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Skins (US): trailer

Another day....another US remake.

Another day….another US remake.

MTV’s Skins premieres in the States in January.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Naik1YTiX40[/youtube]

12 Responses

  1. Russell – even if it does get double the ratings for MTV screening the original would have, they’ve still had to fork out to reshoot the whole thing, which would cost a heck of a lot more than just airing the UK version.

    And surely international sales will be low too considering the original has already been broadcast worldwide. If it had been an original US take on the concept it might have sold well internationally, but why would broadcasters shell out for an American remake of something that’s recently been screened?

    To be fair at least with MTV you can understand them playing it safe and not airing the British version – but disappointing Showtime felt the need to remake Shameless in a similar scene for scene manner rather than air the original, which would probably fit in quite nicely in their schedules. Both Skins and Shameless have aired on BBC America though – not sure whether BBC America is good or bad for British TV in the States.

  2. The point is an American remake will rate a lot higher and thus be many more times more profitable for MTV than airing the UK version. Americans just like most countries around the world prefer to watch home grown shows.
    Airing the UK version would get MTV low ratings and not much else.
    Airing a US produced series will get at least double the ratings, help cemment MTV as a destination for original scripted drama, create new stars that MTV can reel the benefits of, make MTV money through international sales, DVD sales not to mention generate buzz and attention for the network.

    That’s why they do it. People forget they are running a business and corporations are driven by revenue and revenue opportunities

  3. A scene for scene remake just goes against the spirit of Skins too. It’s supposed to be about developing young talent both on and off screen (IIRC all the writers are under 25), and the way Skins has developed in the UK with a second and now third generation of the cast means it could easily have been sold to America as a franchise with Skins USA using a completely new set of characters with storylines more tailored towards US teen life – which is actually probably worlds apart from their British counterparts.

    If it lasts beyond one or two years I can’t see MTV axing the cast either – so perhaps a third season will be new stories with the original characters rather than a regeneration.

  4. @MattC – I think the Yanks remake them because they think that anyone speaking English with an accent other than like Maxwell or Niles from “The Nanny”, is speaking a foreign language. They don’t want to just show the original with subtitles because Americans can’t watch, read, and eat takeaway at the same time.

  5. I think it’s a good idea to keep in mind that while it is a remake, like many remakes (Queer and Folk and the Office for instance), the pilot will pretty much be the same until it spins off until it’s own stories.
    I know the trailer does a poor job of showing this, but it’s been announced that the majority of the episodes of the US version will be original, with only 3 episodes being based off the original series. So with that in mind I’m excited for what’s to come.

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