Anyone else dreading the BBC classic remakes? (3 Viewers)

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Another great show from way back was "The Man in Room 17".
Another obscure one few people know of or remember.
It had Richard Vernon and Denholm Elliot in it. Fantastic series.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_in_Room_17
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Didn't like Are You Being Served at all.

Just reminded me of all the things I didn't like first time round. Any little bits of decent comedy squashed, bashed and bludgeoned into submission by naff gay jokes and any mention of pussy.

Porridge was completely miscast. Kevin Bishop totally lacked the comedic skills and timing of Ronnie Barker and just came across as totally unformed and wishy-washy.

I did laugh a few times, but it was a tad pointless I feel.

On to Steptoe and Til Death Us Do Part then next, see what they bring.
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
Didn't like Are You Being Served at all.

Just reminded me of all the things I didn't like first time round. Any little bits of decent comedy squashed, bashed and bludgeoned into submission by naff gay jokes and any mention of pussy.

Porridge was completely miscast. Kevin Bishop totally lacked the comedic skills and timing of Ronnie Barker and just came across as totally unformed and wishy-washy.

I did laugh a few times, but it was a tad pointless I feel.

On to Steptoe and Til Death Us Do Part then next, see what they bring.

Didn't like AYBS the first time round so didn't bother watching it, we have sky + Porridge but don't hold out a lot of hope.
 
W

westcountry_skyblue

Guest
Didn't like AYBS the first time round so didn't bother watching it, we have sky + Porridge but don't hold out a lot of hope.
Just watching Porridge,Not many laughs at all and they've put that canned laughter on top.
Fletch,Godber,Mackay will be turning in their graves!!!
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Didn't mind Are You Being Served as a one off but I hope they avoid the temptation of bringing it back full time. Pretty sure that will be the plan with most of these.

Quite liked Porridge. Was a good idea to make it Fletch's grandson and not try to just remake in the way they did AYBS. Nice nod to Ronnie Baker and Richard Beckensdale.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Didn't mind Are You Being Served as a one off but I hope they avoid the temptation of bringing it back full time. Pretty sure that will be the plan with most of these.

Quite liked Porridge. Was a good idea to make it Fletch's grandson and not try to just remake in the way they did AYBS. Nice nod to Ronnie Baker and Richard Beckensdale.
Yeah, some nice touches and I liked the old lag character and the nasty Mr. Big, but it was young Fletcher that let it down for me. Lacked all the skills of the late, great Ronnie Barker.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
That's the problem isn't it really, same with the revival of Open All Hours. He was so good that no matter what you do you can't really fill that gap.
Same reason I don't think you could have another Rigsby or Basil Fawlty.

I think with Porridge this time they would have been better off with the same or similar screws, your Barraclough's and your MacKay's and your Bunny Warren's and your Grouty's, but then have a completely different character to Fletcher.

Guessing though that most of the audience would indeed be crying out for a new young Fletcher with some of the old character's touches, so the writers would probably be on a loser anyway.

Best answer is, don't remake it in the first place.

Will still watch Hancock, Til Death and Steptoe though. Maybe some light will still shine through.
 

lifeskyblue

Well-Known Member
Had a few laughs at both....more from nostalgia than anything comedic. I think both showed a great deal of respect for the originals and were a homage rather than anything else


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Malaka

Well-Known Member
Just reading the previous posts. Love Thy Neighbour was a massive show during the sixties/seventies that on reflection was pretty crap.
I used to love The Young One's , Citizen Smith and Bread, all of which would be dated now.
People have spoken about British Comedy being the envy of the world, that is probably a dated concept now. Friends, Big Bang Theory, Family Guy, Modern Family are much better than anything that we can produce today. I can not think of anything since the Young One's that was ground breaking and funny.
I remember looking forward to Christmas specials of shows, but now we get garbage and re runs
Mrs Brown's Boys is utter trash as is Miranda
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Just reading the previous posts. Love Thy Neighbour was a massive show during the sixties/seventies that on reflection was pretty crap.
I used to love The Young One's , Citizen Smith and Bread, all of which would be dated now.
People have spoken about British Comedy being the envy of the world, that is probably a dated concept now. Friends, Big Bang Theory, Family Guy, Modern Family are much better than anything that we can produce today. I can not think of anything since the Young One's that was ground breaking and funny.
I remember looking forward to Christmas specials of shows, but now we get garbage and re runs
Mrs Brown's Boys is utter trash as is Miranda
Hey, how can you mention American shows without mentioning Seinfeld and Frasier!!! :)
 

Malaka

Well-Known Member
Just finished watching Are You Being Served, thought it was OK. It is good that it is set in 1988, CCFC were still good then.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Decent ratings for both. Wouldn't be surprised if they both go to series, think Porridge has more potential for a full series.

Surely we can't have a prime time BBC schedule in 2017 with Open All Hours, Porridge and Are You Being Served?
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
People have spoken about British Comedy being the envy of the world, that is probably a dated concept now.
I think that still holds true in a way. Thanks in large part to the BBC and C4 via the license fee we tend to make shows they wouldn't get made elsewhere. They are prepared to take a risk.

