The Importance of Looking

I hesitate to generalize American TV as 'simple' or 'dumbed down' compared to British offerings, especially as both cultures have generated items that can be classified as 'simple' and 'clever'. For every game show masquerading as a reality programme, there's a witty comedy that survives the test of time. With that said, there's a subtle sequence in the British version that plays out on a more basic level in the American version. Due to the timing of the appearance of the American version, being only the second episode in the series, it has to play out on a more basic level because the characters have yet to be defined in the audience's mind. As this has been accomplished in 'Steptoe', they can proceed in a different manner. Both mean to achieve the same goal at the end.

In the American version, Fred announces he's going to bed. Lamont stops him in order to give him his present; the teasing that the birthday has been forgotten is over. In a good-natured way Fred chides him for messing with him and together they relish the gag. Lamont watches as Fred opens the present, a stylish gray hat. Fred is happy to get it and Lamont is clearly pleased he's chosen correctly, enthusiastically dragging his father to a nearby mirror to try it on. It's a boy seeking to please his father and succeeding. Any conflict here is due to Fred's smart mouth but he's clearly joking and Lamont can take it as such.

In the British version, Albert announces he's going to bed. Harold stops him, holds out the present, and says 'Happy Birthday.' Albert snatches it, snapping verbally with frustration. Harold laughs, enjoying every moment, noting how he couldn't wait to see his face. Albert does not join in with the merriment. This is big change number one: since Lamont didn't give his father a hard time for a long time, Fred could bounce back quickly to appreciate the humor in the situation. Harold wound his father up too far and it's not funny to Albert. Since the British audience expects this sort of thing from the pair, it's still funny to them.

Harold is keen for his father to open the present, encouraging him to do so, but then turns away. He was keen to see his father's expression after his joke was revealed but then doesn't watch his expression upon opening the present. This would appear to be a 'guy thing' moment. It's one thing to watch your buddy as a joke is played on him, but a moment of real emotion is awkward and not for sharing. The opening of the card that occurs after the present is dealt with also supports this theory.

Harold's turning away allows for a subtle moment. Upon opening the present and finding a pair of nice gloves inside, Albert is clearly pleased, for all of a second. He quickly puts the mask on and expresses indifference to the gloves. Why? This is his chance to get Harold back. Had Harold been watching him, this wouldn't have been possible as he would have seen the glee. Harold becomes defensive of his present, pointing out the quality and helping his father try them on. Albert doesn't give his son the hard time he received. He soon agrees that the gloves are nice and need to be kept for best, just as Fred and Lamont agree that the hat should be treated.

Both sons have also gotten their father a card with a 'mushy' poem inside. Both fathers are keen to receive the card, happier about the card than the present, not that they don't like the present but the card would have been enough. Both decide to read the card aloud.

This is where Albert does the 'glasses' gag that Fred does during the phone call to Social Security. Interestingly enough, the glasses seem to help Fred whereas Albert reads the card more clearly once he's taken the glasses back off. As Albert reads the card, Harold turns away embarrassed. Albert is touched by the sentiment expressed, and Harold tries to play it off as a bit corny but true. Albert goes to put it with all the other cards Harold's given him over the years, and the cards he and his late wife exchanged, and Harold's school reports as well as his letters to Father Christmas. While this goes to support Albert's character as a pack rat, he often wants to keep the junk they bring in rather than sell it, it's also a moment that supports the relationship he has with his son. They may argue, they may give each other a difficult time, but, at the centre of it is love. By the end of his sequence, seeing Harold wanting his father to enjoy his gift and Albert near tears at the card, the audience is reassured that they care for each other.

On the other hand, Fred doesn't repeat the 'glasses' gag, but calls back to it by retrieving a pair from his sweater in order to read the card aloud. Lamont is uncomfortable and continues to interrupt his father's attempts to read it. While the emotion is still manifest, it occurs like shtick, like a Abbott and Costello or Hope and Crosby routine. Lamont also doesn't watch his father read the card, only looking at him when Fred turns halfway through to smile at him. Lamont also tries to play off Fred's positive reaction to the card by noting it was 'corny' but this offends Fred. This is where they do most of their arguing, not over the pretend forgetting, not over the pretending to not like the present, but over the emotion in the card. To Fred, Lamont calling it 'corny' and 'mushy' means he doesn't agree with all those nice words. Once Lamont has become defensive enough about it, Fred defuses the situation by noting his new hat is the best he's ever owned. Lamont can then relax and move on. As in the British version, it's clear they care about each other. Lamont wants his father to enjoy the present, Fred enjoys the present. Even though they argue, there are signs that they want each other to be happy.

In both versions, the son now announces to the father that this is only part of the present, that there is also a night on the town planned. It is important that both versions have established that Father and Son can get along and do love one another because it's all down hill from here.

'Happy Birthday Pop' based on 'Sixty-Five Today'

Shared Plot

It is Father's sixty-fifth birthday. Son returns home from work with packages and pretends to have forgotten Father's birthday. After Father turns sadly to go to bed, Son hands over his present, a stylish clothing accessory that both Father and Son agrees should be worn for best. The present is not complete as Son has an evening on the town planned as well: drinks, a show, and dinner. Father doesn't enjoy the fancy drinks and finds them too expensive. The show is too upscale and long for Father's taste. Dinner at the Chinese restaurant doesn't go well either, with Father not liking the food. Son becomes upset that all his hard work is unappreciated and leaves.

