I was irritated by the changes in kindred: the embraced, until I realized the show was not very good, and if I complained to anyone they would know I watched it.

t snerk I actually had a friend who loved the show (we worry about her sometimes. She also thought Twister was the best movie ever the summer it came out. I love her dearly but I will never understand her taste in entertainment) and was incredibly disappointed when she actually tried to play the game that it didn't work like the show.

I was irritated by the changes in kindred: the embraced,

Some of the more crazy dedicated V:tM live-action players I knew developed a drinking game around those changes. Something happened on the show that wouldn't be allowed/work in the game? Drink!

Mark Frankel was Sela Ward's character's love interest in Sisters before she met Falconer, played by an immediately pre-ER George Clooney.

And, um, I went through a period as a Cherohonkee. The operative words there being went, past tense, and through, out the other side. Thankfully, today I am fringe-free.

Except Cheadle is American.

Your point? The *character* has to be British, but the actor playing him doesn't.

My point is, America is forever foisting its own people and its own values on other countries. Sure, the actor portraying Bond doesn't have to be British but that's just a slap in the face of British actors b/c you're essentially saying there are none worthy or capable of playing the character. Just like you slapped English actresses in the face by casting Zellwegger in the role of Bridget Jones.

Do you guys have to steal everything from other countries?

Again, I ask: your point?

Have a think about how many American movies or TV shows (reality TV being totally ignored) have been remade by Australia, or England, or France, or Germany, or The Netherlands. Then compare that to the number of foreign movies and TV shows that have been remade as American movies or TV shows (and usually considerably below par to the original).

Likewise, have a look at your local paper and tell us how many cinemas are playing (for example) Australian movies. How many of your free-to-air stations are playing Australian TV shows at any time of the day or night, let alone primetime? I'll lay down good money that the answer is between zero and two. Now have a look at [link] and check out a typical week of Aussie TV--bearing in mind that a lot of the US shows are forced on our stations by deals that require them to buy packages of shows just to get one particular title.

So my point is, "James Bond" is quintissentially British. There are many, many excellent British actors available. Let them have a chance and let's not try and change the character created by Ian Fleming 50 years ago.

FTR...I'm not having a go specifically at Steph or anyone else but I'm not going to apologise for seeming to be be irrational or hyberbolic or whatever, about this. Personally, I couldn't give a shit about James Bond but this topic just happened to press the wrong button.

So my point is, "James Bond" is quintissentially British. There are many, many excellent British actors available. Let them have a chance and let's not try and change the character created by Ian Fleming 50 years ago.

The movies, OTOH, are pretty flippin' North American insofar as creation goes, Broccoli being from Queens and Saltzman (the original option-holder) being from Canada. (And Movie!Bond is slightly easier to stomach than Fleming!Bond, but I have issues with the books that are far easier to let go of for a young Sean Connery.)

Sure, the actor portraying Bond doesn't have to be British but that's just a slap in the face of British actors b/c you're essentially saying there are none worthy or capable of playing the character.

At this point, most of the young British actors (of whom the current crop of pre-middle-aged talent in major US motion pictures appears to be almost entirely comprised) don't seem especially interested.

(Cereal)

Dude, Caleb Nichol (Alan Dale) was on Neighbours?

(Part of the reason why the slap in the face argument fails to work with me--especially for male actors--is that many, many of the actors in US shows and movies, playing US characters, aren't USians. The character of Caleb Nichol is quintessentially American. The actor, OTOH, is not.)

Yep, Alan Dale was on Neighbours for a long time.

The argument is still valid though. Dale, like so many of his fellow actors, had to leave Australia for the simple reason that there still isn't enough work over here. If American cinema chains and tv stations gave foreign products the same chances they give local products, we'd have a much healthier TV and film industry and there wouldn't be any reason for them to leave their friends and families and seek work overseas.

If American cinema chains and tv stations gave foreign products the same chances they give local products, we'd have a much healthier TV and film industry and there wouldn't be any reason for them to leave their friends and families and seek work overseas.

Large portions of our local products (local should almost get scare quotes, though with the sinking dollar, IIRC, more stuff's getting made here instead of in Canada now) get shit for chances, and most of our TV stations (the stations themselves, not the networks, and not the cable channels) have trouble making a profit. (Hell, most of our movie theatres have a hard time of it, at least around Seattle.)

Risks and chances aren't taken--regardless of the country of origin of the product--because they can't be afforded. It's annoying as a consumer when there's little to nothing on TV you want to watch because none of the shows you liked drew high enough ratings to stick around, or to not be able to see a certain movie that got rave reviews and sounds right up your alley because your local theatre can't afford to pander to the small audience it might get, when the latest movie by big name X will draw more of a crowd and sell more popcorn.

I don't think there's anything that can be done about that, short of completely changing the way the economy works.

The thing is, US dominance in the movie industry goes back at least to WW1, which is a heck of a long time. Perhaps it's not right, but that's the way it goes.

It's nice if casting can be nationality-blind, though; whoever is best for the part, provided they pull off the accent. Which, incidentally, is working to the advantage of a lot of Aussie actors in Hollywood nowadays (Russell, Nicole, Cate, Guy, Geoffry et al, I'm looking at you).

jimi, I do understand where you're coming from (Disney's cultural imperialism with regard to stories drives me up the wall, for instance), but I think you're barking up the wrong tree.

Okay, now this is driving me nuts. I could have sworn I'd seen another failed tv series (not Forever Knight)...maybe it was a mini or a movie...very similar to the Kindred but more 80s. Where the cute lead guy came over all fangy whenever he got grindy with the girl. I've been all over netflix and imdb.

If it was a dream, I ought to get someone to produce it because I remember it being campy fun. And kinda hot.

Damn.

Ring any bells?