The Peculiar American Remake of Dad's Army | Cinewhirl

[@seasmacfarlane6418]

The main difference between British and American comedy is that British comedy is funny.

[@AndrewAHayes]

I agree, I dont get US comedy at all, whereas they seem to get ours.

[@fus149hammer5]

They take ours, rewrite it and ruin it! And I've never understood the point of copying a british comedy verbatim and then sending it back to us!

[@LowPlainsDrifter60]

American sitcoms usually lack subtlety & everything, from the script to the situation, has to be explained & often shouted at, to the audience.

[@baabaabaa-yp2jh]

​@@LowPlainsDrifter60Absolutely mate! I'm Australian, so we get both UK and US sitcoms. The Yanks can't do subtle, irony or side of the mouth sarcasm.. it has to be in your face.. for some reason?

[@DunedinMultimedia2]

At least we still have an economy.

[@barryhamm3414]

America is where comedy goes to die.

[@fus149hammer5]

The yanks bought the filming rights to Fawlty Towers but decided to leave out Basil..... Says all you need to know about american comedy.

[@briangatt2956]

The Office U.S was pretty good.

[@DavysFlicks]

The problem is Dad's Army wasn't just about old fellas during wartime, but the pretence of the class system even under the threat of invasion. It doesn't work if they're all on a similiar social standing.

[@dm121984]

Also, America was never really under any real possibility of invasion, and the inherent absurdity of the cast being expected to defend against an invasion.

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

Yeah woukd have worked well in boston or some of the eastern cities that had clear class and cultural social devides.. Bostos class system was pretty overt even in the 1940s

[@fus149hammer5]

@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 the US does have a class system it's just based on how much money you have.

[@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367]

@@fus149hammer5 well that's not a class system then isn't it. USA has a race based fetish type hysterical thing.. but in the past class based systems were only in a few clearly class based and not just about money Boston had an obvious class system till the 1960s or 1970s at least... In the south before the civil war class was pretty clear and obvious by accent, dress and behaviour. But those southern dandies got killed off or ruined and the average cracker redneck became king

[@Peter-uw5cq]

Dad's army is pretty much non transferable, the context of the time and place are key to its success.

[@TheCaptainbeefylog]

I think a version from here in Australia might have had something akin to the original as there were (and still are) a lot of cultural similarities and we were under threat of invasion by Japan for a while. There probably would have been a lot more dry humour and mild rascism/sexism/drinking.

[@worldcomicsreview354]

@@TheCaptainbeefylog >Australians >"Mild" drinking

[@marasmusine]

It's like a remake of It Ain't Half Hot Mum set in Burbank instead of Burma.

[@tussk.]

A perfect example of the 'If it's not funny, shout' school of comedy.

[@greenman1411]

And there seems to be a lot of shouting too!

[@painfulorwhat8872]

Or, for short, “US comedy”.

[@malahammer]

Or make sillier faces or wear something silly.

[@chrisbirch4150]

Joe Rogan has employed this strategy in his stand up

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I think one of the significant differences is the acting is so much better in Dads army, when wver you go from one to the other the difference is so incredibily stark and the way they talk is so much more naturally, whereas in the American one it's all loud for no reason it feels like there are always one line away from brusting into song.

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

The actors in dad's army were mostly veterans too, some with quite heroic service. Plus the sense of danger was much more serious in the south of England, especially in the early years when threat of invasion was very seriously taken. By contrast unless they served, most people in the US wouldn't have felt threatened in the same way, unless they worked in the docks perhaps.

[@MichaelJohnson-tw7dq]

Americans are LOUD.

[@dm121984]

​@@bionicgeekgrrlexactly, and the idea of old men and the unable to service men fighting off the German army is inherently a bizzare situation - which just happened to be reality.

[@herseem]

I think a big contextual difference is that Britain really felt under threat from invasion and so the home guard had a serious purpose that was recognised by the public. And as such, the characters were themselves portrayed as being sincere about their purpose and trying to do the best they could in constrained circumstances and despite their personal vulnerabilities. The UK version was played as I'd they weren't trying to be funny. In the US version that underlying seriousness of purpose was missing and it was all played for laughs. Another case of completely failing to understand why the British one was funny.

[@baabaabaa-yp2jh]

Aussies get Dad's Army... cos it's funny.. Not just because we had the Japanese at our doorstep, over 300 bombing raids on our North coast, no-one ever hears about.

[@dizzydevil547]

@@baabaabaa-yp2jh I m from the Uk and HAVE heard of the boming raids on Darwin and the north coast! Australia does seem to get forgotten in the history of BOTH world wars ! ITs allways the british the yanks that get remembered the most (non of the countires that also set troops and fought in the wars from comonwealth countires at the time get a mention or remembered!) and then on the other side germany and italy and some of the others that fought for them too!