Variations

From a pacing perspective, the episodes are very similar. Not requiring a commercial break, the Steptoe episode runs to about 31 minutes with the credits as they are part of the story, not repeating the same sequence every week. The Sanford episode is just short of 26 minutes with the credits included but those credits are not part of the story, they are the same piece of film every week. The Sanford episode also has a coda, a brief piece of non-essential story that was generally removed in syndication. If we take the timing from where the story ends, the length is 23 minutes and 15 seconds long, almost 8 minutes shorter than the British version.

The opening sequence where the Father's birthday is discussed and the evening out set up takes up about half of the episode for each version. The sequences in the bar and theatre run to similar lengths for both. The greatest variation is in the restaurant sequence which is about 4 minutes shorter in the American version.

While the general pacing is the same, the specific pacing is different and that's where the two approaches become unique. The Steptoe episode is from the second series. The characters of Father Albert and Son Harold are already established to the viewing audience. They have expectations. This is the second episode of 'Sanford and Son' so the characters of Father Fred and Son Lamont are still being established. The sequence of Harold pretending to have forgotten his Father's birthday is much longer than in the American version. Since the audience is already familiar with their relationship, this sort of thing would seem natural. If Lamont were to treat Fred in this way, this early in the history of the show the audience might turn on him as cruel.

Both Albert and Fred do the 'glasses' gag, digging through a drawer full of spectacles for the pair that will assist him with this specific task, but for different reasons. Albert uses the glasses in order to read the card Harold gives him. Fred uses them to read the phone book and dial the phone to talk to Social Security. In the American version, this conversation soaks up most of the time spent in the British version with Harold 'forgetting' the birthday. It's also mirrored in the coda sequence. Fred decides he's going to retire on the money Social Security will pay him. Lamont explains he won't get the maximum payout as he hasn't earned enough money to qualify. Fred calls to check. In both conversations with Social Security Fred asks a question. Both are answered to his satisfaction, responding to their explanation with multiple 'uh-huh' until he hangs up. This plays out better than it reads.

Where Steptoe Meets Sanford

A good idea is a good idea, no matter where it comes from originally. A successful idea opens itself up for copying, remaking, redoing. If it worked once, it should work again.

Nowhere is this as obvious as in television. Popular shows go from one country to the next, occasionally to be rebroadcast, but just as often to be remade, to have culturally specific references removed to better position the programme for success in its new home.

Many of the popular comedy shows of 1970's American television have their roots in England. After the success of translating 'Til Death Us Do Part' into 'All in the Family', other shows followed. 'Man About the House' became 'Three's Company'. 'Fawlty Towers' became 'Amanda's'. Okay, so maybe all the remakes weren't popular.

In 1972, the British show 'Steptoe and Son' came to America to become 'Sanford and Son'. Of the fourteen episodes that make up the first season of 'Sanford and Son', twelve of them are identified as rewritten 'Steptoe and Son' episodes. While not the only episodes so translated, it's interesting to see so many episodes from the original were used in this way.

I have all of 'Sanford and Son' on DVD and have about half of 'Steptoe and Son' on DVD. I enjoy both programmes for what they are but never really watch them at the same time. The urge to watch old British sitcoms generally fits a different mood than the urge that craves Redd Foxx's brand of silliness.

Last week, watching 'Steptoe and Son' while I dozed off, it occurred to me that I couldn't really remember anyone comparing and contrasting the original and the American versions. It's not that one is better than the other, just to see how things get changed, to take a look at the structure of the writing and performances to see how they differ. There may be a very good reason to not do this, one that I will learn while giving it a try.

In this regard, I'm hoping failure will be as entertaining as success. We shall see.

To Success!

All I know is that the last three Brewer home games equate to the last three Brewer home wins, going back to last year's playoff game. If the Brewers care to employ me as a lucky charm, I am not that hard to contact.

In progress gets you this

Spent a good chunk of today working on the project I talked about last week. Research and such. Fun! I don't want to rush it so I'm not going to crank it out for today. As a taste or tease or whatever you want to call it, I'm posting the above picture which won't mean much of anything to a lot of people.

Ads still don't stick

I spent most of today playing catch-up from being ill. I did some cleaning, mostly the putting away of Things that had been staged rather than put away straight away. The advantage to doing this time of chore is that it allowed me to look for the camcorder battery for which I'm looking. No, I've not yet found it and that is still driving me up the wall.

I also worked on cleaning up one of my primary email inboxes. I took a number of surveys today. It makes me feel useful and that's sometimes handy during this period of time. What I learned from today's surveys is something I've longer suspected: most current advertising doesn't stick in my head. Plenty of older jingles are still in my head, popping out when I least suspect it. Today, under 'pressure', I could recognize commercials, even ones I found stupid and unentertaining, but had no memory of the brand that the ad was representing. That's a waste of ad dollars.

Maybe it's age. I probably see more commercials than most of my friends as I tend to watch more live tv than the rest, even now that I have DVR access, and these jingles don't linger. Maybe my brain is full of jingles and doesn't have room for any others. Maybe.

I'm still inclined to think that the commercial is dead.

Annoying

The worst thing about leaving an item out where you should be able to find it is that you can't leave everything out like that. There isn't the room. In an attempt to reflect that reality, items get assigned places, locations where they are supposed to reside when not in use.

I had a location where the spare battery to my camcorder was located. It's not there. I believe I moved the location to reflect the cleaning I've been doing on and off over the past few months. I don't know where it is now. I've been looking for the battery during this past week. I started hunting for it a bit more seriously today. I haven't found it yet and it's driving me nuts.

It's here somewhere. It had better be.