BadgerGravling's Pop Kulture

I’ve recently been reminded of why I utterly loathe the habit of remaking a good TV series or film either becuase the original is old, and noone wants to watch something filmed with classic actors in just 2D anymore, or because audiences are too stupid to bother with subtitles.

Some cases in point:

• Shameless: Not only is it wasting what could have been productive time for an actor as talented as William H Macy, but More4 are reimporting back to English views. FFS - not only is Shameless original English, and incredibly popular, but it was even on Channel 4!
• Wallander: A great Swedish detective series rooted in Scandinavian society and values. So because you couldn’t really transplant it to the UK, instead the BBC shipped out Kenneth Branagh and co to act as the world’s most expensive and confusing subtitle replacements, speaking English whilst watching Swedish TV and holding Swedish newspapers.
• The Killing: See Wallander. It was great because of the ways Danish society affected the storyline, you muppets.
• Taxi: It was a fun French car film, which grew into more absurdity in it’s sequels. But nothing quite absurd as Queen Latifah as a high-speed taxi driver chasing supermodels with blue screen techniques from the 1950s behind her. Just check out the original and the scooter chase for the difference.
• Get Carter: Because obviously Michael Caine and Newcastle could be replaced by Sly Stallone.
• Alfie: Replace Sly Stallone with Jude Law and you get the idea.

And there are so, so many more. And yet apparently Hollywood has something like 50 or 75 remakes currently underway…

It’s actually much harder to think of some good ones…