On the heels of Fox's announcement yesterday that they are in the process of developing an American remake of the hit British TV series 'Torchwood,' sci-fi fans around the world are reacting with one universal response: why?!
'Torchwood,' for those not familiar with the original BBC cult favorite, follows the adventures of a group of secret government agents who handle and cover up alien encounters here on Earth, 'Men In Black' style. It's also very British in its origins (the show is a spin-off from the beloved 'Doctor Who' franchise), environment (the cast rarely ventures outside of their Welsh headquarters) and sensibilities (every character is bisexual, for starters).
Given that the series is so thoroughly grounded in British culture, then, and that it is already widely available to American viewers thanks to a successful run on BBC America, DVD sets and online downloading, fans are wondering just why anyone would feel the need to reinvent an already rolling wheel.
Of course, this project isn't being handled by just anyone, as series creator and 'Doctor Who' mastermind Russell T. Davies is helming the American adaptation. Still, given Hollywood's recent history of taking popular British shows and turning them into critical and commercial failures here in America, fan trepidation is understandable,for example:
'Eleventh Hour' began life on ITV as a buzzworthy mini-series featuring 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' star Patrick Stewart as a scientist exploring the farthest reaches of the unexplained. It ended as a watered down CBS copy that was canceled after 18 episodes despite benefiting from a strong 'CSI' lead-in.
Someone said it not America's fault fot runing the British TV,the British movies are ruined by themselves,there old culture,maybe it's right.Most of American like to buy dvd ,and watch it at home,but British people don't like the dvd same as the America.In other words,the USA has the power to make more and more good movies ,because they can get big profit.