[@baabaabaa-yp2jh]

@@dizzydevil547 It's true mate, both my grandads were in WW2 plus other rellies (probably more fought in WW1).. They all, to a man came home pacifists, hated what war had done to them and others... You might get to hear about the funny bits from em mate, and maybe a unit, battalion history.. only time the buggas wd talk... That's why there's no movies or heroes (bar a few docos) about them.. my uncle was at Bardia.. 16 000 took 46 000 prisoners. Entrenched over flat ground.. l only heard cos l read up. I rekn they knew what they achieved mate(?). We still don't bloody learn though.. war's reigned happily after every country's efforts.

[@j0hnf_uk]

The main difference between UK and US sitcoms is that the UK derives comedy from a situation, whereas the US places comedy into a situation. i.e. the UK plays it straight but has comedic consequences/repercussions, and the US has a serious situation that's, 'laughed-up', (made fun of), in order to create comedy.

[@80sandretrogubbins25]

I would have said that British sitcoms, e.g. Dad's Army, are heavily reliant on differences in status or adopted status between characters. I don't know if that's different to US sitcoms though.

[@SamAronow]

Counterpoint: _Seinfeld,_ albeit it was considered revolutionary for taking that approach.

[@philoshaughnessy906]

And they couldn't do irony, either

[@tussk.]

Porridge is a good example of this. America could never make Porridge, because there's nothing intrinsically funny about being in prison. What makes it funny is the warmth of the characters, thier strategies for coping with the bleakness of the situation, and the refusal to give in to it. Even the wardens play thier part. They're strict, but never too much, giving the men just enough leeway to play out the games that get them through the day. The relationship between Fletcher and McKay is a brilliantly observed power struggle, but one that relies on them both sticking to the rules. Fletcher must try to find away around his jailer, and the jailer has to keep up with his schemes.There is tension, but a mutual respect. They both win and lose in equal measure, and thus the balance is kept. If the USA tried to make it, we would get over the top goons, ridiculous escape attempts and whoops-a-daisy slide whistles all over it. They would try to make being incarcerated funny, rather than finding the humour in the characters put there. The only time they really got character driven situation comedy right was M*A*S*H, but even that relied too heavily on exaggerated players.

[@JohnBloggs-m8l]

The thing you notice every time in these weak as piss rip offs is that the Americans instantly want the dialogue to be endless one liners whereas as you say a British comedy can still have one liners but it derives more of the comedy from the situation than because a character spits out a line.

[@mollymcdade4031]

Dad’s Army really highlights things the American audiences can’t relate to on a cultural level: - Having within living memory the constant threat of Nazi invasion into the country (and the constant, actual bombings of their homes) making the Nazis more of a real threat than to US civilians - The majority of households having members with experience of WW1 in living memory, if not still around (at the time of airing). This included members of the Dad’s Army cast (two were in the Battle of the Somme) - A class divide as a social characteristic rather than just an economic bracket. Also the element of Fraser being Scottish so having a jab at the English every so often 😅 It also didn’t hurt that the actors in Dad’s Army were brilliant at both comedy and drama, so they could play it straight.

[@oldbatwit5102]

Good points.

[@jonnyr6092]

One of the more significant dynamics from the original was the one between Mainwaring and Wilson. Wilson was more upper class than Mainwaring and had an element of resentment towards him being the higher rank. The humour is derived pretty much entirely from John Le Mesurier's line delivery , it's quite subtle and incredibly British. In all honesty it just wouldn't have translated and it's for the best they went with a totally different dynamic.

[@58biggles]

I don't think Wilson resented Mainwaring at all, in fact it was the other way round.

[@frglee]

It was odd to eventually find out in the last episode of DA that Sergeant Wilson had reached the rank of captain during WW1. Mainwaring had tried to enlist in 1914 but was rejected because of his poor eyesight. He eventually joined the army of occupation in France in 1919, too late to win medals. So technically Wilson outranked him as a decorated Captain, but apparently he was modest enough not to mention it and was quite happy to let Captain Mainwaring run the brigade

[@fus149hammer5]

That whole dynamic of Wilson being aristocracy and Mainwairing being middle class was a stroke of genius. Something no american scriptwriter could ever dream up.

[@worldcomicsreview354]

@@frglee "I spent the whole of 1919 in France!" "Yes, but the war ended in 1918 sir" "Well, somebody had to clear up afterwards"

[@michaelelsy2209]

I'm glad this was never picked up, never laughed once with the American version but still laughed when you showed the original.

[@greenman1411]

Yup, it's dire.

