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   1. Comment by Eolivet on 15 September 2008:

   Wow…absolutely bizarre what happened to Diane Ruggerio, but I’m not surprised (it’s CBS, and it’s risque — they’re going to be freaked, of course). But this is the second adaptation I’ve heard of (”Life on Mars” as the first) where networks are concerned about hewing to the original. To that, I ask…what about the U.S. “Office?” Adapting a show to fit a different audience has seemed to work pretty well in the past.
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   2. Comment by Rae on 15 September 2008:

   Life on Mars is NBC right? Because I was going to say maybe it’s because it’s different networks and they don’t get how adaptations work. And, actually, The Office was pretty horrible that first season and that’s when it was basically liking watching the UK version done with different actors. It was when they allowed themselves to adapt that it suddenly became a success. They need to learn from that… but obviously aren’t. Sounds to me like they’re doing what they do when they try to copy the format of the previous season’s “darling”… falling into the trap of believing that there’s some kind of guarantee that something will be an instant success. It’s just not true. Even if a show is a hit elsewhere, it doesn’t mean it’ll be a hit here.

   I didn’t love Diane’s script for the pilot but I liked enough of it to check it out AND I liked the voice she brought to it. It won’t be the same without her even if they are going to have to stick with some of the storylines she had already put in place.
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   3. Comment by Eolivet on 15 September 2008:

   “Life on Mars” is actually ABC, but the point still stands. I’m actually amazed CBS green-lighted “Ex List” and I think they’ll be so afraid of offending their audience, it will become as bland and milquetoast as possible (given the concept).

   I wonder if networks are worried that straying too far from the original concept will somehow obscure the things that made the show such a hit in its original country. But…there’s a fine line, y’know? IMHO, if something is too derivative, it will feel “off.” It’ll be too forced, and audiences will recognize that.
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   4. Comment by Rae on 15 September 2008:

   Ahh, I don’t know why I was thinking it was NBC. I should have known, the pilot was floating around so it couldn’t have been the network that wasn’t shooting pilots.

   Do you mean because of the premise behind “The Ex List” or things that actually happen in the pilot? As far as being offensive I mean? Just curious. I don’t think the premise is nearly as offensive as people have taken it but there were some things in that pilot episode that I couldn’t believe were going to make it on the air.

   Like I said, I think the networks have more of the “it was like |this| there and it worked, I want it to work here so we should do it like |this|” mentality thing happening. But as Diane pointed out in that article, not only do you have to adapt to the audience, you have to adapt to a different format. The premise makes a lot more sense when you’re talking about 11 30-minute episodes. To make it work with an open-ended number of hour-long dramedy episodes, you *have* to change the story. And it may not be a hit in the same way, but you aren’t bringing exactly the same story over so how can you expect it to work the same way?
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   5. Comment by Just Jody on 15 September 2008:

   Hmm, I am lost as to why everyone seems to think The Ex List is offensive? (I’ve heard it elsewhere as well.)
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   6. Comment by Rae on 15 September 2008:

   Yeah… I think it’s bullshit. Something about it sending the message that a woman has to get married to be happy, etc. Because she finds out that she has to get married within the year or won’t ever get married. The thing is, I feel like people project that judgment on the show.

   I guess I don’t know anything about the original but I would never just assume that the premise means she’ll be forced to get married. Why wouldn’t there be room for her to realize she doesn’t actually want to get married? And, quite frankly, who gives a shit if she does want to get married? Some people do want that and I don’t think it’s a message to females that they have to do it this way to be happy nor do I think a woman desiring to get married means she believes you *have* to get married to be happy. But if marriage is something she values and she finds out she only has a year to make it happen… then yeah she’d be in a rush to do it. It’s just an amusing way to set up a story, I don’t think it has to be an attack on feminism.
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   7. Comment by Rae on 15 September 2008:

   Oh, I forgot to say. There is, however, some stuff that happens in the pilot that is not so much offensive… as it is off-putting. To me personally, I mean. I’m not a prude – as you know – but I was a little taken aback by it. Since it was a large element of the B story, it was enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the script/story.
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   8. Comment by afrocurl on 15 September 2008:

   Alan’s article with information from Diane is really telling of the way in which networks aren’t really looking for anything other than what already happened before. I can’t say that it’s a healthy attitude, and it seems like that show will be another one that CBS cancels quickly because it can’t be anything than a carbon copy of the previous.
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   9. Comment by Just Jody on 15 September 2008:

   Really? That’s the problem? Huh.

