OT American copying - was Re: [Sca-cooks] American Iron Chef

[Susan Fox-Davis]

Misha wrote:

>  Fifth, you
> go Master A. Having someone that old doing a action style cooking show seems
> boring to me. Kaga is younger and more vibrant so it seems he would make the
> show more interesting. WIlliam Shatner is going on either late 50's or 60's.
> Kaga is in his 40's. Already you have a 10 to 20 years difference.

William Shatner:  3/22/31  age 70
Takeshi Kaga:  10/12/50  age 50

> Shatner
> isn't graceful either nor flamboyant, two things he lacks from Kaga. I mean,
> c'mon, could you see Shatner in a ruffily shirt with a black tuxedo style
> clothing filled with glitter? I would go blind from after seeing that. I
> think many of us are used to the Japanese Iron Chef that we reject the
> American attempts to recreate it. I think that Fuji films stopped Iron CHef
> and that should be that. Stop trying to recreate something that isn't yours.

There have been lots of hit TV shows in the USA that were based on foreign
shows.  Where would we be without "All in the Family"?  And the ones that work
best are the ones that they change the least, my favorite example at the moment
being "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"  Except for the different host, ABC could
probably drop one of the British shows in and nobody would notice.

OK, I'll admit to being an unreconstructed original series Trek fan, however...
Shatner is still packing them in at Star Trek conventions and playing it
bigger-than-life to the crowd, still smashing guitars on Priceline.com
commercials, he did all right hosting Miss America that time, I think he'll be
just fine hamming it up for Iron Chef.  Here, big and hammy is exactly what they
want!

Selene