# Why do American Networks "re-work" successful TV formulae? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-networks-re-work-successful-tv-formulae/549940 "2010-08-11T15:54:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-networks-re-work-successful-tv-formulae/549940/81 "2010-08-17T15:34:50Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > > [@Merijeek](#): > > > > Maybe cringe humor is one of those provincial things. I love lots of limey shows, but the appeal of The Office (UK) is just something I didn’t see. > > > > -Joe > > It’s maybe a comedy of manners, of etiquette, of farce, of excruciating faux-pas? Cast of idiots? I don’t know, I’m just making this up as I go along. My all time favourite comedy show is _Frasier_ and that show seems to me to be along those lines, very British. I loved _Cheers_ too, but that had more warmly drawn and sympathetic characters and was more wisecrack based. Frasier was one of my favorites, too. But, still, while there was plenty of embarrassment it wasn’t the ONLY thing the show was based on. Near as I could tell from “The Office”, that was what ALL the humor was based on. Frasier and Niles were likable and sympathetic, and when they suffered their embarrassment it was because of clear human failings; typically pride. With David and Gavin from The Office, in was because they were such unredeemable tosspots. Watching Frasier, I could see them doing stupid things (inevitably leading to embarrassment) for clear reasons - think of “Les Freres Heureuse” - it was all about wanting to impress their peers and go for a little bit of “it’s our club so I get to decide who is and isn’t in allowed in!”. Those are pretty standard human motivations that most people can identify with. But on The Office any and all motivation seemed to be “Because he’s a clueless jerkoff asshole”. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-networks-re-work-successful-tv-formulae/549940/82 "2010-08-17T16:33:03Z")
> [@Sablicious](#): > > The guy was an attention-seeker who played up to the camera in a ‘documentary’ that was being filmed of his intra-workplace goings on. I could understand that part. What I couldn’t understand were the characters or motivations or situations. My primary sensation from watching the original Office was confusion. And I wanted to enjoy it. I like the American Office so I wanted to try the original. I like Monty Python and Hitchhiker’s Guide and Dr Who, so I know I can get British entertainment. But the Office simply didn’t work for me. > [@](#): > > **PS:** To take offense to something implies there’s an element of truth therein. 😉 I agree there’s an element of truth, but truth is not a defense against being insulting. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-networks-re-work-successful-tv-formulae/549940/83 "2010-08-17T17:01:56Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > But on The Office any and all motivation seemed to be “Because he’s a clueless jerkoff asshole”. > > -Joe I disagree, to be honest. He was an arse, but he was a redeemable one. I hate to ask, but have you seen it all - there’s only 12 regular episodes plus a two-part Christmas special. The Christmas special mines new depths of horror, but, well, you’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-networks-re-work-successful-tv-formulae/549940/84 "2010-08-17T21:02:43Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > > [@Merijeek](#): > > > > But on The Office any and all motivation seemed to be “Because he’s a clueless jerkoff asshole”. > > > > -Joe > > I disagree, to be honest. He was an arse, but he was a redeemable one. I hate to ask, but have you seen it all - there’s only 12 regular episodes plus a two-part Christmas special. The Christmas special mines new depths of horror, but, well, you’ll see. Nope. Saw the first two episodes and that was enough. If I don’t like a show, I’ll stop watching it rather than posting to thread after thread about how terrible it is and how I don’t understand how anyone could keep watching such crap. (Not referring to anyone in this thread) -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-networks-re-work-successful-tv-formulae/549940/85 "2010-08-17T21:19:49Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Nope. Saw the first two episodes and that was enough. > > If I don’t like a show, I’ll stop watching it rather than posting to thread after thread about how terrible it is and how I don’t understand how anyone could keep watching such crap. > > (Not referring to anyone in this thread) > > -Joe Fair enough. It’s important to know how much weight to judge an opinion by. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-networks-re-work-successful-tv-formulae/549940/86 "2010-08-17T22:01:04Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Also note that 100 episodes is considered to be the “magic number” for syndication in the U.S. That would be 16 years’ worth of some British sitcoms, compared to 5 years for an American remake. > [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Another factor is that until very recently a UK approach to “seasons” and the number of episodes in a season was very different from the American approach. > > Take _The Office_, for example. NBC loves it. They’d love to just take the UK version and put it on the air. Except there are only 12 episodes of _The Office_. Even if they make more it will be in 6-10 episode chunks. That’s not the way American TV works. > > In recent years cable particularly has been changing things a bit, but even a short summer series will do 13 episodes year after year after year. But for the broadcast networks you still need to be putting out around 22-26 episodes a year. This point is very important. American TV networks want a property that will give them a 100-episode syndication opportunity, all ready to go within five years. They’re not interested in something that is brilliantly great for a total of 12 episodes in its lifetime or short bursts of six episodes intermittently produced over a 15-year period. It’s just not sufficiently profitable. And, you always make more money on a show that you produce yourself than a show that you get in syndication from someone else. > [@Pleonast](#): > > > [@Sablicious](#): > > > > The guy was an attention-seeker who played up to the camera in a ‘documentary’ that was being filmed of his intra-workplace goings on. > > I could understand that part. What I couldn’t understand were the characters or motivations or situations. My primary sensation from watching the original Office was confusion. I am an American and I found nothing about the characters, their motivations, or situations in the least bit confusing or inscrutable. English society is not all that different from ours. The only things that might require a guide are pop culture/commercial trivia like Hob-Nobs, but that kind of knowledge isn’t necessary to understand motivation. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-networks-re-work-successful-tv-formulae/549940/87 "2010-08-18T13:03:22Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Frasier was one of my favorites, too. But, still, while there was plenty of embarrassment it wasn’t the ONLY thing the show was based on. Near as I could tell from “The Office”, that was what ALL the humor was based on. It really isn’t. there are some highly embarrassing moments but the real theme is all about people being in the wrong, dead-end jobs. Unrequited love, not being comfortable in your skin, the minutia and frustrations of most of our daily lives. The embarrassment is the least powerful thing on display but I realise that some people find it extremely uncomfortable. Fact is, the writers are perfectly happy that not everyone likes it. By their own admission they could have made it more broadly acceptable but it wouldn’t have been what they wanted it to be. The story arc to “Extras” sums this up rather well. Thankfully, the BBC gives writers like Gervais and Merchant the room to take on such projects. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-networks-re-work-successful-tv-formulae/549940.md?page=4)