[@ersikillian]

I served 18 years in the New York Guard. It was a state unit. Like this series, We were years behind the regular army with uniforms.

[@chrisholland7367]

The original British version was based on fact. Britain was faced by a real threat of invasion. With all able bodied men called up to fight. Old campaigners were men who had seen fighting in other wars. The British Home Guard was literally the last line of defence if the Germans had invaded Britain.

[@margaretflounders8510]

@@chrisholland7367 And with no weapons to speak of!

[@chrisholland7367]

@margaretflounders8510 To begin with, no, as all the weapons went to front-line troops as well as uniforms.

[@The.Last.Guitar.Hero.]

i've yet to see any American remake of a British comedy that's any good

[@janethammond5925]

The only one I can think of is The Office. And that's probably because Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant were involved with the American version too. Plus they did actually have some good actors. But no American version will ever have the subtlety or realism of British humour....😊

[@jomac2046]

All in the Family, based on Til Death Us Do Part worked, it lasted 8 years.

[@B-26354]

​@@janethammond5925 _"The Office"_ 😂😂 You can't be serious, the US comedy is awful in comparison.

[@anonymes2884]

The US "Ghosts" isn't bad IMO. Like this, it's a bit more overtly sitcom-y and whereas the UK version has pathos the US one sometimes veers into schmaltz but still, it has its funny moments i'd say.

[@janethammond5925]

@@B-26354 It's not as good as the British version for sure, no American remake ever is. But I don't hate the US version, it's quite watchable compared to other US remakes.

[@simonoleary9264]

My dad wasn't conscripted into the armed forces during WW2 because his work was considered crucial to the war effort, so he did join the Home Guard. He absolutely loved Dad's Army because it was scarily close to reality, based on his experience. I think that may be another factor between the British & US sitcoms, the level of reality that lends itself to the absurd (See: Yes Minister, Drop the dead donkey, Blackadder goes Forth, The Office, etc). Friends, Sex & the city, etc. are successful and funny for their target audiences, but they never feel grounded in reality.

[@Mark.Andrew.Pardoe]

Whato all, Sadly, I have never found Friends funny. All they do is set up a quick scene for a joke then quickly move to the next scene. The Rear Guard is just a shout fest with no subtlety.

[@kallekas8551]

@@Mark.Andrew.Pardoe🤣I tried real hard…real hard to give Friends a go! Watching it is like a slow motion lobotomy. Having said that you either are a Friends fan or Seinfeld…never met anyone who likes both.

[@baabaabaa-yp2jh]

​@@kallekas8551I can't get into Friends or Seinfeld... I've tried.. others find em hilarious.

[@kallekas8551]

@@baabaabaa-yp2jh Comedy comes in many flavours…

[@baabaabaa-yp2jh]

@@kallekas8551 Of course mate, l remember Barney Miller being quite good.... I've no dog in the fight, even attempted to see what all the raving on about the US Office... Still waiting mate.

[@EVITANDY]

In the original, the grenade was also supposed to be attached to the Captain, but Arthur Lowe refused to do the gag, so it was quickly rewritten so that Clive Dunn did it.

[@cinewhirl]

Interesting, I didn't know that. Perhaps they used the original script when they did the remake

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

Arthur Lowe refused to ever do a scene that involved his trousers falling down. He never told anyone why. Sometimes he would make it a condition of accepting a role.

[@cinewhirl]

I think that's fair enough. It's good he was able to set boundaries that meant he was comfortable at work.

[@fus149hammer5]

The scene in "The Royal Train" where they get showered with water at the end, Captain Mainwairing is in the group shot but there is no close up on him reacting to getting soaked. Another Arthur Lowe point of pride?😂

[@DaveBartlett]

@@zacmumblethunder7466 Arthur Lowe had a clause written into his Dad's Army contract that he wouldn't do any scene where he had to remove or drop his trousers. He insisted that "He didn't do that kind of joke - not even for comedic effect". In the film version of Dad's Army, there's a sequence to illustrate that they've finally received their uniforms, where the entire platoon are seen marching in their everyday clothes (plus armbands, of course,) and it quickly switches to a couple of seconds of them marching in their long winter underwear, before switching again to them marching in their new uniforms. If you watch that sequence, you'll see that Mainwaring actually disappears from the middle (underwear) scene, and then reappears in the uniform scene. This was due to Arthur Lowe's 'no trouser dropping' clause.

[@damascus6478]

Conrad Janis, of Mork and Mindy fame, was the U-boat captain. Marsha was played by his wife, Ronda Copland. American remakes of British sitcoms almost never work out. Different types of humor.

[@Booger414]

but when they do work out, they are epic. All in the Family, Sanford & Son, Three's Company, all great examples.

