Yeah, it explains why many shows --"The Office" itself being an example--have
to be remade instead of simply ported directly from Britain. I remember getting
into discussions with friends who always told me "Monty Python" was stupid and
extremely unfunny, but who'd then extol the virtues of Benny Hill! Slapstick
trumping wit, alas...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Baxter" <truthseeker...@lycos.com>
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 12:27:41 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Actor Idris Elba Starts Run on "The Office"
Tonight
Truth all the way in that, Keith.
---------[ Received Mail Content ]----------
Subject : Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Actor Idris Elba Starts Run on "The Office"
Tonight
Date : Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:59:19 +0000 (UTC)
>From : Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@comcast.net>
To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
I will agree with that. They told Elba that the audience just "wouldn't get"
his British accent. I agree that is ridiculous, and shows how American TV
continually dumbs itself down. But still, Elba was fun, despite that handicap.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Baxter"
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 8:01:56 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: [RE][scifinoir2] Actor Idris Elba Starts Run on "The Office" Tonight
If anything, I'm marking this as *another* reason I'm never watching "The
Office". Why *not* let him use his *native* British accent? on two of the eight
jobs I've had in my life, I've had a British supervisor. It's not an odd
occurrence.
But then, NBC is the outfit that owns Skiffy. Dangit! I'm going to have to find
another derogatory nickname for them, with that name change.
---------[ Received Mail Content ]----------
Subject : [scifinoir2] Actor Idris Elba Starts Run on "The Office" Tonight
Date : Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:16:17 +0000 (UTC)
>From : Keith Johnson
To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
This ought to be interesting. If you get time, listen to Elba's interview with
Terry Gross on "Fresh Air". It's pretty long, about forty-five minutes, and
quite informative. For example, Elba really wanted to have his native London
accent in "The Office", since he's so often asked to have an American accent in
his work. The showrunners at first said "yes", but later changed their minds,
to his disappointment.
********************************************
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101780271
Fresh Air from WHYY , March 12, 2009 ยท Actor Idris Elba is best known for his
stint on HBO's acclaimed drama The Wire , where he played Russell "Stringer"
Bell, a drug dealer and aspiring real-estate mogul.
Although "Stringer" never made it in the corporate world, Elba will soon be
donning a suit: Starting next week, he'll play Michael Scott's new boss in
NBC's popular prime-time comedy The Office . The trade journal Variety reported
in January that he'll be with the show for a six-episode arc, playing "a
no-nonsense hire at Dunder Mifflin's corporate office who will throw Michael
Scott into turmoil."
Elba, 36, was with The Wire from 2002 to 2004. He's also appeared in many
movies, including American Gangster , 28 Weeks Later , and Sometimes In April .
He's also a DJ and a singer. The London-born actor stars in the thriller The
Obsessed , due out later this year. He talks to Fresh Air 's Terry Gross about
his work in music and movies, and about life after The Wire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
