Popular TV shows get adapted and remade for other countries and languages all the time. On the surface, it’s an easy formula for success—take something that already works, tweak it for the new market, and watch the money roll in. In practice, cultural differences can produce shows that are bizarrely different from, or pale imitations of, the source material. This article, written for Philadelphia’s independent weekly City Paper by A.V. Club contributor Emily Guendelsberger, details the train wreck that occurred when Russian producers tried to make their own knock-off version of a show with an almost ludicrously American sensibility—It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
The Russian show, It’s Always Sunny In Moscow—or, as Google Translate puts it, “In Moscow Always Sunny”—copies characters, plots, and even camera shots from the brilliantly vulgar FX series created by “Rob MakElhenni, Glenn Houertonom, and Charlie Dai”. Unfortunately, due to Russian censorship laws, many of the show’s best moments can’t be adapted, as commented on by annoyed Russian viewers.
The article shows which episodes of Philadelphia have been adapted into It’s Always Sunny In Moscow, along with a video demonstrating just how closely the Russian show apes its predecessor. There are also a ton of amusing Google Translated fan comments, like
“Yes, except for censorship, dialogues absolutely reproduce the original, but the smile on his face did not cause. Why? Perhaps, as they say, some people just do not know how to tell jokes. Summing up, I can only say that if you do not like tracing paper entitled “In Moscow always sunny” (and it seems to me that the overwhelming success it will not achieve) do not rush to turn up his nose from the sitcom “always sunny in Philadelphia.”
which are sure to the smile on your face will cause.