Gemma Johnson, a die-hard fan of the British spirits, weighs it against the remake of the US and finds it the humor, heart and charm that the BBC original misses a hit
UK Ghosts vs US Ghosts
I usually prefer American versions of shows. The American office is much better than the British office, and superstore stairs about our version, trolls.
(Comment: I will never accept the American version of Shameless. Frank Gallagher must be 100% Mancunian. Period.)
After he had now assessed all the episodes of BBC’s spirits, Spooky Isles asked me to take a look in the first series of the American version and see how it relates.
Full disclosure – I approached this with an open mind and wanted to watch all the first series, all 18 episodes of it.
I left the ship in episode three.
Here are the reasons why I just couldn’t connect to this version.
Mike vs Jay
In the American version is the head ‘Living’ Male Jay, played by Utkarsh Ambudkar. From the start I had trouble making contact with his character – he seemed boring and pretty monotonous. There was a clear lack of comedy.
In the British version we played Mike, played by Kiell Smith-Bynoe. He is a master in comic timing, and this was clear from episode one. Mike and Jay are essentially background characters during these early episodes, where the spirits and Alison/Samantha are central. But there is much to say for the quality of an actor who can still steal a scene when the focus is not on him.
A moment when the difference between Jay and Mike emphasized was when they decide to start renovations in the house. Jay takes an exercise and starts in a bedroom wall. There is nothing remarkable about the scene – if I hadn’t seen the British version, I would not have thought anything.
Mike, on the other hand, approaches the wall like a robot, holding his exercise and sings: “Daddy is going to put a hole in the wall”, leading to further hilarity from the perspective of the spirits. He only adds humor with facial expressions and body language alone. Jay didn’t seem to have the same power – he usually looked irritated and irritated.
Knophuis vs Woodstone Mansion
The houses in both versions are supposedly deserted and neglected. One of the central suddenly is about Alison and Mike / Samantha and Jay who renovate the property to try to make money.
Both houses seem to be canceled from the outside, with the promise of Doe -Thet -horror in it. But here the following problem arises.
The inside of Woodstone Mansion is way too perfect from the moment Samantha and Jay open the front door. Immaculate furniture, polished floors – it all feels too unspoilt. The interior of Button House, on the other hand, corresponds to the outside. It has lost weight, dusty and feels like it can collapse at any time.
Take the boiler for example. In Woodstone Mansion it is a full-sized, shiny, modern white unit. In Button House, the rusted, old and borderline – consciously – is much more credible for a crumbling home.
Alison and Mike were desperate to make money to prevent the house from falling down. That despair was convincing. With Jay and Samantha, the urgency is not there because the country house is simply too perfect – and as a result, a lot of comical potential is lost.
Pest people vs cholera -people
I fully understand the need to change the type of disease that the basement ghosts have – that is not the problem.
What I liked best about the British bullying people was that they were played by the same actors who portray the most important spirits. That existing report came through in the scenes and added charm. In the American version they are played by different cast members, and the connection is simply not there. The cellars scenes fall flat.
The space itself does not help. In Button House, the basement is dark, tight and really creepy – the perfect setup for a plug. In Woodstone Mansion it is spacious and strangely well lit, which kills the tension and comedy.
When Samantha and Jay first go down and turn on the light, it is not even that dark to start with, so the unveiling of the Cholera people is much less surprising. The basement of Button House, on the other hand, is pitch black, making the appearance of the spirits much shocking and funnier.
The spirits
I was surprised that there is no character -based character in the American version, especially given their own history with witch tests. Mary was a fantastic character in the UK series and I think she would have translated brilliantly into an American audience.
There is also no Humphrey equivalent – another missed opportunity. Were witches and headless men a step too far for the US?
Some characters were in the same way with Tweaks. Some worked better than others. I struggled with Hetty, the lady of the country house. She was too modest and modest. Fanny, on the other hand, was loud, stark and neurotic – very credible as a former lady of the house.
I also didn’t make contact with Flower, Kitty’s American counterpart. She is a hippie that talks about getting high and peace and love. I just found it strange and difficult to deal with. Kitty is a lot of superior – her genuine innocence and naivety immediately loved her.
Writing
The British version is full of dry, sarcastic humor – something we do British is doing very well. The American version misses that ahead. That is one of the reasons why the first series fell flat for me.
The first three episodes – which I managed to see – reflected the storylines of the British version. Although I have seen those British episodes countless times, they still make me laugh. With the American version, not a single chuckle. Not even grin.
Since I became the Spooky Isles reviewer for spirits, I have let many people say that I have to try the American version. But I also let people warn to avoid it.
Unfortunately I have to agree with the latter.
What did you think of this article about UK vs US Ghosts? Have you viewed both versions? Share your thoughts in the responses!
