Entertainment
'The O.C.' to Get Turkish Remake & 7 Other Shows That Have Been Adapted Abroad
Josh Schwartz's teen drama The O.C. is getting a Turkish remake. And though it's obviously impossible to discern what happens in the trailer, the similarities are eerie: boy steals car with brother, boy goes to jail, boy gets kicked out, boy gets saved by rich, concerned-looking lawyer with a geeky, curly-haired son, boy meets tragic, bored-looking girl. It may sound like a weird show to remake, but it's not totally unheard of: there have been lots of remakes between countries over the years, some great and some strange (and no, I'm not just talking about the countless U.S. remakes of British shows). Let's take a look.
Image: WBI International TV Production
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Josh Schwartz's teen drama The O.C. is getting a Turkish remake. And though it's obviously impossible to discern what happens in the trailer, the similarities are eerie: boy steals car with brother, boy goes to jail, boy gets kicked out, boy gets saved by rich, concerned-looking lawyer with a geeky, curly-haired son, boy meets tragic, bored-looking girl. It may sound like a weird show to remake, but it's not totally unheard of: there have been lots of remakes between countries over the years, some great and some strange (and no, I'm not just talking about the countless U.S. remakes of British shows). Let's take a look.
Image: WBI International TV Production
'Breaking Bad'
The original: Breaking Bad, United States
The one and only meth-cooking, critically acclaimed cable television show. Need I say more?
The remake: Metástasis, Spanish-speaking countries
That's right, in the midst of its final season, Breaking Bad is getting a Spanish-language makeover. Walter White will become Walter Blanco, played by Diego Trujillo (go ahead, Google that guy, he was clearly born to play this) and Jesse Pinkman will become Jose Miguel Rosas, played by Roberto Urbina. Judging from Univision's trailer, the interpretation is pretty faithful, so now you have a good excuse to start brushing up on your Spanish.
'Ugly Betty"
The original: Yo soy Betty, la fea, Colombia
The original Ugly Betty was a wildly popular telenovela (sort of like a Spanish-language soap opera). Aside from having a very different tone from the eventual American version (in the original, Betty was an aspiring business woman instead of an aspiring journalist), Betty's makeover was more immediate, and the show focused much more on the budding romantic relationship between Betty and her boss, Armando.
The remake: Ugly Betty, United States
Although Ugly Betty was billed as more of a dramedy than a soap opera, it ended up having much more outrageous twists and turns than the show it was based on: presumed-to-be-dead siblings, murderous, mentally insane daughters, and two different "Who's the father(/mother)" plots. But the most outrageous? Having to called the gorgeous America Ferrera ugly.
'How I Met Your Mother'
The original: How I Met Your Mother, United States
Now on its ninth and final season, American audiences are finally preparing for Ted to meet his future wife and let his poor future kids get off that damn couch already.
The remake: How I Met Your Mother, Russia
Aside from the low-budget, soap opera feel of the trailer and the plethora of tattoo shirts, Russia's version of HIMYM looks pretty similar. There's an even creepier Barney, a barely-there, goofy Marshall, a blonde Lily, and of course, a bland Ted. The scenes from the trailer are also nearly a shot-for-shot remake of the first few episodes, although I can't remember the scene where Ted stands naked, holding a pineapple? Maybe something got lost in translation.
'Kath and Kim'
The original: Kath and Kim, Australia
If you've ever seen Australian sitcoms like Summer Heights High, you'll soon get a good feel for Kath and Kim. The show follows Kim after she divorces her husband after six weeks of marriage and moves in with her mother, Kath. Needless to say, the characters are pretty unlikeable, but they're incredibly funny
The remake: Once the show became a cult hit in America, NBC decided to take a chance and remake it. Australian audiences, of course, freaked out, and they had pretty good reason to. While the remake shows the incredible talents of Selma Blair, Molly Shannon, and John Michael Higgins, it missed the over-the-top surreality of the original. Kath and Kim got the axe after only one season.
'24'
The original: 24, United States
The action show where Jack Bauer saves the world from terrorist plots an hour at a time was set to return to television in May 2014, but it's coming back sooner than you think...
The remake: 24, India
The Indian remake of the show is set to premiere next month, and although it's very similar to the original, it also has a lot of other ties to the American version. Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor played President Omar Hassan on the eighth season of the show, and he both acquired the rights to the show for his own studio and plays the Jack Bauer role, Jai Singh Rathod, in the remake. Kiefer Sutherland has also expressed interest in coming onto the new show.
'In Treatment'
The original: BeTipul, Israel
The show, which follows a psychologist who treats patients as well as seeks treatment himself, wasn't just adapted by the U.S. — it's been picked up in countries around the world, from Italy to Brazil. It's no wonder either, since the Israeli original has won tons of awards.
The remake: In Treatment, United States
Of course, the show was practically tailor made for a channel like HBO. Since the show's script heavily references the Hebrew original, the shows are pretty similar — and so are the multiple awards.
'Powerpuff Girls'
The original: Powerpuff Girls, United States
The Cartoon Network show that fueled many a girls' Saturday mornings, featuring the superhero girls made of sugar, spice, and everything nice...and Chemical X.
The remake: Powerpuff Girls Z, Japan
Ever wanted to know what Powerpuff Girls would look like as an anime show? Here you go.
