Metal Reviews

Ohh no. No fucking way. Not only is David Threlfall entirely and utterly Frank Gallagher, but he essentially conceived the show and all the characters himself. The feel, the atmosphere and the interaction just goes to fuck itself in the US version. It's nonexistent. You need James McAvoy and the rest to really understand who the characters are and what they do. You need the heavy irish accent on Patrick Maguire. You need the evolution of the family and the characters throughout the eight seasons. The US version is simply pish, doesn't cut it, cheap imitation, fuck right off.

No. The UK version was too slapstick, while the US version succeeds as a drama. The US' characters are actually endearing and don't come off as sad human beings.

It's not supposed to be a fucking drama, it's a comedy show about absurdity, poverty, and brilliantly drawn characters.

As a comedy show, it is just generally repulsive because it relies so heavily on creating a portrayal of seedy chavs, "look at how pathetic their lives are and how their life choices ruin things for them". The beauty of the US version is that it inverts that and makes the characters incredibly endearing and easy to relate to, then you notice that they're actually poor and fucked. I'll watch more of the UK version, but I wasn't impressed like I was by the US show.

The fuck? How much of the UK version have you seen? As far as council estates go, it's a pretty accurate representation of the squallor, but I find it flatters that demographic by showing self-respect and the ability to strive for things regardless.