[@baabaabaa-yp2jh]

Sanford and Son was funny mate, but the other two, can't say lve seen em in Australia, but might've?

[@lordofuzkulak8308]

Is it just me, or does the guy playing the Walker analogue look like he should’ve been playing Superman?

[@brendanm6921]

Not just in look but in speech as well. Walker in the UK version is a very normal man personality wise but with just the right amount of sleeze and charm. He's the kind of bloke that you love even though you really shouldn't and James Beck portrayed that dapper yet dishonest gentleman type perfectly. The American guy just seems like an overdone action movie cliché.

[@ppbsupercat]

Let’s put that on the shelf with the Red Dwarf attempt shall we?

[@Rugmunchersauce3]

And the I.T. Crowd (even though some of the original actors were in it, it was a disaster) and Shameless too, they really messed that up.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

I remember seeing a thing about this on some Dad's Army DVD extras in the late 2000s, and a few things have stuck with me. That theme for one, inspired by US songs from the early '40s rather than UK ones. Everyone in the US one comes across as SUPER aggressive, and although it's interesting that they're doing something different, did it have to be like that? The Sergeant in The Rear Guard is AWFUL, though their Mainwaring, Pike and Walker kind of work for me. I had no idea about Marsha though. I totally agree, she's like something that would be put in a 2000s show to take the piss out of 1970s shows. Funny in that circumstance. Not so unironically. Biggest issue though? No Philip Madoc. Thanks for the video! This was a great watch. EDIT: Jesus, I actually like "The Kosher Deli will be fine". That's a good joke!

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I think one of the other things is as you say the US one feels like a US 70s sitcom and in addition it is shot like one. Whereas Dad's Army was quite experimental for a tv comedy with it's camera work and would use a large variety and vary shots. I remember a friend saying that the oldest comedy they would watch is Dad's Army because the way it is filmed isn't so boring.

[@cinewhirl]

That's very true. Dad's army holds up particularly well because of that.

[@fus149hammer5]

Created by Arthur Julian? Not Croft and Perry? That's a bit off!

[@jadenova]

Here's what's bad. The only actor I recognize is the German U-Boat captain. He would play in 'Mork & Mindy'.

[@stevecardiff444]

Conrad Janis

[@Joe-ez3gt]

It's interesting how Britain never feels the need to remake American shows. It's also interesting how Britain is quite happy to make shows set in other countries such as Maigret or Van Der Valk, albeit with British actors speaking English or air shows set in other countries, such as all the Scandinavian crime dramas, and the British are quite happy to watch them with subtitles, whereas Americans have to remake them in an American setting, usually losing the subtleties or context of the original country.

[@SamAronow]

UK producers have tried remaking US shows a couple of times. Successful US adaptations of British series may be rare, but successful British adaptations of US series are _nonexistent._

[@worldcomicsreview354]

There was the British Wallender, based on a Swedish original. The British one also being set in Sweden

[@SpanishPopeye1]

There's been a handful. One you have to go waaaay back for, the US radio sitcom DUFFY'S TAVERN (where Duffy is never heard but talks on the phone to manager Eddie) was remade by the BBC for radio as... FINKEL'S CAFE starring Peter Sellers! (None seem to survive.) It even kept the tagline, "where the elite meet to eat," and having a celebrity visitor.

[@lindafarnes486]

There is a lot of subtlety in Dad's Army. There is also a lot of actual WWII experience, by the writers and a few if the cast. It is actually a pretty historically accurate show, with humour thrown in.

[@fus149hammer5]

Arthur Lowe, John Le Mes, Clive Dunn, Edward Sinclair all WW2 veterans, Arnold Ridley and John Laurie WW1 veterans in fact AR was badly wounded on the Somme and then volunteered for the next war and was at Dunkirk helping to evacuate men from the beaches. When he finally returned he was medically discharged after almost collapsing with severe PTSD. The most gentle of the characters was played by the toughest man and war hero in the cast.

[@gloireman]

Really fair commentary. Well done sir

[@davidhall7811]

It doesnt help that the acting is very over the top.

[@SamAronow]

Wow, even leaving aside the implementation, this is as bizarre of an idea as adapting _The Vicar of Dibley._ Even in World War II, the idea of a successful Axis invasion of the US necessitating the pre-emptive formation of a resistance force is no less alien to us than the notion of a state religion to which the majority of the population adhere and whose internal politics would be major news. These kinds of adaptations seem like a primitive, high-budget form of fandom, just trying to engage directly with something you like, but it's also a business that has to make money as well as a collaborative endeavor that you can't just type into existence alone and which other people involved won't understand.

