Broadchuch was such a success and when it was announced that there was to be a remake I am pretty sure there was a widespread sigh around Britain. This always happens, when we have a good show American networks attempt to cash in by remaking it and I'd say nine times out of ten it fails. Remember the Only Fools and Horses remake? I've never really liked remakes, I do understand why they do it like when there has been a long passage of time and people want to update it with new technology and SFX that they have at their disposal but Broadchurch only aired last year and series two is in production so there's not really any update needed. The most annoying remakes I find is the ones of of foreign films and television shows. Seriously? You can't read subtitles? Again, they often fail to live up to the brilliance of the original! Broadchuch was in English and yes there are varying accents but I don't understand why American audiences wouldn't be able to decipher it. There are different types of American accents but you don't see British networks remaking it so we understand it, if I'm honest I find it quite ignorant really. As you can tell I wasn't best please about the reamke but I decided to watch it and give it a fair shot anyway.
No, I haven't got my pictures mixed up, that is a promo picture for Gracepoint. Yes, they have our lead actor David Tennant playing Alec Hardy, only he's called Emmett Carver this time around. Firstly I'd like to say that it's quite refreshing to see an American television show that has cast actors that look like real people. When it was first announced I was expecting the show to be glammed up and essentially have runway models in the roles but they didn't. The actors that were cast look like people that you would see everyday around your local neighbourhood and it's easier to connect with them and sympathise with them so Fox have done pretty well on that part. That's pretty much the only positive thing I have to say about the show. It essentially felt like a shot for shot remake of the first episode of Broadchurch and I understand that it is a remake but I figured they might do something differently or whats the point? They could have just re-aired Broadchurch. The scene where they are on the beach with Danny's body is exactly the same as the scene in Broadchurch where Danny's body was discovered and this isn't the only time this happens in the show. You Let Me In which was the remake of Let The Right One In which was almost a shot for shot remake of the original but still less superior? Well I was reminded of that constantly while watching this because it's essentially the same show but not as good.
Why is it not as good you say? You would expect it to be if its almost exactly the same, but its not just the mystery and the setting that made Broadchurch such a success, it's the characters as well. David Tennant and Olivia Coleman were fantastic in their roles and had amaxing chemistry which I didn't feel with Tennant and Anna Gunn in Gracepoint. The character of Ellie was brilliant in her own right and Coleman held her own against Tennant, she just had a likability about her that Gunn doesn't have. She's playing the same person but it's not right, Coleman made that character who she is and no matter how much Gunn tries to imitate her I don't think it'll ever be her role. It'll always be Coleman. I praised the casting choices earlier by getting the look of the characters right but the problem is that they are going to be compared to their British counterparts and there is no way that they'll ever be as good. I could see Beth's (Jodie Whittaker) heart breaking when watching Broadchurch and my heart broke with her. I didn't feel that when during Gracepoint, I'm sure that they are fine actors but they don't stack up against the originals. Throughout watching Gracepoint I was wishing it was Broadchuch, that's not a good sign.
The real test for me is the sleep test. I watched every episode of Broadchurch back to back only stopping to go to the toilet and during Gracepoint I fell asleep. Not once but twice. I didn't even start watching it that late but after the second time I fell asleep I decided to go to bed, only I didn't end up falling asleep I just watched something else for several hours. I don't think it was that the show was boring but it was unoriginal even for a remake. It didn't elevate it at all, it just seemed like a carbon copy of Broadchurch but it had lost its essence. Broadchurch wasn't just a murder mystery, it was also a character study and the audience became engrossed with it and I don't see how that could happen with Gracepoint. Honestly, I think Fox should've re-aired Broadchurch rather than invest money into this because Broadchurch is superior hands down. I know that I haven't watched the rest of Gracepoint and I'd probably have a more informed post after watching ten episodes of it but I highly doubt I'll ever get to episode two let alone ten, why would I bother when I can binge on Broadchurch again?
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