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Post by Christopher.C on Feb 2, 2010 12:45:05 GMT
Philip Hindley's comment on another thread about radio being an ideal place to remake the Quatermass serials got me thinking about tv too...
Radio versions of the Quatermass serials would indeed be a good idea but it's very curious that in this age of recycled ideas, more remakes of well-remembered television series have not been attempted. I'm not at all sure this would be such a wonderful idea, having seen the BBC4 Quatermass, although a few series seem like obvious candidates to me. Adam Adamant Lives being one such example. I'm interested to know which series others would consider to have strong remake potential.
Cinema routinely remakes many of it's classics and it's curious that television has not done the same more often than it has. This has had a beneficial effect of keeping those names and concepts in the public eye and could work the same way for television. I've often thought that the relative lack of interest in archive releases is down to most of the series being out of the public eye (no repeats) for too long. Remaking a classic would seem to me not only useful in bringing the concept back to the public's attention but it may also generate interest in the original versions as dvd releases.
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Post by Philip Hindley on Feb 2, 2010 14:25:45 GMT
Good article .
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Post by James C on Feb 2, 2010 16:50:41 GMT
I'd like to see BLAKES 7 remade. i'd hope they'd do a better job than what they've done with Terry Nations SURVIVORS.
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Post by Greg H on Feb 2, 2010 17:28:05 GMT
To be honest, I cant think right now of any series that specifically need remaking! what i'd really like to see is some new original content!
In my opinion the remake of doctor who was/is very weak, the survivors didnt raise my pulse much............. The quatermass remake was an interesting experiment, but not something I re-watch very often.
If I really search, I spose I would be interested to see some of the missing kneale plays remade, using the original scripts, with no deviation. Getting to see the road, wine of india or the abominable snowman is pretty unlikely (though not impossible), so I guess a remake of them would be interesting if done right.........
I dunno, im not too big on remakes as a general rule. I think its a symptom of creative stagnation in the industry when so many remakes occur.
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Post by Alan Turrell on Feb 2, 2010 18:47:01 GMT
Haven't they just done a re-make of The Prisoner although i bet its not as good as the original.Personally i would prefer to see more original material as ive yet to see a remake of any show thats as good as when it was first made.To be honest i don't like all these computer graphics they use today .
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Post by davemachin on Feb 2, 2010 20:43:36 GMT
I agree that most remakes never approach the originals. I took Chris's post to mean though that he was surprised more of them haven't happened over the years regardless of quality. It's an interesting thing to ponder on though.
We have got several movie versions of famous originals like The 39 Steps, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers and Dracula but I am pretty amazed no one has remade The Avengers yet. I know we had a cinema version but I mean a tv remake (tho there have been a few things that were trying to be that series in all but name but not as good). The only recent remakes I can think of are The Prisoner and Reggie Perrin. The latter wasn't bad though, which surprised me.
It just seems to me that people making the decisions have forgotten how to make programmes well. When i'm watching something now, it strikes me that the dramas are not made to be gripping in the way that Callan was, for instance, and the comedies not made to be funny. A few years back, maybe in the eighties, things still hadn't gone downhill and a few remakes might have worked. The idea of Adam Adamant about that time might have been workable.
I agree that it is better to create new things if the ideas are there and I am expecting for instance the Prisoner remake to be awful, glossy, americanised and not identifiable as the number six we know which made the series so memorable. If remakes are attempted now, I would rather it be something that doesn't have familiar characters to ruin. Maybe something like a new run of Out Of The Unknown could work. In fact I wouldn't mind seeing that if it was treated in an adult way, like the original was. Anthology series are missing from tv anyway now, so I would like to see those make a return.
Dave
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Post by John Wall on Feb 2, 2010 21:25:49 GMT
What about reviving something like Comedy Playouse or an anthology series ? Throw it open to new, as well as experienced, writers and see if something comes aong that makes a series. Also, what about the single play ? Remaking old series may not necessarily be a good idea but there are some good old concepts that produced memorable TV.
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Post by Alan Jeffries on Feb 2, 2010 22:37:49 GMT
I have a theory about re-makes. I sit and watch the Universal Dracula and give no thought about the fact that Hammer re-made it 20 odd years later. I wonder if people who watched the former made comments about 'Why re-make it? The original was best!'
Both those films were made before I was born. When the remake of Planet of the Apes came along, I had the same thought. The original was best. So I believe that it's what frame of reference you have. Usually the first one you see is the 'Classic' one to the individual.
So what does that leave todays TV. Are the makers looking at what kind of audience they have and are trading on people's memories from a golden age of TV and so they/we will watch out of a love for something they grew up with? Or are they just lazy?
I love the idea of an anthology series. All potential pilots for something new. Unfortunately, I also feel that that kind innovation has left the room having been ousted by safe TV of reality. There are still new gems popping up and I hope the tide will turn.
