How Do You Say ‘Fish & Chips’ In American?
The U.S. version of BBC′s The Office premiered last Thursday on NBC. It was hip, funny, and edgy, but so is the original. The casting was appropriate, with Steve Carell doing a decent job of playing Office creator Ricky Gervais′ lead role. Still, I just can′t help but ask “why does this show need to be Americanized?” It′s not like the original series was produced in ancient Greece (although that was a golden age of Greek sitcoms).
Believe it or not, it is totally possible for Americans to get British humor. Hollywood feels compelled to shield Americans from any outside cultural influences, like an overprotective mother covering her child′s eyes from the immoral horrors of Spongebob Squarepants′ alternative lifestyle. I′m surprised Shaun Of The Dead appeared on DVD in the U.S. before having American actors dubbed in so that we could understand their crazy accents.
Inevitably, any American translation of a foreign show, as good as it is, will be compared to the original. The ‘American’ Office is still a really funny show, although I feel the need to cleanse my palette with a viewing of the original afterwards.