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Murderville (US version of Murder in Successville)

Started by BritishHobo, January 14, 2022, 10:52:30 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

BritishHobo

Aye aye. Will Arnett is slipping into Tom Davis' boots to helm Murderville, a US remake of Murder in Successville, where he'll investigate crimes alongside celebrities like Conan O'Brien, Sharon Stone, and Kumail Nanjiani:

www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/netflix-will-arnett-famous-celebs-improvised-mystery-murderville-1235074040

Now I'm always for giving the US remakes a fair shot, so I hope this is good. Bet they never top DI Sleet and Chris Kamara interviewing 'Cara Delevingne' and the three of them relentlessly corpsing though.

chutnut

I watched the first episode of murder in successville and thought it was hilarious, but then didn't really laugh at all after that and gave up a few episodes later, maybe should try again
I'll definitely give this one a go either way

Captain Z

Unfortunately, it probably is the case that the very first episode is the funniest one they ever did. There are still various highlights along the way though.

Despite my typical aversion to American remakes, I could imagine this working quite well. Thanks for posting.

Bad Ambassador

Seems likes it's dropped the "town populated by celebrities" angle, presumably as it was too weird and difficult to explain, but I always thought it a convenient shortcut in terms of characters. When the chief of police is Gordon Ramsey it gives the actor more of a hook than being the detective's ex.

Concerning that the US guests may take it too seriously and not be as prepared to make fools of themselves or enter into the spirit. I fondly recall Chris Kamara treating it like an episode of Police Squad and adlibbing gags, Kimberly Wyatt struggling with an armful of golf clubs and Martin Kamp incapable of pronouncing his fake name.

up_the_hampipe

This is one of the few US remakes that has the potential of really working, perhaps more consistently than our version. The only issue is some of the guests they've chosen. Conan O'Brien, Ken Jeong and Kumail Nanjiani are already comedians. The show works when the guest doesn't have that background and they're reacting quite genuinely to the madness around them. Let's be honest, episodes of Murder In Successville were only really good based on how much the guest is thrown off and keeps cracking up, hence why the first one with Jamie Laing is so fondly remembered. The comedians will either try to be funny themselves in a way that disrupts the situation, or they'll be too hard to break.

As for US celebrities not getting it or taking themselves too seriously, I don't think that'll be a concern. This show isn't cruel, it's all very playful. As mentioned above, Kimberly Wyatt was one of the best guests.

I wish they'd brought Tom Davis over for it though. He's already doing a sort of US detective character in the show anyway, and I think their audiences would respond well to him. Not sure what Will Arnett's improv chops are like.

Blumf

Quote from: Bad Ambassador on January 14, 2022, 11:25:46 AMSeems likes it's dropped the "town populated by celebrities" angle

That'd be a shame, it was a big part of the fun in the original.

Still looking forwards to this.

up_the_hampipe

Quote from: Blumf on January 14, 2022, 12:08:00 PMThat'd be a shame, it was a big part of the fun in the original.

Still looking forwards to this.

The show just needs good improvisers, the celeb thing didn't always work. When someone nailed an impression or had a funny concept for the character (i.e. Jamie Demetriou's hilarious Zayn Malik "I don't miss my old gang. I'm all about the honeys now, man!"), it could work. But they were often just strange performances that went nowhere, like you were at a bad improv night. The worst parts of the show were when Sleet would leave the guest with one of these characters, aside from a couple of exceptions, it was mostly the guest not laughing at someone being a bit weird.

There's a whole pool of Comedy Bang Bang types in the US they could use for this show. I'm more optimistic about that side of it. 

Famous Mortimer

I rather liked that spy thing that Tom Davis did, bit bummed out that wasn't more successful. But this sounds like a decent idea.

beanheadmcginty

Love Tom Davis, so I hope the Yanks are paying him a generous lump of cash for the rights to this.

monkfromhavana

The only funny ones (IMO) were the 1st one, the Chris Kamara one and the Martin Kemp one. The bit where Martin Kemp got his own name wrong had mean rolling around laughing.

Bad Ambassador


Sharon Stone having to busk through an autopsy while doing a silly German accent bodes well.

up_the_hampipe

That Conan episode could be great actually, as he and Arnett do have a funny adversarial relationship.

I do miss that big bastard Tom Davis though.


C_Larence

Hmm, doesn't sound great, but I disagree that the hidden earpiece gag can't work in this format, as jamie laing's episode proves.

Bad Ambassador

Strongly suggests they haven't seen the original.

BritishHobo

I've only watched the first episode but I think the article makes one good point which is that Conan feels much more at ease with the improv situation than most of the UK guests, and I can imagine Kumail and Ken Jeong will as well. In the UK version it usually felt like the guest was panicking and floundering (with the exception of a few, like Chris Kamara, whose enthusiasm clearly really entertained everyone), whereas here it just feels like Conan has done loads of stuff like this before.

letsgobrian

The second episode with Marshawn Lynch feels like the ideal they are looking for with this sort of show, a non-improviser diving straight in with gusto and clearly having a grand time with it.

olliebean

I never really got on with the UK version, so didn't watch most of it, and I can't remember - did they give the guest investigator the precise questions to ask the suspects, like they do in this?

BeardFaceMan

I never watched the UK version of this as I was put off the the BBC3 level guest stars, very much enjoyed the first episode of this though, particularly Will Arnett
Spoiler alert
reacting to David Wain's magic tricks
[close]
.

Ant Farm Keyboard

It's being developed by the same production company as Childrens Hospital, Abominable Pictures, and the showrunner is a former CH, Medical Police and Wet Hot American Summer writer, so it shouldn't be surprising if a few actors from these shows pop out as suspects in various scenes.

letsgobrian

Two-thirds through this now, and only the Annie Murphy episode has been a disappointment so far. She seemed a little more reticent to join in with the improv. But even then there's a scene with John Ennis in it that worked for me, and it seems like she had fun by the end.

neveragain

Quote from: BeardFaceMan on February 04, 2022, 04:10:32 PMI never watched the UK version of this as I was put off the the BBC3 level guest stars, very much enjoyed the first episode of this though, particularly Will Arnett
Spoiler alert
reacting to David Wain's magic tricks
[close]
.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I've watched the first few of this (I've never seen the original). It's like a combination of Police Squad and The Krypton Factor, or something. It's an odd mixture and it feels a bit stilted at times, but it's pretty amusing overall.

Some quite literal corpsing in the Sharon Stone episode.

BeardFaceMan

Up to episode 3 now, very silly stuff, enjoying it a lot, particularly Will Arnett. You can definitely feel the Stella/CH etc influence.

DrGreggles

3 episodes in and... it's OK.
But Murder in Successville is far more fun.

Poobum

This is far not as bad as I thought it would be. Will Arnett has definitely made it his own and is the best thing in it. The changes to the concept I don't understand though.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I decided to watch the original, only to find out it's not on the iPlayer any more. What kind of guffy timing is that?

sevendaughters

I have to say Marshawn Lynch was a real joy, just a natural charisma vessel.

frajer

Quote from: sevendaughters on February 07, 2022, 08:19:32 PMI have to say Marshawn Lynch was a real joy, just a natural charisma vessel.

Just watched the first two this evening, Conan was good but yeah Lynch was such fun. His ep felt much more like the UK series, seeing him wholeheartedly embrace the weirdness of it. The mirroring scene was gloriously daft.

DrGreggles

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on February 07, 2022, 07:15:40 PMI decided to watch the original, only to find out it's not on the iPlayer any more. What kind of guffy timing is that?

I'll upload them somewhere