[@liammeech3702]

Would have made more sense to have it set in Hawaii. But maybe the 'New-Yoik & Joirsey' proto-memes worked better on TV

[@baerlauchstal]

"... a state religion to which the majority of the population adhere..." 1. The UK has two established churches. 2. In no territory of the UK do members of the (there) established church currently form a majority--though things would of course have been different in the 40s.

[@anonymes2884]

@@baerlauchstal Well, the _UK_ has no established churches. England does in the CofE whereas Scotland recognises a national church, the Church of Scotland, in law (but not as a formally "established church" i.e. there's no state control and it's not headed by Charlie boy) and Wales and Northern Ireland have neither. (and though there's no established church there, even these days Northern Ireland is still overwhelmingly religious BTW, with the UK's lowest percentage of people claiming "No religion" by quite a margin. As far as the UK goes only NI is really comparable to the US in religiosity - the rest of us are godless heathens by comparison :)

[@him050]

In this era in American comedy the main character MAKES the joke. In British comedy the main character IS the joke. Americans just can’t comprehend a protagonists not being a smart arse.

[@fus149hammer5]

Can you imagine an american dreaming up a Delboy and Rodney? Or for gods sake an American Foggy, Compo and Clegg? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@andyrichmond1858]

Good job buddy! Thanks for your post. I had no idea and I grew up watching in the uk.

[@58biggles]

That brings tears to my eyes and not in a good way 😢

[@ashcross]

I think one stark difference is that in some strange way, the Dad's Army cast seemed like they really were up against the Hun, whereas the US version is playing it just for laughs, thousands of miles from the 'front', and the element of succeeding against the odds just isn't there. You aren't invested in the characters or much care for them.

[@paulcurtis5317]

The intro sounds like an American toothepaste sdvert 😃

[@TheFabulousGravyTrain]

I liked the Kosher deli joke, that was genuinely a good line, but other than that I liked little else. Its such a bizarre idea to remake Dad's Army for the US considering how different the WW2 situations were. How would the series have any longevity?

[@jamesabernethy7896]

I'm a massive Dad's Army Fan. I've also listened to the audio drama versions of the episodes on Audible. At first this felt like sacrilege but if it hadn't tried to stay so close to the original it might have worked. Only using the basic premise would have allowed more scope. British and American humour is very different, with the Americans the humour is very overt an exaggerated. British humour can have that too, in the case of Corporal Jones, but there is a lot of humour that is conveyed with a reaction of a subtle glance. I think the decision to make Walker an actor and not a black marketeer was a great one and the joke about an Italian going soft on a German was very funny. Adjusting the jokes based on Class system or heritage would be possible but so often a pilot necessitates cramming every joke in. Characters need time to be fine-tuned to one another and to the show's tone, it's so hard to hit the ground running. Great episode.

[@cinewhirl]

Some interesting thoughts there, thank you for the comment

[@zalibecquerel3463]

Don't forget the sequel (which I think was Radio only, not TV), "It sticks out half a mile", being after the war, the group are tasked with restoring and re-opening the Walmington On Sea pier.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

@@zalibecquerel3463 yes, that was part of the series.

[@marksaxby607]

Is there anything they haven't tried to remake? I guess America may have felt they were in threat from Nazi invaders, but really, the whole concept seems so unlikely that it's impossible to see it as anything other than a hokey rehash of a, far better, UK programme. Dad's Army works (still) so well because a) it had a great cast, b) a great writing team (a and b combining to deliver excellent comic timing) and c) the characters were in genuine jeopardy and fear that the Germans might well arrive at any moment and they might really be called upon to defend their town. This looks like a poor am dram pantomime version of Dad's Army.

[@AK-bx3ft]

I lasted 3 minutes and couldn't take any more.

[@cinewhirl]

Was that because of the show, or the way I presented the review?

[@AK-bx3ft]

@@cinewhirl oh no not you, the show. They made it truly awful. Not you at all. Sorry I should have elaborated more, sorry.

[@cinewhirl]

No worries, makes sense!

[@JohnBloggs-m8l]

Is there no sitcom the yanks don't try and rip off? I didn't even know this existed. But apart from the comedy being unoriginal it doesn't work cos America was never under threat of being invaded by Germany. The comedy of the original was the notion that Britain being under a very real threat of invasion had to rely on clowns like the characters in Dad's Army to act as the last line of defence since all the young able-bodied men were overseas. In the American version there's no tension cos America was sitting pretty during the war and only ever got involved cos Japan bombed them.

