Oh, No! Not THEM! (1989) Unaired Pilot

[jeff1990]

Originally Posted by cloggedmind

Not sure I've ever heard anyone refer to The Young Ones as "bad tv"? You might be surprised!

Now, as for Oh No, Not Them!? For the uninitiated I can see how it would be excruciating. I don't think Mirkin understood the conceit of early-80's, British anarchic, counter-culture comedy (and the satire embedded within), nor did he get what made what were, essentially, non-sympathetic, unlikeable characters actually likeable!

When I say "bad tv" I was reffering to Oh No, Not Them! I'm sure The Young Ones is good. I got a lot of TV shows that I'm currently watching so I'll check it out eventually.

[Spiny Norman]

Originally Posted by cloggedmind

The outing is not totally without merit. The sets and characters look, move and explode like The Young Ones. The problem was the lack of fine tuning and the constraints of Puritanical American television standards. And some other stuff..

Re-casting the two leads opposite Planer and a less Americanized sitcom structure written by anyone but Mirkin would have helped immensely.

For alternate universe Young Ones, though, Filthy, Rich and Catflap works just fine.

Worthy of note: Nigel Planer revisited the characterization of Neil briefly (as another character caught in a bit of a timey-wimey, machine-y thingy) in the PC CD-Rom adventure, Discworld II.

All four reprised their role briefly for a benefit concert with Cliff Richard (or was it Bob Geloff?) too, and I think there was one even less known performance.
In fact while we're on that subject, I used to think, what are these bands doing here in the middle of a tv program? But here, I sort of missed the music.

The gun fight was a bit of an obvious Americanisation, of course. But they generally fail on this point.
Still it's probably a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. I was lucky enough the attend a screening of the Up Pompeii remake and that had stayed TOO close to the original. Audiences used to the Happy Days format wouldn't be able to wrap their head around its style.

Come to think of it, I think The Office probably also worked because corporate offices are such a USthing from US corporate culture, that it was easier to connect back to where its setting came from.

[darkrage6]

Originally Posted by Spiny Norman

All four reprised their role briefly for a benefit concert with Cliff Richard (or was it Bob Geloff?) too, and I think there was one even less known performance.
In fact while we're on that subject, I used to think, what are these bands doing here in the middle of a tv program? But here, I sort of missed the music.

The gun fight was a bit of an obvious Americanisation, of course. But they generally fail on this point.
Still it's probably a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. I was lucky enough the attend a screening of the Up Pompeii remake and that had stayed TOO close to the original. Audiences used to the Happy Days format wouldn't be able to wrap their head around its style.

Come to think of it, I think The Office probably also worked because corporate offices are such a USthing from US corporate culture, that it was easier to connect back to where its setting came from.

That was originally the case with the remake of "Coupling" as the original pilot was a lot closer to the original UK show with a different actress. It was based on the pilot of the original show "Inferno" but it apparently didn't test that well with audiences so the producer of Cheers was brought in to change it more. Personally I thought it was a fine remake, changing one of the characters from a Tory supporter to a Bush supporter worked well enough, but I would like to see the original unaired pilot surface at some point.

[jeff1990]

I would love to see the missing episodes of Heil Honey, I'm Home. I remember getting the pilot back in 2011. As bad as the show is, it's nowhere near as controversial that they make it out to be. Just unfunny.

[Spiny Norman]

Originally Posted by jeff1990

I would love to see the missing episodes of Heil Honey, I'm Home. I remember getting the pilot back in 2011. As bad as the show is, it's nowhere near as controversial that they make it out to be. Just unfunny.

I agree; it's not more shocking than The Producers or 'Allo 'Allo - and the latter initially got some push back too!!

But HHIH is just a two trick pony. Fake '50s sitcom style + it's got adolf in it. And the jokes end there.

[jeff1990]

Thinking about it, the pilot is due for a re-watch.

[Deaks]

https://youtu.be/ZmbE74w008c?si=PZBeyKdqfAuLy-nO