Shameless, a new series on M-Net,
is in fact exactly that, a shameless Americanised copy of the original hit British series
of the same name that started running in 2004. Frame by
frame, line by line, the pilot episode is an almost exact duplicate, even down to the camera
angles and editing. But like some
foreign play it has been adapted to make sense to the poor insular locals. The
characters might sport the same names and spout the same lines, but all British
slang has been neatly edited and replaced with an American version. Jarringly, the basic premise of the show
itself, shameless poverty, has also been adjusted to be more attuned to
American sensitivities. Poor now means
living in a nice large house that is not expertly decorated, and having perfect
teeth and a healthy appearance, but no Gucci.
Is a British accent and some
foreign slang really such an insurmountable obstacle to the average American
viewer as to require the complete re-enactment of this show? And when their TV executives sell this junk
on to other countries, do they really think we are similarly narrow minded and
ignorant enough to not consider this remake and re-sell of old cheese anything
but utterly and spectacularly insulting?
Shameless airs on M-Net on
Tuesdays at 22h00.
If this is the first time you
have heard of this show, rather go rent the British original. It is actually, uh, original and absolutely brilliant.
