The Slap

[Maggie Mae]

I saw an ad for this on TV and thought it looked like the stupidest thing I've ever seen. So I Googled it, realized it actually sounded interesting and watched the Australian TV version. Why they are remaking it for US audiences is beyond me. How they are going to do it makes me even more irritated. The cast appears to be completely whitewashed. It's not a US story.. ugh.

Also I can't imagine they leave in the abortion storyline as is. Or the part with the Muslim woman telling the little boy about God and the father being upset about it and matter of factly saying "there is not god" to the boy. Or the part where the Muslim man helps Rosie and then tells her to never contact his family again.

. I guess I mostly just hate that TV Producers think American audiences are morons and have to remake things so that we "understand" or so they perform better. Like we are incapable of understanding Australian accents or that race/culture/class is similar but different in other countries because of different geographic locations and history and immigration policy.

[Maggie Mae]

Did anyone watch the American remake tonight? I don't have cable and I'm curious. It seems like something fjers would go for.

[DaffyDill]

It is an odd thing how Australian TV sometimes is remade for the US. I didn't think our accents were that hard to understand, especially as most actors have clear speaking voices - easy for me to say, of course.

There have been some comedies that were made and successful over here, then redone for the US - but they tend to flop as I don't think the sense of humour over here translates well...

[NjoyingNsanity]

I watched the new series and then went and watched the older one on Hulu I liked it and seriously while I would not slap a kid especially, someone else's kid, that brat needed some discipline. His mom is a bit of a flake, and his dad is a bit of a loser. The rest of the characters are all very complex and interesting. It has more to it than just the slap incident their is family and marriage issues, addiction, multi-cultural issues, May/December romance. infidelity, religious issues. The show has potential.

[acireta]

I didn't know there was an original Australian version; I only knew about the US version, but I hadn't read about it at all. I was going to wonder if they remade it to use actors that are familiar to the US audience, but it seems like quite a few of the Australian cast would be familiar to a US audience also so who knows why? Interesting that the same woman is playing Rosie in both versions.

I've seen the first few episodes of the US version and I'm intrigued. I'll have to watch the previous version online sometime to compare! Not many likable characters so far, so we'll see if I end up hating everything about it :D

[DaffyDill]

Rake is another Australian show remade for the US. The Australian version was better IMHO, but seeing I'm and Aussie I guess I'm biased. The US version starred Greg Kinnear.

[Maggie Mae]

I think part of the problem in the US version is the name. It just sounds silly. Nor does it convey what the show is actually about, which is complex relationships. Personally, I found the part about the actual slap and fallout to be the least interesting bit of the show. (I have only seen the Aussie version in entirety.) I also disliked the narration.

I thought the second or third episode about the friend who was dating the actor to be the strongest. That and Rosie's episode, which was terribly depressing. I had no sympathy for Rosie through most of the show, but during her episode, when the husband of her friend is telling her that she is basically scum, I just felt so bad for her. There may or may not have been some actual tears.