Spoiler: The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler While still trying to figure out how and why he is in 1973, Sam finds himself in the middle of an investigation involving robbery-homicides at check-cashing stores.
I'll probably give it another shot. This one's critical, though, they've got a lot of ground to make up.
Though I didn't think much of the premier (it mostly just inspired me to break out my dvds of the original and watch the whole first series again), I'm willing to give the American version another shot. Plus, whatever they filmed on my street didn't show up in the last episode, so I need to spot it tonight.
^I was wondering if they were going to keep it, and was kind of surprised that they did. So far, this isn't doing anything for me, though. I might just go back to my dvds.
They also borrowed the "armed bastards" line... but the delivery was so weak. I mean, that line was used in series 2 of the show I think? By that time, Hunt definitely earned it. Here, I think the writers thought that the line was cool so they wanted to use it as soon as possible.
I gave up about half way through. This was pretty awful, even disregarding my positive view of the original -- it didn't just suck in comparison, it sucked all by itself. Sorry. Although I did see my street, which was fun.
Too many of us, like myself and tsq for example, have seen the original and have been influenced by it. I think the writers of tonight's ep were taking us for granted. I also think that they adapted a story from the original that occurred later in the original show. It all seemed too "fit together," as if Sam had been there for quite some time and built the relationships we saw tonight. Keitel also seems too reserved, as if he's concerned that by letting go and being more of an angry hard-ass that he'll be too much like Glenister's Hunt. If Keitel lets go and actually does act like an angry hard-ass, he'd sell me on his own portrayal.
Loved it. Why is everyone acting like the original was some untouchable artistic achievement? It was a great show... but the new version is at least as good.
The truth is, I only gave the second episode a shot because I enjoyed the original so much. If I'd never seen the original, I would've tuned out halfway through the first episode, not halfway through the second. I just disliked it. It's not very witty, talks down to the audience, and I find the lead uninteresting and uncharismatic.
I agree. It's not so much that the original is untouchable, as the new one is a pale imitation, or at least feels that way to me. ETA I've just finished the second episode, and I think that will be the last one I watch, unless I hear there has been a vast improvement, or a big change that makes it worthwhile.
The original was pretty solid in terms of television artistic achievement. It also achieved a worldwide following, regardless of how one obtained access to the eps... Those same people are going to tune in to this and will be critical. That's the nature of the beast. I just wish Keitel would figure out how he wants to play Hunt. He's too inconsistent.
I never saw the original so I can say this did SUCK all by itself rather than by comparison! It's disjointed, the pace is at times lethargic, but worst of all they treat 1973 as if its some Bicardi & Cola ad or other parody. They don't play it straight so I can't take this show seriously. It's laborious to watch and not even so-bad-it's-entertaining in the way Knight Rider is. No more of ABC's Life on Mars for me. I'll keep an eye out for the UK original though. I tend to enjoy their programming.
Well, at the very least they're doing their own "weird things that Sam sees". The Mars rover was a nice touch. And Sam has a hippy neighbor... why not? There's also some decent directing/shot composition. In the opening where Annie erases the chalkboard, she leaves the big question mark and you have a shot where it's Annie standing right next to a question mark... which perfectly summarizes the premise of the show. But yeah, I'm not really feeling the characters. They're stuck in between the originals and something new and it's pretty awkward.
I watched the whole series... I think too much of my brain has dribbled out of my ear over the years, because I didn't think it was as terrible as other seemed to think. Same goes for Robin Hood. I am in no way saying it was good, but it doesn't seem any worse than a thousand other shows.