[@fus149hammer5]

The Home Guard weren't intended to be a last line of defence they were auxiliaries meant to fight in their own areas using their local knowledge to slow down an enemy attack thus giving regular troops time to reinforce them. Through various episodes of Dads Army they may appear bungling and inept but their courage was undeniable. It was set in a time of genuine fear of a nazi invasion and being based on the south coast of England they were right in the firing line.

[@worldcomicsreview354]

@@fus149hammer5 "The Battle of Fraisers Cottage" was a 'lost episode' for many years (it was found and restored at the turn of the century, I remember the first broadcast since the 60's happening circa 2002), and also one of the most warlike ones, showing when the chips were down they were prepared to do their bit. While it was still a lost episode it, and two others, were featured as entries in Captain Mainwaring's diary in a Dad's Army book, which is presented as if a modern relative of his found various documents relating to the unit and made a book about them. The whole book is hilarious, and well worth tracking down. Captain Mainwaring's idea of typical life in America is one of the funniest things I've ever read.

[@1maico1]

The opening theme song for Dad's Army ,Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr. Hitler?' performed by Bud Flanagan was actually written by Jimmy Perry with music by Derek Taverner in 1968 not in the war.

[@cinewhirl]

I know, it's more about the style of the song. Could have explained that better.

[@jkmac625]

The "You're name will also go on the list" scene from this version was shown on one of the Dad's Army documentaries. The only actor I recognise is the German captain (Conrad Janis) who played Mindy's father in Mork and Mindy.

[@baabaabaa-yp2jh]

Bugga me dead! Dad's Army too!?!

[@Steve-GM0HUU]

Thanks for video. Had no idea this existed!

[@zeeox]

I thought Crawford (John McCook) was Jeff Harding (of Fast Show fame) for a short moment...

[@LostsTVandRadio]

I'm 'leaning in' to your opinion about this sitcom, but now I've hurt my back.

[@Hr-sd5sd]

Must America steal British comedies to make cheap copies for their own? First the british Man About The House becomes the American Threes Company, now this.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

We don't don't do too well adapting US sitcoms. "The Upper Hand" was a twee romcom and "Brighton Belles" was just embarrassing.

[@paulguise698]

@@zacmumblethunder7466 The Upper Hand was embarrassing full stop

[@Curtiz2008]

A pilot is not usually the best example of a series, especially a comedy. Cliff Norton and Lou Jacoby were long established comic actors, probably playing broad at the director's instruction. Whether it would have gotten better we have no way of knowing, but compare the early episodes of some long running shows with mid point episodes to get an idea.

[@anonymes2884]

One difference is stakes IMO. The US was _highly_ unlikely to actually be invaded whereas for us in the UK it was a very real threat, at least early in the war, and that gave "Dad's Army" a sort of heft which the comedy worked in juxtaposition to - there are various times in the show where we see that Mainwaring, as pompous, officious and incompetent as he is would nevertheless, without any hesitation, lay down his life for his country and that redeems him and lends the show an element of pathos. Another, of course, is class - the extra layer between Mainwaring and Wilson of the middle-class social climber and the effortlessly upper middle-class socially secure is lost. Though i'm sure the US has its equivalent (obviously _everywhere_ has its inter-group rivalries, cultural subtleties etc.).

[@neilsanghvi5229]

Solid KZbin content with decent analysis. Good job!

[@cinewhirl]

Thank you!

[@greenman1411]

"Created by Arthur Julian". Who? is this an alias of Croft and Perry?

[@underobsidianskies]

I enjoyed the Kosher gag, it got a titter out of me. I do think they should have done the pilot as the first British one did - with the formation of the platoon. It would have been a better way to introduce the characters. They are normal people with normal jobs and lives. UK Dads Army worked so well, you felt each character as individuals, rather than as caricatures each vying to be the funny one in the room

[@tuppencethreefarthing8067]

I seem to remember reading that the original British script had Captain Mainwaring having the Hand Grenade down the Trousers but Arthur Lowe said it was too demeaning and he wouldn't do it, and Jones got substituted.

[@jhinson]

Thanks, love your vids. Would love to see a vid with your take on the American Remake of The IT Crowd

[@cinewhirl]

Hi, I have a video of that up on my Patreon, there's a free trial if you don't want to join. I haven't posted it on KZbin yet but I may do one day in the future.

[@davidspendlove5900]

I wouldn’t bother.

[@cinewhirl]

With?

[@jhinson]

@@cinewhirl I'm gonna give david the benefit of the doubt, and assume he didn't see your comment, and meant "don't bother comparing the shows, as the American one is so bad".

[@brianfinlay756]

kind of good it was never a full series. Just imagine the Japanese stereotypes the show would have had. We would be cringing today

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

F***ing hell, I didn't think about that. The Germans are always handed surprisingly well in Dad's Army, even the dude stuck to the clock tower. I have a feeling The Rear Guard would head down the Yellowface route quite quickly...

