why?

[dbskyler]

I just came across an American version of Top Gear. Why does this exist? Just like everyone else, we have the British version of Top Gear. Isn't that all we need? Why do American television executives seem to believe that Americans won't watch TV where people speak with British accents?

Comments

[lolmac]

I would say that this is the thought process (if you can call it thinking):

"Hey, look. That show made money in the UK!"

"Can it make money here? Will they sell us the idea?"

"Sure, they'll sell us the idea. It's easier than thinking up ideas of our own, and we already know it works."

"Will it work? Or is the idea too clever for the US?"

"Good point. We'd better dumb it down."

"Yes! And then we'll make money!"

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is probably exactly how it went.

Sigh.

[lolmac]

Red Dwarf and the Doctor Who movie being examples . . . I know there are fans who like Eight, but structurally, the movie was a massive special effects budget stretched over the thinnest shell of a plot. I remember thinking that it had barely enough story for one of the old 24-minute episodes.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I'm in the "Eight was a great Doctor; shame about the TV Movie" camp. I don't know if it was all Fox's fault, though.