The US version that almost was

[Sarkus]

I was re-reading Alan Bell's book the other day. Although I remember it vaguely, some of the details of the US version that almost happened surprised me. As many probably know, Bell and Clarke did get involved (during the Seymour era) in plans to create a US network version of the show, which had the working title of "Sweet September." Well known classic movie actor Mickey Rooney was a driving force behind the idea, as he wanted to play the Compo equivalent character. A major US movie studio had also agreed to back the project, which would have then been offered to one of the US networks. Bell and Clarke both would have been executive producers and had some power over the series in that role. Clarke was going to write some new scripts, while other scripts from the UK version would have been reworked. Finally, other writers would also have been involved since US network shows typically have 20-25 episodes a season.

What I had forgotten (or missed in my first reading of Bell's book) was that it was Clarke that actually killed the deal. By Bell's admission, it wasn't a great up front deal financially but it would have paid off nicely if the series had done well. Apparently Clarke decided against the deal very late on the advice of his UK agent, who had not been involved in the earlier negotiations.

An interesting "might have been."

 

[Pearl]

I recently saw a US version of Porridge and I cringed all the way through, I think if you really like a program it's hard to watch a different version. Having said that I think Mickey Rooney would have made a good Compo but I'm not sure who else would have worked with the other characters. Might have been fun to see it though.

 

[Adanor]

If they were to do a US Summer Wine, it should be set in Maine. The people up there have the same type of wackiness.

 

[codfanglers]

If they were to do a US Summer Wine, it should be set in Maine. The people up there have the same type of wackiness.

Yes, Maine would be appropriate. There is a degree of isolation there that leads to the "wackiness".

 

[codfanglers]

When I first read this, I said to myself, "WOW", that would have been wonderful.

Then after further thought, I pondered how well Clarke would do with American settings, etc.

Furthermore, I am always skeptical when a writer has too many projects going at once. This could have really hurt the quality of Summer Wine.

 

[me2]

I am so glad that never happened. It true typical fashion, US media would have destroyed the program and I'm afraid it would have had an effect on the BBC program. If the US program "Sweet September" had taken place, I think LOTSW would have ended soon after and what a shame. Those negotiations were taking place in the late 1980's. We could have lost almost 20 years of programs and almost 200 episodes. Hooray to Clarke for saying no.

Anyone who has watched "As Time Goes By" may think the destruction of Lionel's script was just a comic story line for the show. But I've seen them do the exact same think to many books thinking they are improving the story, when actually they are destroying everything good about it. Since they could not have improved LOTSW, all they could do is destroy it.

 

[Don]

I remember reading something about this quite awhile back, don't know if it was on this site or one of the older Summer Wine sites from about ten years ago.
James Garner was a name I remember being mentioned as well as the location being Bakersfield, California.

 

[Sarkus]

I remember reading something about this quite awhile back, don't know if it was on this site or one of the older Summer Wine sites from about ten years ago.
James Garner was a name I remember being mentioned as well as the location being Bakersfield, California.

I don't know about Garner, but Bell did mention in his book that Rooney had a town near Bakersfield that he thought would work.

It's very hard to really know how a U.S. version would have turned out given all the details that were never more then early thoughts by those involved. Summerwine worked because of several factors, including the cast, the location chosen for the outdoor scenes, etc. Bell and Clarke would have tried to duplicate that with their influence, but who knows.

 

[codfanglers]

Bell and Clarke would have tried to duplicate that with their influence, but who knows.

Yes they could have tried to duplicate it but I am always skeptical when writers take on multiple projects at once. I don't know how they could have kept the quality of the original show this way.

If the US show would have worked, the original might have ended sooner.

 

[Pearl]

Yes they could have tried to duplicate it but I am always skeptical when writers take on multiple projects at once. I don't know how they could have kept the quality of the original show this way.

If the US show would have worked, the original might have ended sooner.

Hi Cod

I'm not so sure about that, I think if it had been made I don't think it would have lasted as long as the British version. The differences in Anglo/American sense of humor is great and your TV execs would have insisted that it be made to suit an American audience then it wouldn't have had the raw edgy beginning it did have, I know ours was watered down at some point to suit a younger audience but we were already in love with the characters by then so stuck with it. Looking at the American version of Porridge all the innuendo and smut was either taken out or watered down and that made it less funny so I don't think it would have survived being Americanised to be honest.

 

[Sarkus]

Hi Cod

I'm not so sure about that, I think if it had been made I don't think it would have lasted as long as the British version. The differences in Anglo/American sense of humor is great and your TV execs would have insisted that it be made to suit an American audience then it wouldn't have had the raw edgy beginning it did have, I know ours was watered down at some point to suit a younger audience but we were already in love with the characters by then so stuck with it. Looking at the American version of Porridge all the innuendo and smut was either taken out or watered down and that made it less funny so I don't think it would have survived being Americanised to be honest.

It would have depended a lot on Rooney, I imagine. Bells account suggests he was the driving force behind the US version and it's possible he was attracted to Compo precisely because it was different from the "grandfather" type roles that defined his later career. Obviously it would not have been as edgy as the early Summerwine scripts, but Golden Girls was already on and had its share of adult subjects. In fact, the success of that show would have been Sweet Septembers biggest hurdle, as it would have looked to the US audiences like a male version of the same show.

The biggest issue would have been script quality, really. In those days a network show was 25 or 30 episodes a year. Clarke would have only written some of those.