When a British show finds an international audience, we feel quite proud that something born in the UK could be seen as worthy of attention globally. So when a programme is so successful that the Americans remake it, it's a big deal. Just look at The Office, which was reimagined in the US and became a long-running beloved comedy starring Steve Carell. Sure, not all of the attempts work out, but they keep trying. Now, we've got a new case: Miranda, the UK show from Miranda Hart, has had the remake treatment. We haven't seen it yet - a UK broadcast is TBC - so we'll reserve judgement on quality, but it's so strange to see a familiar concept given an unknown twist.
The lead actor, at least, gives us a comforting twinge of familiarity. Miranda is now Kat, a single woman who runs her own business. She's played by Mayim Bialik, who is best known to millennials as the star of Blossom, while the generation below will most likely recognise her from The Big Bang Theory. Her long-suffering, interfering mother is now played by US TV icon Swoosie Kurtz, Stevie - Miranda's friend - has a spiritual replacement of Randi, who's played by Kyla Pratt. In the UK, Kyla is best known for starring in sitcom One on One. Remember that? Classic. Leslie Jordan also stars, and Cheyenne Jackson plays love interest Max, who's absolutely based on Gary. Give this preview a look. Bear with...
Weird, right?! As we say, it's difficult to pass judgement without seeing the whole episode, but seeing Mayim look to the camera - Miranda-style - gives us a strange feeling. That's Miranda's move, not yours! But it nevertheless looks charming enough, and while it's not striking us as forging a new comedy territory, maybe the original's brand of gentle cheer is what the US needs right now.
The changes made to the show also remind us of a common point made online: that the Emmy-winning Fleabag - written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge - feels like a cool version of Miranda. It's the set-up - a single woman with a complicated relationship with her mother-figure runs her own business - and the breaking of the fourth wall. The US version's relocation of the protagonist from the original British joke shop to a more unique cat cafe is a little closer to Fleabag's guinea pig cafe. We're obviously not saying that Call Me Kat is a Miranda/Fleabag mash-up, but we like to be reminded of the discourse that equated the two back in the day.
So good luck to all involved. It looks, what I call, fun.
READ MORE: As This Country Gets An American Remake, A Look At History's Hits And Misses