I have caught the BBC show “Faking It” on BBC America a couple of times. The premise is simple: take a regular Joe, give him a crash course in a field, and see if experts in that field can spot the faker.
I think the show works just fine as it is. I wonder why FOX (the most likely network to get it) hasn’t taken it and screwed it up yet?
it’s already been done here, I think it’s on TLC
Yes, it’s on TLC. Currently on hiatus, returning in July.
Only two responses, and I just knew that someone had already beat me to it. Guess that’s what I love about the SDMB!
I’m somewhat impressed with TLC’s version. With the other two shows they’ve takes from Britian (Changing Room/Trading Spaces; What Not to Wear), I feel they’ve messed up somewhat, neither has the charm of the original. But I think they did a good job on Faking It (although the cheerleader episode was painful, the polo playing cowboy almost made up for it). I’m looking forward to new episodes.
The BBC don’t make Faking It, it’s made by Channel 4, another UK terrestrial broadcaster, who sell the rights to BBC America to show it in the US.
Who owns BBC America? Discovery Communications, who also owns TLC. Maybe that’s the reason why they take all the British things and make them their own.
I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Discovery Communications doesn’t own BBC America, BBC America is wholly owned by the BBC itself. The BBC and Discovery Communications do have a joint venture arrangement though. Not all the programmes you can see on BBC America are made by the BBC itself, but it’s not obvious which ones aren’t unless you keep an eye on the credits.
The American What Not to Wear is especially awful. On the British original, while the two hosts can be harsh, it’s clear that, in the end, they’re on the subject’s side; they’re being cruel to be kind, and they’re attacking the clothes, not the person. While the makeover target may get flustered and cry, there’s never any confusion that the hosts/stylists have her best interests at heart. On the American version, by contrast, one gets the sense that the hosts are being mean because that’s what plays well for an American audience, and the advice winds up being nowhere near as valuable. (I can’t believe I’m commenting on a fashion/makeover show. I’m a dumb married guy whose socks only usually match. Urgh! Snort! Football! Much better.)
(Um, where was I?)
I really enjoy Faking It, both the TLC and original UK versions. They had one last night on BBC-America where they took this plummy little guy out of the country gentry (I missed the opening of the show, so I don’t know exactly where he was from) and got him to give a convincing performance as a “hard man” with a working-class accent in a bouncer/doorman tryout. It was a remarkable transformation, and was especially interesting for all the undercurrents of British class relationships.
Of course, given that, in the end, he did a stunning job of pulling off a performance as a wiry little kickboxing tough at the door of a club, such that the expert judges were all over the other (actual) Eastenders in trying to pick the phony and didn’t give him a second glance, I have to wonder whether or not there’s any possibility that those bouncers’ friends are going to cause trouble: “Yo, 'ey, Nige, you got walloped by a poncey little pouf! I fink ya wanna motor on up and give 'im a bit of what-for, eh?”
Just for fun, I went and looked up the show’s home page. More info there about Alex (who apparently is an Oxford student) and his challenge.
Next week, they take a man of the cloth and turn him into a used-car salesman.
Have I mentioned how much I love this show?
I’ve only seen one episode of Faking It (American version) and thought it was pretty darn cool. It was the beer dude becomes a Sommelier episode. It’s such a fun concept, and would be a fascinating experience to try to cram all that stuff into your head in a short period of time.
What Not To Watch, on the other hand, is a piece of crap, at least in the American version. I can’t believe someone who wears ruffled, barbie pink blouses feels justified in giving fashion advice to other people. Plus, the complete lack of anything even resembling character or chemistry between the hosts makes it dull, dull, dull.