being produced by McG. And written by Adam Barr (well, at least it's not Roseanne) who is a former writer on Will & Grace.

Now we're trying to rationalise our deep-seated dread at this suggestion. After all, Will & Grace had some clever writing involved. And the US version of The Office isn't half bad, despite the fact that the naysayers were ranged against it from day one. And McG as a producer is gonna be more restrained than McG as director... right?

But there's no getting past it - this just screams of blasphemy, horror and wrongditude. The Office may have been unglossy, but Spaced is positively grimy and all the better for it - and our Yankee neighbours have a way of making TV too pretty. We're trying hard to withhold judgement (A plague on both your houses! Ahem, we mean, good luck with that) but it's proving harder in this case than normally. Especially since Wright et al are not involved in the show, at least at present, and it's hard to imagine anyone else hitting that note of geeky goodness.

Taken From Empire Online

[Chuck]

Dont sell out to the yanks, make a 3rd series

[Roostophe]

Bloody hell, laughter tracks and corny jokes about sex galore.

[The Bard]

Spaced without Simon Pegg? I think not.

[Hellfire]

WRRYYYYYYY?

[Platty]

Dont sell out to the yanks, make a 3rd series

Spaced without Simon Pegg? I think not.

Agree with you both.

[rokhed00]

Oh dear. :weep:

[Daft]

I think I just died a little inside.

[Jordan]

Wow... this going to suck as bad as the office US did.

[Daft]

Wow... this going to suck as bad as the office US did.

I liked the US Office. Its different to the original but its actually quite funny.

It probably help that I think Ricky Gervais is an arrogant c**t.

[Aimless]

Putting aside my absolute horror for a moment, why don't they just air the originals in the US instead? Or, you know, make something original?

Spaced is quintessential British humour. I'm not saying that Americans won't 'get it', but the show is the very antithesis of most US comedy. Then again, Spaced is the antithesis of most British comedy: i.e. it's actually good.

Still, worst case scenario: it's as horrible as we can all imagine and they release a special pill to purge our memories of its very existence. Best case: it turns out to be pretty good in its own right, and at the very least encourages more people to track down the original.

[Happenstance]

They have actually aired the originals

[Jordan]

Didn't Simon Pegg say in some form or another that he'd eventually do another series of Spaced?

[Happenstance]

Some people do seem to think that but if I remember right they were quoted back in comic con 2006 saying that they bowed out at the right time and werent going to do another series.

Apparently though Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg werent approached about this US remake at all.

[McPhee]

I bet my sister will love this, she thought Spaced was crap but sits in front of the TV watching American crap all day (Trouble TV i think?)

[MoogleViper]

The american office was crap.

Spaced is quintessential British humour. I'm not saying that Americans won't 'get it', but the show is the very antithesis of most US comedy. Then again, Spaced is the antithesis of most British comedy: i.e. it's actually good.


There are lots of good british comedies. Yeah there are a lot of crap but of course there is. Every good thing will have four crap things as well.

[The Bard]

^ Not really. Red Dwarf was pretty good sometimes, and Peep Show is pretty great too. None of them are as good as Spaced though.

[Oxigen_Waste]

I just know it'll get ruined.

I mean, the US Office had one thing going for it : Rainn Wilson and wasn't actually that bad, but... the original is like, 10 times better. I predict that Spaced US will be 100X inferior to Spaced UK.

And worst of all... they'll probably hire some foxy chick to play Daisy.

[James]

Oh god no.

I could see this turning out like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqzuakQplEM

[Roostophe]

Oh god no.

I could see this turning out like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqzuakQplEM

Jesus wept!

And so did I. :nono:

[theguyfromspark]

While they're at it, they should do a US remake of Father Ted... move from Craggy Island to Hawaii, make everyone beautiful, and instead of jokes they should just say a half hour sermon about how Christianity is the one true religion.

[Monopolyman]

Ah, nothing to fret about. Chances are that it'll just be forgotten, like the many other British sitcoms remade by US TV stations. For example, does anyone remember the US of Red Dwarf? Didn't think so.

[gaggle64]

I agree with Aimless up thar. Why not just save themselves the time, money and effort and just air the originals in the mainstream, and be happy with it? Simon Pegg is a rising brand name in the states, what the hell do they have to loose? The original deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.

[flameboy]

Ah, nothing to fret about. Chances are that it'll just be forgotten, like the many other British sitcoms remade by US TV stations. For example, does anyone remember the US of Red Dwarf? Didn't think so.

yeah the lead from US Red Dwarf famously turned down the role of Joey in Friends believing the remake of Red Dwarf would be bigger..good thing it wasn't as otherwise we would have had no more UK series.

[Daniel]

Simon Pegg will not lend any support to the US remake of his Channel 4 show Spaced.

Speaking to the Press Association at the BAFTA/LA British Comedy event, the actor said the Fox show wouldn't receive his or co-writer Jessica Hynes's backing.

"Not at all," Pegg said. "I find it slightly upsetting to be honest. It's our baby, but it is theirs now."

Asked if he thought the new version would be a success, Pegg added: "It's difficult to say because the show was very about being in London in the late '90s at the millennial turn and being in that country influenced by American culture."

Pegg recently expressed his anger at the proposed remake. The actor felt that the people behind the US pilot showed a "lack of respect" by failing to mention Hynes's contribution to the show in any of the press releases.

Spaced followed the lives of twentysomethings Tim and Daisy, who posed as a couple in order to rent a flat. The show, with its rapid editing and pop culture references, also launched the career of Edgar Wright.

