Loren Michael wrote:

chairman bill wrote:I do wonder at the US tendency to want to make US-specific versions of British comedies. Did The Office, or Being Human really need to be Americanised? How come we get Frasier, or The Simpsons, but the US needs our stuff re-done for a US audience? I really don't get that.

I don't know about Being Human having never seen any version, but as I noted above, a lot of British humor is a lot more awkwardness-based, and a lot of Americans (and non-British people generally) don't appreciate that as much as British people. Remaking the franchise allows for keeping the stuff that works with Americans and eschewing the stuff that might be regarded poorly.

The Office has a setting that works in many, many cultures, and as such it's both easy and desirable to export. If I recall correctly, there's a The Office-style show in quite a few countries.

Belgium had an office style show back in the early seventies. Nothing new under the sun.
It was very funny as well and that is saying something for Belgian humor.

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Loren Michael wrote:I'm kind of curious as to South Park's international appeal and perception. Is it popular around the world? What kind of show is it regarded as?

Never made it here. People could not relate to it. It was a very minority watched programme on a minor commercial station.

Does stuff in the Netherlands get the dubbing or subtitle treatment? It's been almost 20 years since I was on that side of the world and I don't remember a damn thing about TV.

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Loren Michael wrote:

chairman bill wrote:I do wonder at the US tendency to want to make US-specific versions of British comedies. Did The Office, or Being Human really need to be Americanised? How come we get Frasier, or The Simpsons, but the US needs our stuff re-done for a US audience? I really don't get that.

I don't know about Being Human having never seen any version, but as I noted above, a lot of British humor is a lot more awkwardness-based, and a lot of Americans (and non-British people generally) don't appreciate that as much as British people. Remaking the franchise allows for keeping the stuff that works with Americans and eschewing the stuff that might be regarded poorly.

The Office has a setting that works in many, many cultures, and as such it's both easy and desirable to export. If I recall correctly, there's a The Office-style show in quite a few countries.

Belgium had an office style show back in the early seventies. Nothing new under the sun.
It was very funny as well and that is saying something for Belgian humor.

Yeah, not particularly surprising. I think The Office's best innovation is the mockumentary format. It's been copied to great effect in Parks and Recreation, and I hope it makes its way to shows with other settings.

Loren Michael wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Loren Michael wrote:I'm kind of curious as to South Park's international appeal and perception. Is it popular around the world? What kind of show is it regarded as?

Never made it here. People could not relate to it. It was a very minority watched programme on a minor commercial station.

Does stuff in the Netherlands get the dubbing or subtitle treatment? It's been almost 20 years since I was on that side of the world and I don't remember a damn thing about TV.

Everything non Dutch programme, news report and interview is subtitled. I learnt a lot of Dutch that way.
When I came here there was only two terristrial stations. No cable.
The Germans are the great dubbers. Watching John Wayne and listening to the dubbed German dialog was so funny.

The office format would not work here. To aggresive and alien to Dutch office workers.

The same goes for British political programmes. British politics is totally different to Dutch politics. The aggresiveness is totally unknown here.

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Loren Michael wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Loren Michael wrote:I'm kind of curious as to South Park's international appeal and perception. Is it popular around the world? What kind of show is it regarded as?

Never made it here. People could not relate to it. It was a very minority watched programme on a minor commercial station.

Does stuff in the Netherlands get the dubbing or subtitle treatment? It's been almost 20 years since I was on that side of the world and I don't remember a damn thing about TV.

Everything non Dutch programme, news report and interview is subtitled. I learnt a lot of Dutch that way.
When I came here there was only two terristrial stations. No cable.
The Germans are the great dubbers. Watching John Wayne and listening to the dubbed German dialog was so funny.

The tragedy is that Germans don't get how hilarious that shit is.

People who understand German lose out on a lot, I think.

Yep German is like Dutch not spoken much outside the country. So you pretty restricted if you cant speak another language.
THe Dutch though learn at least two other languages which of course one is English.
The Germans are like the British lazy to learn other languages.

Scot Dutchy wrote:The office format would not work here. To aggresive and alien to Dutch office workers.

How do you mean? I mean, considering the differences between the UK and US versions (after season 1 of US), it seems like the format is pretty adaptable to local humors. Consider Parks and Recreation as well; it's the same format applied to a small town government, and it's a lot less, uh, mean.

The same goes for British political programmes. British politics is totally different to Dutch politics. The aggresiveness is totally unknown here.

Probably totally true. Are you familiar with Parks and Recreation though? There's more than one flavor of political show out there.

Scot Dutchy wrote:Yep German is like Dutch not spoken much outside the country. So you pretty restricted if you cant speak another language.
THe Dutch though learn at least two other languages which of course one is English.
The Germans are like the British lazy to learn other languages.

That's surprising to me. Germans I meet in China have some of the best English of the Europeans I've met here, after the Dutch and some of the Scandinavians.

I guess people who travel abroad tend to be the kind of people who speak other languages though.

So never mind. Not surprising to me.

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Loren Michael wrote:I'm kind of curious as to South Park's international appeal and perception. Is it popular around the world? What kind of show is it regarded as?

