#15 - Days Like These: Batteries Not Included

Eric and Donna is that you?

Ignorning gameshows or reality TV for a second there is not really that many British remakes of American shows that come instantly to mind (I can think of a lot more the other way around), I mean without looking it up I can think of The Upper Hand (Who's The Boss), The Brighton Belles (The Golden Girls), In With The Flynns (Grounded For Life), Married For Life (Married With Children) and Days Like These which was based on That 70s Show, the biggest success of the lot of them was Upper Hand which ran 7 series so it's more of the exception to the rule when it comes to success.

So back to Days Like These, a British remake that kept the name of Eric and Kitty Forman, changed the first name of Red to Roy, let Donna, Bob and Midge keep there first names (changing there surnames to Palmer), also let kept Jackie keep her fame name (she became Burget), as Michael Kelso (McGuire then completely changed the name of the Hyde has he became Dylan and Fez became Tobjorn Rasmussen (maybe because Fez stood for Forgein Exchange Student and it's something that doesn't really exist here in the UK).

This pilot episode asks the question I'm sure you've all been waiting to ask - what if they took the pilot episode script, changed a few details (including place) then reshot it with a British cast? -

Because that is totally what it is - 99.9% of the jokes are recycled and it's structed in the same way. So it is about Eric getting his Father's car, sneaking away to go a concert and the car breaking down, whilst that is the breakdown we do still get trying to sneak beer away from the parents party, Eric told he's getting the car while stoned and the walls move, McGuire giving it away that Donna might like Eric, Jackie wanting Donna to go the bathroom and Tobjorn not understanding why guys don't go together (and the joke comes back at the end), the same interludes, Michael and Jackie forced to miss the concert (here Steve Earley) and Donna kissing Eric on the hood of the car at the very end (and he even says the same line), so yeah it's like I just described the That 70s Show pilot.

I believe this was shown in the UK before That '70s Show premiered over here, this was produced during That 70s Show's first season so it actually came on the scene quite quickly, the show got a first series order of 13 (with 10 making it on to TV) very often shows get a run of 6 episodes so even the show is a failure, there are actually more episodes of this then such classic British shows as Fawlty Towers and The Young Ones.

So in someways it's hard to know how to judge this show, you can't help but picture the American counterparts in the characters with only Jackie and Tobjorn capturing the original characters spirit strong enough for my eyes. Who knows maybe given long enough it might have developed in it's own thing but it's all rather unneccessary when you've got That '70s Show.