[@SamAronow]

I actually wouldn't expect that from American TV in the 1970s. Japanese-Americans were a quite large and mostly middle-class demographic in the US _before_ the war, especially in the television hub of Los Angeles; to that point normal depictions of Japanese people were hardly unknown. At the same time, the 1970s was a significantly more progressive period in American TV than the decade that followed: raunchier, more open to queer or minority stories and characters, more explicitly political.

[@SamAronow]

@@TheSmart-CasualGamer The US was way ahead of the UK in moving past that kind of shit, so it's very unlikely to have shown up in _our_ 1970s.

[@mcsonicteam]

Another great vid keep them coming

[@worldcomicsreview354]

Original Dad's Army: We know who we have cast, let's write the characters to play to the strengths of those actors. Both other versions: You see those characters, be them.

[@D70Dug]

John Cleese tells the story of the planned US remake of Faulty Towers When asked about the Basil character he was told they had decided to write him out

[@MichaelJohnson-tw7dq]

Where can I watch the full episode/pilot?

[@Middlesbrough250]

2:21 the uniforms are from Pershing's Dough boys in World War I

[@darrenpearce6617]

For Americans who don't know Britain was in the war.

[@garytilford6503]

That looks like Conrad Janis from Mork And Mindy as the German U-boat captain.

[@jadenova]

It is.

[@Ryan-on5on]

This very possibly could've worked if a few details had been tweaked and the characters more ironed out with time, but I am doubtful. Dad's Army was such a seminally British sitcom set in a place and time that is immutably pivotal to the show's premise, characters, and atmosphere. Very sorely lacking from the American pilot is the simmering class tension between the lead characters of Mainwaring and Wilson, the all-around excellent ensemble cast, and an atmosphere of stolid, stiff-upper-lip perseverance that so iconically defines Britain's holdout against Nazi Germany in those perilous years. These qualities made Dad's Army the classic sitcom it is!

[@mathieuleader8601]

A better American Dad's Army would be a Simpsons spin-off about the adventures of the Flying Hellfish platoon

[@indianastones6032]

I did laugh at the final joke though. Without dads army to compare it to, then it might have been alright??

[@chuckmaddison2924]

I find remakes of great shows in another country doesn't usually work. Another example is " Top Gear " from UK a great show. The remake " Top Gear Australia " Is just crap and that's being nice about it.

[@bustermorley8318]

Acually the Britsh version of Top Gear without the original stars is also crap. Dad's army had better actors, better writers and as a result was a better show.

[@milesnixon9554]

The only one I recognised was the German Captain, he went on to play Mindy's Dad in Mork & Mindy.

[@theaussiebackflipboy]

I think that the biggest obstacle when converting any non American comedy program for American audiences is that there is a distinct difference in the way Americans understand comedy to the way the rest of the world does. Also, just because it works in another country with their particular style of humour doesn't mean that translating it to appeal to an American audience is going to work - for instance, Australias Kath & Kim was outstanding comedy in Australia but suicide inducing when re-done as an American sitcom.

[@russellwhite1581]

Possibly one of the best transitions of a British sitcom to America, but still lacking. Might have been interesting to see it develop into a series. I'd like to know what those who saw the Rear Guard first (in the USA) thought of Dads Army.

[@christown2827]

'A Slip Of The Lip (Can Sink A Ship). Duke Ellington.

[@user-s1o3nr532]

How did they get the studio audience to laugh at this? Baffling.

[@oldbatwit5102]

They hold up signs that read 'Laugh'.

[@gerardcostello-j6b]

This was a shocker. It would be defined a crime against humanity having to watch this tripe!

[@tuppencethreefarthing8067]

Is that Mindy's Dad, I didn't know his was German? No Fish & Chips - but that means you won't get the line "I don't want any soggy chips" - "Just Crisp und Brown ones"

[@debbierowley8833]

Pet How on earth could they make a series about which they could have no possible concept. The war wasn’t on their doorstep, how could they... cringe making

[@dm121984]

Dad's Army is one of the least transferable shows. It is about a nation facing invasion and the main line troops being off fighting elsewhere meaing these old men and maniacs are left preparing to fight off an invasion and guarding stuff not important enough to warrant real troops. They were brave certainly, but also crazy.

[@LewisBarrett1985]

So like dad's army meets the Phil silvers show?

[@wearetomorrowspast.5617]

Lou Jacobi would be my reason to tune in. Love the guy.

[@RemusKingOfRome]

Thanks for that. Original was the best, always.

