10 Tired Sitcom Clichés That Really Need To Die
7. Foreign Remakes
Let's just come out and say it: foreign sitcom remakes usually suck. Sometimes it’s the NBC/ITV approach of copy and pasting the script, and other times, it’s a complete mishandling of the material, like trying to remake Peep Show for a network where you can’t swear. But either way, the good ones are in a real minority.
And strangely, it’s been something that’s been on a downhill trajectory in recent years. Years ago, there were huge successes like Three’s Company (Man About The House), The Upper Hand (Who's The Boss), and Sanford & Son (Steptoe & Son), but, recently, the only ones with any real staying power have been The Office and Veep (The Thick Of It), partly because they followed the golden rule of being accessible to their audiences.
When 'Til Death Us Do Part was remade as All In The Family, it kept the original’s spirit but changed its focus to more US-centric issues, like the Ku Klux Klan and military conscription. While ITV’s remake of That 70s Show ignored the opportunity to tailor itself to Britain in the 70s other than the odd cultural reference.
An overseas remake can be good, but you need to find the sweet spot between changing things, and staying true to the original. Oh, and if the original is being regularly broadcast, don’t bother trying to remake it. It’s why we didn’t need or ever see Lee Mack’s remake of Everybody Loves Raymond.
Bonus Points If: One of the original cast reprises their role.