I hope I've made sense there......LOL
Alan
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Post by John Wall on Feb 3, 2010 0:17:44 GMT
What's important is to encourage innovation. It's easy to do another talent show or reality TV show but how do you get something new ? To some extent dear old Auntie and the licence fee are are very important. To be able to do something experimental and give it a decent time slot is extremely worthwhile. It's a shame that ITV has been feeling the pinch which causes them to play safe:-(
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Post by Philip Hindley on Feb 3, 2010 9:06:33 GMT
I have a theory about re-makes. I sit and watch the Universal Dracula and give no thought about the fact that Hammer re-made it 20 odd years later. I wonder if people who watched the former made comments about 'Why re-make it? The original was best!' Both those films were made before I was born. When the remake of Planet of the Apes came along, I had the same thought. The original was best. So I believe that it's what frame of reference you have. Usually the first one you see is the 'Classic' one to the individual. So what does that leave todays TV. Are the makers looking at what kind of audience they have and are trading on people's memories from a golden age of TV and so they/we will watch out of a love for something they grew up with? Or are they just lazy? I love the idea of an anthology series. All potential pilots for something new. Unfortunately, I also feel that that kind innovation has left the room having been ousted by safe TV of reality. There are still new gems popping up and I hope the tide will turn. I hope I've made sense there......LOL Alan I remember my Dad saying that Boris Karloffs Frankenstein was the best but I was not impressed when I eventually saw it ,I was more impressed with Hammers version, he said the same about Hammers version of THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES he didnt like it,I love it, it knocks spots off Rathbones version but I do like Rathbones Holmes very much, I love all the various versions now. .Iam sounding like my Dad now as I wasnt that impressed with the recent version of THE HOUND even Jeremy Bretts version,(maybe I will look at them different one day? QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT 2005 was weakened by the non appearance of the monster ,and even though it was a good idea at the time to do it 'live', they should have gone for a full blown big budget remake!  |
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Post by Philip Hindley on Feb 3, 2010 9:15:12 GMT
To be honest, I cant think right now of any series that specifically need remaking! what i'd really like to see is some new original content! In my opinion the remake of doctor who was/is very weak, the survivors didnt raise my pulse much............. The quatermass remake was an interesting experiment, but not something I re-watch very often. If I really search, I spose I would be interested to see some of the missing kneale plays remade, using the original scripts, with no deviation. Getting to see the road, wine of india or the abominable snowman is pretty unlikely (though not impossible), so I guess a remake of them would be interesting if done right......... I dunno, im not too big on remakes as a general rule. I think its a symptom of creative stagnation in the industry when so many remakes occur. Id love to see all Kneales work done again. |
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Post by Ian Fryer on Feb 3, 2010 15:19:21 GMT
I've been watching Department S lately and every time I think 'this is a brilliant format and someone should do it again with new characters'.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2010 15:46:23 GMT
In times past, there was no looking back at all and "new" was another word for "better". TV was so good once that it was almost a case of the medium casually throwing off one great series after another in the belief that the next thing would be even better than the last! One day though, the well ran dry and the structure that allowed TV to be so good was tampered with, resulting in more second hand cinema, more bland generic product and (more recently) looking increasingly to the past for regurgitation.
I was watching the remake of Survivors the other day and it seemed just like all the other glossy generic series that we get so many of. No individuality or any sense of real drama there either. So i'm a bit cynical about remakes myself. The original is (almost) always the best, in my view, as it's nearest to the original intent and concept. I'd definitely go for old formats and anthologies reappearing again now though (not nessesarily remakes but series that had open doors for presenting either pilots for new potential series or self-contained stories). Out Of The Unknown, Comedy Playhouse and even Play For Today are all formats that could carry on working with unlimited possibilities as they are not tied to any specific characters. Let's get rid of this notion too that TV has to be cinema - it doesn't.
Another call here for remaking some of Kneale's work! Certainly those plays that are missing such as The Road, Bam Pow Zap!, Wine Of India and The Chopper. Dennis Potter's missing play Message For Posterity was remade in the '90s and there must be a lot more notable missing works that could be presented in new versions. That is one area where remakes could serve a useful function (especially as the original is not there for comparison and therefore there is nothing for a new version to live up to).
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Post by davemachin on Feb 3, 2010 17:31:12 GMT
Yes, definitely up for remaking things that are missing from the archives. One useful reason for making something again! I'd forgotten Survivors (but not totally, regrettably!) and I think we are going to see more revivals of famous names in future as tv gets desperate and totally runs out of original ideas. Not that I like his work particularly but Steven Poliakoff was right recently when he slated the tv higher-ups for not investing in original ideas any more. All it needs is for good writers to feel free to go to create something with their imaginations and not be tied down by what it's thought people want now.
Dave
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Post by Christopher.C on Feb 3, 2010 20:58:39 GMT
Interesting comments, everyone!
It's always puzzled me why TV hasn't recycled itself in the same way cinema has (though I detect that's beginning to change). Not that I think it would always be a good idea. Just canvassing opinion on why people thought it hadn't happened as a whole.
The TV play anthology was always one of the medium's strongest concoctions and there is a lack of them nowadays. Mention of bringing back the single play reminds me of The Street, which is the nearest thing we've had to it in recent times. Single stories interlinked by geography. These are really movies though and don't talk to me in quite the same way that a bona fide teleplay does.
I'm in two minds about remakes though. On the one hand, the effects and facilities now at the disposal of programme makers mean that wonderful things are possible in theory. On the other, a remake of a missing Kneale play (which sounds almost too good to be true) would turn out as a movie with all the accompanying (over)cinematic production values in tow. If it were something like a continuation of the christmas ghost stories, on the other hand (which I'd love to see), it would work, yes.
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