I'd like to use the example of "Life on Mars." I have mixed feelings about the upcoming remake of this show.

The good:
- I'm sorry, but I was only able to understand half of the dialog of the British version. Of the stuff I couldn't understand, it was either because the accents were too think, they were using colloquialisms that meant nothing to me, or they were referencing 1970's England, which also meant nothing to me.
- ...That's about all

The BAD:
- The original, despite my troubles understanding it, is fantastic. So there's little room to improve with a remake.
- I worry that they'll try to make the American version too palatable for the US audience, and try to explain too much.
- It would be hard to top the music in the British version.
- Colm Meaney is the best replacement they could have found to play DCI Hunt, but I can't imagine anyone topping Philip Glenister's performance.
- I worry that they'll do the usual American thing and try to drag the show out as long as possible, and it'll get canceled before American audiences are given an explanation. US networks can't conceive of a primetime show that only lasts 20-24 episodes.

I'll probably watch the first couple episodes, but I'll be pretty biased, so it might not get through to me.


However, I did watch the first two episodes of The [British] Office, and just couldn't get into it. I think Ricky Gervais is brilliant, but I couldn't get into the show. Maybe it was the cultural differences again, but it just didn't work for me. The US version, however, I find hilarious.