No suprise here really, couldnt see Pegg aligning himself with this

[Letty]

Even if this does end up good, it will never reach the level of awesome that english Spaced did.

When I get a dog Im naming it Colin in memorial.

[Daft]

I just don't get how they will make it anything like Spaced, like Pegg said, "the show was very much about being in London in the late '90s at the millennial turn and being in that country influenced by American culture."

I enjoyed the American Office but really don't see this working and without Pegg's backing I hope it fails...and ruins the careers of everyone involved. (Yes, I am annoyed.)

[RossK]

cant they just take it as it is!:shakehead we get thier imports and dont insist on giving characters bowler hats , the telegraph and have them standing at bus stops peering at thier wristwatch .
:indeed:
As Daft has stated this is very late 90's and very english , how much will be retained? , it just cant be the same . Im glad pegg doesnt think much to it but im shocked he has no say in the matter , i thought he co wrote it so isnt it partially his?!

Ah, nothing to fret about. Chances are that it'll just be forgotten, like the many other British sitcoms remade by US TV stations. For example, does anyone remember the US of Red Dwarf? Didn't think so.

this is the first time ive heard of a us red dwarf :heh:

[Caris]

Wow... this going to suck as bad as the office US did.

No, just no.

The US Office destroys the UK version.

[Deathjam]

No, just no.

The US Office destroys the UK version.

You are probably the only British person to think this way.

[Daft]

No, just no.

The US Office destroys the UK version.

I completely agree and it has the added bonus of not having that Gervais c*nt in it. (Although I'll admit he was good in the original.)

[Mr. Bananagrabber]

You are probably the only British person to think this way.

There are plenty of us. And we are growing in numbers everyday.

[somme]

I hated the US Office and I actually dislike most American comedy.

Friends is OK...but only because I grew up with those characters so it has nostalgia attached to it.

Funnily enough I find the lead actress in Bones funnier than most American comedy.

[killthenet]

I wonder what everyone's thoughts on a US version of Peep Show are? It's been tried, and it failed, before, but Armstrong and Bain weren't involved it much at all. They're developing a new version though, so its very likely we'll see a news of a pilot, and perhaps a series, for a US Peep Show by the end of the year.

[somme]

I don't understand why different interpretations of the same show need to exist at all. To be honest they're not even "interpretations" but more cheap copies with a few "new ideas" mixed in. Just make a whole new show.

[killthenet]

It's very difficult to come up with an entirely new sitcom concept that works and is popular. If there is already a tried and tested formula that has been a success in another country then a production company may aswell have a go at an adapting that formula for their market.

There's been plenty of fantastic new sitcom ideas to come from America recently anyway, Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sarah Silverman Progamme, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and to a certain extent 30 Rock, which although not entirely new in concept is still brilliantly written.

[somme]

Well I didn't really like Arrested Development, although haven't had a chance to watch more than 2 or 3 episodes...and I haven't seen any of the others...nor heard of them.

[Daniel]

I they are porting successes from other countries to america then why spaced? i can understand the office and little britain but spaced wasnt exactly a commercial success...

[Wesley]

Wow... this going to suck as bad as the office US did.

US Office > UK Office

[Caris]

DWIGHT SCHRUTE LOVERS UNITE!

[gmac]

I prefer the US Office, mainly because of less Gervais :)

[Daniel]

There is justice

The US version of the cult Channel 4 comedy Spaced has been axed, according to Deadline Hollywood Daily.

Fox reportedly turned down the chance to pick up the show for a series despite a "phenomenal cast" - including Josh Lawson, Sarah Rue, Will Sasso, Federico Dordei and Yara Martinez - and backing from new Terminator director McG's Wonderland Sound and Vision company.

The show's original creative team of Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes and Edgar Wright refused to support the remake after Fox allegedly made no attempts involve them in the new version.

Posting on his MySpace blog, director Edgar Wright said: "In normal circumstances, it would be strange to celebrate a pilot not being picked up. But the last 9 months or so have not been normal at all. They've been painful, upsetting, frustrating and deeply depressing. So, it's nice to know that sometimes things work out."

[Mr. Bananagrabber]

Phew, dodged a bullet there.

I just don't understand why American's can't watch the originals instead or remaking them.

[Daft]

Ding dong the witch is dead!!

Thank f*ck for that.

[Chris the great]

who actualy gives a fuck? even if they remake it and it sucks no ones forcing you to watch it. i can understand the cast being angry that they werent consulted, thats not cricket.

as for us office, its alright. steve carrol is well cast but it feels a lot more dummed down, kinda like news round compaired to the news (except itv news)

i dont get why theres a us coupling. i always thought coupling was a uk spin on friends.

[Ashley]

i dont get why theres a us coupling. i always thought coupling was a uk spin on friends.

I believe that was Cold Feet that was meant to be the UK-Friends, but I could be wrong :blank:

[Chris the great]

I believe that was Cold Feet that was meant to be the UK-Friends, but I could be wrong :blank:

either way its not like we never stole from the yanks.

thank god we left their soaps alone. they make hollyoaks look good!

[Cube]

thank god we left their soaps alone. they make hollyoaks look good!

Hollyoaks beats the crap out of all our other soaps.

[Chris the great]

Hollyoaks beats the crap out of all our other soaps.

and its litteraly awfull. the corniest, worst acted thing ive seen. very little depth to any one, as they all seem to be steriotypes.

if i wasnt living with a girl id never watch it, unless i turned the telly on for Snow a little early.