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Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?

Simon Brew


A clip from the US remake of Spaced appears online, and has been discovered by Simon Pegg. Have a look here at what could have been.

Published on Mar 4, 2010

It's been a year or two now since the planned US take on Spaced was finally canned. You might recall that it didn't involve Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes or Edgar Wright at all, but instead had the creative genius of McG involved. And you might recall that Simon Pegg issued a statement Here's a taster of what it said:

"My main problem with the notion of a Spaced remake is the sheer lack of respect that Granada/ Wonderland/Warner Bros have displayed in respectively selling out and appropriating our ideas without even letting us know."

"A decision I can only presume was made as a way of avoiding having to give us any money, whilst at the same time using mine and Edgar's name in their press release, in order to trade on the success of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, even professing, as Peter Johnson did, to being a big fan of the show and it's creators. A device made all the more heinous by the fact that the press release neglected to mention the show's co-creator and female voice, Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson)."

"The fact is, when we signed our contracts ten years ago, we had neither the experience or the kudos to demand any clauses securing any control over future reversioning. We signed away our rights to any input in the show's international future, because we just wanted to get the show made and these dark days of legal piracy seemed a far away concern. As a result, we have no rights. The show does not belong to us and, those that do own it have no obligation to include us in any future plans. You would perhaps hope though, out of basic professional respect and courtesy, we might have been consulted."

The full statement is here.

The remake was eventually canned when common sense prevailed, but not before a pilot was made. And it's a clip from that pilot that Simon Pegg discovered on his YouTube travels. He promptly Tweeted it, and now - if you've not seen it yet - you can get a glimpse at what could have been. So here's how the US Spaced remake would have turned out...

 

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Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By Killer7 1 March 5, 2010 08:33:40 AM

If you'll excuse me, I've got to go and watch the original Spaced to cleanse my eyes and ears. What a total and unadulterated bag of spanners. What on Earth (aside from money) where they thinking? Stunningly bad.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By Name1ess 1 March 5, 2010 08:55:02 AM

One of my biggest TV regrets is that they never made a 3rd proper series of Spaced. It always felt like unfinished business to me.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By docemmetttbrown 1 March 5, 2010 09:39:29 AM

I can't look at it objectively, it's Spaced being acted out by the wrong people! I honestly couldn't tell if it was good or not. 'Mike' was ALL wrong though.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By CheebyD 1 March 5, 2010 09:43:54 AM

Oh.My.God. I could have lived my whole life without this and the Red Dwarf usa remake!

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By cordas2 1 March 5, 2010 11:11:38 AM

I hoped that nothing could ever be as bad as the Red Dwarf remake.... but here the yanks are destroying those hopes. I must admit I only watched about 20 seconds before I had to stop it, its simply atrocious!

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By stueyd67 1 March 5, 2010 12:40:17 PM

I need a brain wipe after watching that....

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By jasonking 1 March 5, 2010 12:55:33 PM

Loved every moment. Shame it never made it to a full series. Ahem, I'll get my coat.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By rumleech 1 March 5, 2010 12:56:36 PM

It could have been worse - the networks could have run with it.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By KevinMoniker 1 March 5, 2010 04:56:18 PM

Yeah the bits where they acted out scenes from the original were atrocious, but then I saw that it could've made its own mark in the end scene. Just a shame that they fucked over Pegg and Stevenson with it all.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By darknite125 1 March 5, 2010 09:06:01 PM

The entire clip was a travesty. Especially their version of Mike making one of the greatest TV characters ever into a complete tool is unforgivable.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By darkglasses 1 March 5, 2010 10:48:37 PM

The odd thing is that the Ben character (based on Pegg's Tim) is Aussie actor Josh Lawson which is just weird.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By geekmom 1 March 6, 2010 03:12:23 AM

The characters from the original were all eccentric and occasionally behaved in ways that some might consider strange or off-putting. But they were all, fundamentally, likable characters. This version tried to keep the eccentricity, and completely lost the likability. Not even Tyres could save this lot. Not with a hundred raves.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By Sprocket 1 March 6, 2010 08:23:32 AM

What a load of sh1t! An example of how not to remake a show. I didn't think it could be this bad!

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By viridis 1 March 6, 2010 09:08:32 AM

The casting of new Brian and Mike is interesting, to say the least. It felt grittier and nothing like the original feel of the show, yet they mimicked word for word almost, and then they cut to the shop and all of a sudden it was just another sitcom. The only time I laughed was when 'Mike' pulled out the bazooka (and even that was a throwback to a genius episode of Spaced) and they used it for a throwaway joke. In the end it would just be another awful sitcom with crazy supporting characters who drop by unexpectedly. There was one way they could've saved it, if they went all out geek, and/or made it even freakier, more stylish with camera shots and a lot more gore.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By Dolphination 1 March 7, 2010 08:20:13 AM

Why??????

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By Sam_The_Man_Newlander 1 March 7, 2010 09:30:34 AM

I think the way they treated Hynes and Pegg is terrible. However had they offered them exec producer roles, and run with it it could have worked.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By moakle 1 March 7, 2010 07:27:12 PM

I didn't think it was THAT bad. Just really, really odd. And not funny. At all.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By Feefers 1 March 8, 2010 09:03:28 AM

Actually... I can kind of see it working, that's just the pilot and ... it doesn't suck totally it's got some very sharp edges that need cleaned up but ... yeah I think I could have watched that as a series.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By woohooboy 1 March 9, 2010 07:53:26 AM

There is a weird off-beat sensibility to the original version of "Spaced" that the Americans could never replicate. Not surprisingly, you could tell from the clip that there is an attempt to make it feel more mainstream. Truth be told, it wasn't as horrendous as I thought it would be. It did have potential - In the right creative hands, it may have worked, but we'll never know. Obviously it all depends on your sense of humour. What some find funny, others won't.....

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By MarvMarble 1 March 10, 2010 12:39:09 AM

Cloaking trolley bus? Heh. Actually wasn't as bad as I thought it might be although not nearly as good as the original.

Re: Want to see how bad the US version of Spaced could have been?
Posted By gakirin 1 March 10, 2010 10:00:30 PM

I really don't understand same-language remakes that don't change anything. That's just.... stealing
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