   I mean we’re (girls) programmed to grow up, get married and have babies from pretty much the moment we’re old enough to talk. And yet, we all seem to grow up and make our own choices on the matter despite what society dictates. And as you said, some people do choose the marriage route. And good for them.

   I have read some stuff about the original version – that could be taken as offensive I guess… the main character has no job or life outside of looking for the missing husband. So, I suppose if the show was promoting that women should have nothing in their life beside the hunt for a man, then that could be seen as… sexist. I still don’t know about offensive though?

   I’ve read that the pilot is “surprisingly watchable”. And I love me a rom-com, so I’ll check it out for sure. Although, I never liked ER on Grey’s, I don’t find her so annoying on the commercials.
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    10. Comment by Rae on 15 September 2008:

    PS: Take this with a grain of salt but, every time I saw someone complaining about the premise of The Ex List, it was someone who was pissed CBS canceled Moonlight for it (though that’s not how it works, they don’t cancel one show for another just because it ends up in the same timeslot). It doesn’t mean that there aren’t other people bitching about it too, that’s just the cases in which I’ve seen it.

    So I admit my response back is somewhat tainted by the fact that I didn’t think highly of Moonlight and, while I don’t give a shit if someone liked or didn’t like it, I don’t think there’s much room to defend it against a show that hasn’t even aired yet.
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    11. Comment by Rae on 15 September 2008:

    Roz: Agreed. The sad thing? In a way I want the show to succeed and stick around because of how much the ML people hate it because of it got the bad luck of inheriting that timeslot.
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    12. Comment by Rae on 15 September 2008:

    Jo: Right. And, honestly, in other parts of the world marriage is a necessary thing in life. I don’t even think it’s about “happiness” as it is about a societal norm to which you comply. It’s just a different mindset and is no doubt why the premise worked so well in a different social setting.

    I hadn’t read that about the original but it sounds about right given what Diane said in that article. But those were the things that she insisted on changing. The character now does have a job and a life and friends. Because she felt like these were things that she had to have to make the show work both from a format point of view — a need to have enough stories to last indefinitely and to have enough people to help fill an hour worth of showtime — and, I think, to adapt the character for a different society.

    I’m not at all surprised that it’s watchable. I told Spads long ago that I think the majority of women will enjoy it. I think it fits well with the audience who watches The Ghost Whisperer (not you but, for instance, Mona and Maggie). I dunno if the woman rom-com audience is large enough to net it good enough ratings but I think that audience will love the show. *I* just was looking forward to it and interested in it because of Diane’s involvement and knowing that I like her writing. Without that I’m just not all that interested and I prefer not having Friday night shows… so I’ll probably catch it occasionally but it won’t be something I’ll feel compelled to watch.
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    13. Comment by Rae on 15 September 2008:

    ETA: If I’m being honest, I have to admit I was already unsure about the show because of the casting of ER. I didn’t mind her on GA so much but she’s not the person I pictured in this role. (A pitfall of reading scripts I think.) I’ll tune into the pilot to see how it is and I’ll see if she can change my mind about that… but the script read more like a Lauren Graham type than an ER type.
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    14. Comment by Eolivet on 15 September 2008:

    Jody: Just my 2 cents on “Ex List” and being offensive — I’m thinking in terms of CBS standards. A CBS drama about (gasp!) sex? And a woman trying to find her soulmate through (presumably) contacting (and reigniting) old partners, with potential sexual ramifications? Considering how most of CBS’ dramas (the crime dramas anyway) only treat women like female versions of men (i.e., not sexual) or as mothers, I feel like CBS might consider it “risque” for its (mostly older) audience.
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    15. Comment by Rae on 15 September 2008:

    Ahhh, gotcha eolivet. I know you were answering Jo but I was curious too. I can see what you’re saying and I can see how, just knowing what was in the script, maybe that was some of them problem they have with Diane’s version because there’s definitely some stuff that’s risque… besides the fact that she’s going back to see guys she’s dated/had flings with in the past.

    I really need to just go read about the original version. Was it the same in that version? In this version it’s implied that the character has gotten around. Was the character a little more wholesome, for lack of a better word, in the original?
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    16. Comment by Harper47 on 15 September 2008:

    I also had no plans to watch the Ex List and now I feel quite vindicated. Partially because, like you Rae, I really don’t think ER has the potential to invest me in her characterization.

    And speaking of LG – you made me really miss Gilmore Girls.

    Still, what a frustrating experience for Diane.

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