Never made it here. People could not relate to it. It was a very minority watched programme on a minor commercial station.

In my perception Southpark is considered funny by many.

Yes, my social circle is very minority

Loren Michael wrote:Probably totally true. Are you familiar with Parks and Recreation though? There's more than one flavor of political show out there.

I have only seen the British office version which was very aggresive. Also the amount of space they were working in is so unlike our working conditions. I think programmes only work when people can relate to them.

A Dutch version of office would be very dull to watch. Nothing happens.

Yes the Germans who do travel do make an effort but that is a small minority.

Loren Michael wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:Yep German is like Dutch not spoken much outside the country. So you pretty restricted if you cant speak another language.
THe Dutch though learn at least two other languages which of course one is English.
The Germans are like the British lazy to learn other languages.

That's surprising to me. Germans I meet in China have some of the best English of the Europeans I've met here, after the Dutch and some of the Scandinavians.

I guess people who travel abroad tend to be the kind of people who speak other languages though.

So never mind. Not surprising to me.

Germans used to suck at English but they have come around in the last one or two decades or so.

The Dutch often refused to speak German with them when they would visit the Netherlands. The Germans refused to speak English.

Things have changed for the better.

mindhack wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Loren Michael wrote:I'm kind of curious as to South Park's international appeal and perception. Is it popular around the world? What kind of show is it regarded as?

Never made it here. People could not relate to it. It was a very minority watched programme on a minor commercial station.

In my perception Southpark is considered funny by many.

Yes, my social circle is very minority

Southpark was a very niche programme on a very minor commercial station. I never watch commercial stations to heavy on the ads.

Scot Dutchy wrote:

mindhack wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Loren Michael wrote:I'm kind of curious as to South Park's international appeal and perception. Is it popular around the world? What kind of show is it regarded as?

Never made it here. People could not relate to it. It was a very minority watched programme on a minor commercial station.

In my perception Southpark is considered funny by many.

Yes, my social circle is very minority

Southpark was a very niche programme on a very minor commercial station. I never watch commercial stations to heavy on the ads.

Cartoon network isn't minor really. It tends to draw a specific crowd

mindhack wrote:Germans used to suck at English but they have come around in the last one or two decades or so.

The Dutch often refused to speak German with them when they would visit the Netherlands. The Germans refused to speak English.

Things have changed for the better.

Things have totally changed. It took a fair time though.
The Dutch used to tease many visiting Germans by asking: "Can I have my bicycle back?"
This was a reference to 1945 when the German army was cut off on the Dutch west coast. The allies opened a corridor to Germany and only allowed it open for a short time. Almost all the German soldiers cycled back to Germany on stolen bicycles.

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Loren Michael wrote:Probably totally true. Are you familiar with Parks and Recreation though? There's more than one flavor of political show out there.

I have only seen the British office version which was very aggresive. Also the amount of space they were working in is so unlike our working conditions. I think programmes only work when people can relate to them.

A Dutch version of office would be very dull to watch. Nothing happens.

How would you describe the differences? Like, I can't imagine there not being workplace dramas or personalities that rub against each other.

Parks and Rec kind of flips The Office's caricatures after the first mercifully short season. The main cast is largely competent, including the main David Brent/Michael Scott character. A lot of the fun comes from peoples' eccentricities bouncing off each other.

mindhack wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:

mindhack wrote:

Scot Dutchy wrote:

Never made it here. People could not relate to it. It was a very minority watched programme on a minor commercial station.

In my perception Southpark is considered funny by many.

Yes, my social circle is very minority

Southpark was a very niche programme on a very minor commercial station. I never watch commercial stations to heavy on the ads.

Cartoon network isn't minor really. It tends to draw a specific crowd

Small enough though and aimed at a very specific group of viewers.

How does video-on-demand work in Europe? Like, do people still rely on television stations to provide the bulk of TV, or have people started cutting cords and downloading everything?

Loren Michael wrote:How would you describe the differences? Like, I can't imagine there not being workplace dramas or personalities that rub against each other.

Chalk and cheese. I really mean it. I have worked in both environments.

My British workplace was overcrowded with six of us working in a basement office. We were all programmers. Six telephones is also too much. Hetic and very annoying with plenty of people on short fuses. Under constant electric light. Luckily it was only temporary position as I was loaned out by my Dutch company. It lasted a month.

Dutch labour laws are very strict about working conditions. Everything from floor space, heating, cooling, light and view is set down in law. We only had two to a room. Our floor space was a minimum of 16 sq.metres for our desks alone. Proper variable lighting and heating was available. We also had each a sizable window we could look out of (this was also a labour law).

It was very laid back and if there was any problems they were discussed and solution found. No bottling it up or taken childish revenge which happened in the British work place. Work times were variable and nobody bothered if you went home early or came in late as long as the work was done. In the British office we had electronic punch cards.

All this leads to quiet and restful environment where tempers are hardly present well especially in regards to colleagues.

It was something our British colleagues were very jealous of.

Loren Michael wrote:How does video-on-demand work in Europe? Like, do people still rely on television stations to provide the bulk of TV, or have people started cutting cords and downloading everything?

A lot is downloaded these days. I'm not too familiar with video-on-demand.