Would things like The Mighty Boosh, Toast, League of Gentlemen get made anywhere else?
 

oscillatewildly

Well-Known Member
Didn't see AYBS but watched porridge last night. Quite enjoyed it, liked the brief nods to the original like Fletch failing to leap onto his bunk.
As a previous poster stated: It's not about re-creating or god forbid, trying to better but paying respectful homage. I think that was just about achieved with porridge. Look forward to the others.
 

Captain Dart

Well-Known Member
I really enjoyed Porridge. I would watch it if they remade the series.
The reboot was actually written by Clement & La Frenais which is why it was OK. Amazing really as those guys are 78 & 80 respectively, respect!
 
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Sick Boy

Super Moderator
Just reading the previous posts. Love Thy Neighbour was a massive show during the sixties/seventies that on reflection was pretty crap.
I used to love The Young One's , Citizen Smith and Bread, all of which would be dated now.
People have spoken about British Comedy being the envy of the world, that is probably a dated concept now. Friends, Big Bang Theory, Family Guy, Modern Family are much better than anything that we can produce today. I can not think of anything since the Young One's that was ground breaking and funny.
I remember looking forward to Christmas specials of shows, but now we get garbage and re runs
Mrs Brown's Boys is utter trash as is Miranda

I'd say Peep Show was pretty groundbreaking? Also the Office was so good that the Yanks copied it.
 

Nick

Administrator
I have struggled to get into many American Sitcoms, I think Family Guy is about the only thing I like. It is the whole forced laughter stuff.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
I have struggled to get into many American Sitcoms, I think Family Guy is about the only thing I like. It is the whole forced laughter stuff.
I'm about halfway through rewatching King of the Hill after I picked them up when they were a fiver a series on iTunes. Even better than I remember them, well worth a watch.
 
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vow

Well-Known Member
I have struggled to get into many American Sitcoms, I think Family Guy is about the only thing I like. It is the whole forced laughter stuff.
Try "Curb your Enthusiasm" if you can, one of my top 5 comedies.
 
Yes! That was it. I really liked the original. I'm not sure about a remake though.

Out of all of them from the "comedy season" goodnight sweetheart should be the most successful one. The original cast are all involved along with a few new faces. It's not set in ww2 and 90s but in the 60s and now
 

Sky_Blue_Daz

Well-Known Member
I've really tried with CYE just can't get into it

The Goldbergs on E4 is pretty good
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Just watched the Til Death Us Do Part.

A little dated (it is a 69's original script), but I really enjoyed it and Simon Day did a very good job of portraying Alf.



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Sky_Blue_Daz

Well-Known Member
Just watched the Til Death Us Do Part.

A little dated (it is a 69's original script), but I really enjoyed it and Simon Day did a very good job of portraying Alf.

Is it Iplayer Otis?

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SkyblueBazza

Well-Known Member
Just watched the Til Death Us Do Part.

A little dated (it is a 69's original script), but I really enjoyed it and Simon Day did a very good job of portraying Alf.



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Isn't it strange how we all differ over a range of stuff? Like I used to love the original TDUDP...but didn't enjoy last night - it took ages before he was properly ranting & even then it wasn't a patch on WM.
Thought AYBS was pretty good, & Porridge was definitely the best so far...but a series might no cut the mustard.

...onwards & upwards PUSB
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
A little dated (it is a 69's original script), but I really enjoyed it and Simon Day did a very good job of portraying Alf.
Found it a bit odd. Not that it was bad and as you say Simon Day did a good job but he's not Warren Mitchell and nobody else is going to be. Wasn't keen on the way they did it like a play either.

Was getting into the program after, thought it was going to be a full length thing and then it was only 5 mins.

Pretty sure Porridge will go to a series. The fact that it wasn't a straight remake gives it a better chance.

There's been some pilots for new shows on as well. There was one called the Coppers vs the Rest which I managed about 5 minutes of, a Johnny Vegas one called Home From Home which was OK but nothing I'd be desperate to see picked up. Best one was Our Ex Wife with Robert Webb. Really liked that, would recommend checking it out on iplayer. Its got good reviews as well so hopefully a series will follow.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Isn't it strange how we all differ over a range of stuff? Like I used to love the original TDUDP...but didn't enjoy last night - it took ages before he was properly ranting & even then it wasn't a patch on WM.
Thought AYBS was pretty good, & Porridge was definitely the best so far...but a series might no cut the mustard.

...onwards & upwards PUSB
Yeah, I liked it.

First few mins in I though it was going to be naff, but the script kept me interested and I thought Simon Day did a very good job. He did lack the anger of Warren Michell, who you used to see stewing in his own juices.

The let down for me was the missus, who I thought wasn't a patch on Dandy Nicholls
 

SkyblueBazza

Well-Known Member
Goodnight Sweetheart looks promising for a series imo. I enjoyed the original & the general theme lends itself to being reinvented.

...onwards & upwards PUSB
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
It's hit and miss for me. Can be funny at times, but then also rather lame and dull.

Thought the episode worked quite well though last night. Doesn't Nicholas Lyndhurst look distinctly odd these days, mind.

His face looks like it has been ironed and I am sure his mouth is shrinking by the hour. He has just the tiniest little postal slot there now. Be surprised if when it came to tea time if he could even squeeze a very small pea in.

I checked and he is only 55. He looks so, so much older.
 

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