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

Nice to see a remake that wasn't a total trainwreck, even if it ended up only average 😉

[@johnturnbull8573]

Not very many English comedies translated well to the USA, We got inundated with both here in New Zealand, I always preferred the English version. In saying that, there were some awesome standout American comedies in the 60s' 70' and 80's

[@JTScottOfficial]

You just can't beat a good old DON'T PANIC, DONT PANIC! Or They don't like it up em!

[@lyreamoonchild2024]

Dude I was literally talking and trying to find this, one of the last conversations I had with my dad was about this and how it was clearly bad,

[@s0dfish110]

Better than the Red Dwarf remake 😂

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

The _only_ thing I laughed at in that was Jane Leeve's brainlessly cheerful delivery of "They're all dead, Dave".

[@markpenny4622]

I didn’t know there’d been an American version, but I’m not too surprised it’s not as good

[@johnpoile1451]

Imagine if this was as long lived as Friends. Interminable.

[@saxoncrow2500]

I don't care but the 'dont tell him Pike' joke is funny in any culture

[@ronald-xs7sp]

Good Lord! I actually remember this!

[@TS-1267]

... THE BLOOMING CHEEK OF E'M... IT WAS DOOMED FROM THE START... DOOMED!... I Just Thought You'd Ought To Know

[@paulguise698]

Hiya Cinewhirl, I've heard why the American version of Dads Army wasn't made, was due to the fact the American public wouldn't like the fact their Country wouldn't like the concept of Nazis invading, it wouldn't set a good example, that's why The Rear Guard was never put to a full season, this is Choppy in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England

[@roboi2241]

I'm surprised they didn't change the German U-Boat crew to a Japanese sub one though I'm not sure I ever saw an Asian face in US comedy apart from Arnold the diner owner in Happy Days. He could have played the captain with a bunch of Japanese extras in the background.

[@leebland8184]

I know you've been talking about american remakes of british comedies so far. But... How about Life on Mars or Eleventh Hour?

[@cinewhirl]

Will add them to the list!

[@SamAronow]

_Life on Mars_ is another great "this doesn't make sense in America" example, since the original is predicated on a massive reform of police tactics and culture between the 1970s and 2000s that never happened in the US.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

I'd love that, if only so we can talk about that ending.

[@steveforster9764]

The American remake of Life on Mars both sucked and blowed and I'm Canadian

[@DerrickWhittle-mm7jz]

Your commentry was all I need of this From UK in US 20ys at least not as bad as US copy of Red drawf

[@evaandrews4682]

Would you ever do a video on the us pilot of ultraviolet?

[@cinewhirl]

I normally do comedies, but I might consider it in the future

[@AbrasiousProductions]

I actually haven't seen the original dad's army yet but I've been meaning to for a long while.

[@cinewhirl]

It holds up quite well!

[@AbrasiousProductions]

@@cinewhirl I'll bet :)

[@paulguise698]

@@AbrasiousProductions Try and watch the color episodes of Dads Army, the first series (or Season) is in Black and White

[@KeithShizuo]

Will be interesting when the full episode is leaked

[@swanvictor887]

wow, a new one for me, never saw this, thank god! One has to ask...Why Are American TV Actors ..SO BAD!!?? Or maybe I should ask, why are British actors so good..?! lol

[@baabaabaa-yp2jh]

Acting ability.. Scripts full of sly humour.. 96% less shouting.. And subtlety!!

[@TomGayler]

British sit coms are subtle humour, where as US comedy is in your face and the jokes have to be clear.

[@amazingtheatre1262]

The difference between US and U.K. comedy is simple: US comedy is based on exclusion; and U.K. comedy on inclusion. You can thank me later

[@annoyingbstard9407]

Actually the exact opposite. Well spotted!

[@rogerderamjet]

Sergeant Bilko is a better comparison, in my humble opinion

[@Nick-zp3ub]

An American Dad's Army might have worked if they made US-specific episodes similar to Sanford and Son. Such as Corporal Wagner's past exploits in the Indian Wars and Span-Am War, Captain Rossati's rivalry with another civil defence captain, the platoon mistaking American troops for German invaders, Pvt Crawford illegally selling government issued tires and gasoline, a love triangle involving Miss Wilson, or the platoon pursuing Japanese fifth-columnists

[@dizzydevil547]

Its a shame this dont exist anymore as only the poilt was made was considered a failure by ABC wasnt picked up for a series and they wiped the tapes! However copies of the show are in the possession of the show's director Hal Cooper and other producers that were associated with the show. prob never to see the light of day sadly!

[@Lobo-ih3bh]

Just appalling . No clue about subtlety the Americans.

[@BillSilver-kg8hs]

It's actually not that bad. It's just that ours is so revered it's obviously going to get bashed by us Brits.