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British IV CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 is the wrong word. But there are just an awful lot less people here.” The independence that many British writefs enjoy at home may account for their edgier humor, which appeals to U.S. networks thirsting to inject prime time with something fresh—while endless executive tinkering may sap that same liveliness. British television has occa sionally adapted American shows, including a hit 1990 remake of “Who'S the Boss?” while U.S. tele vision has succeeded recently with reality programs such as “Dog Eat Dog” and “American Idol,” which originated in Britain. A few successful translations from the 1970s include “Sanford and Son,” a remake of a U.K. show about a junk-dealing father-son pair called “Steptoe and Son,” and “All in the Family,” adapted from the British comedy “Til Death Us Do Part.” Some of the short-lived failures: the remake of “Men Behaving Badly,” which starred Rob Schneider as a layabout bachelor, and two renditions of John Cleese’s revered 1975 British sitcom “Fawlty Towers”-1983’s “Amanda’s,” star ring a miscast Bea Arthur as the comic foil, and 1999’s “Payne,” with John Larroquette in the lead. “It’s wrong to assume that ev erything that works well in the U.K. is going to work well here,” said Beryl Vertue, Sue’s mother and a pioneer in bringing British shows to America in the 1970s. “There are some series that do and should. Some get a bit lost in the translation, we have found.” She was responsible for “Sanford and Son” and “All in the Family,” and said much of the suc cess of those showsresulted from the strong solo vision of producer Norman Lear. Things have changed since then for scripted shows, she said. “There’s a huge reliance on rat ings and focus groups and far, far too little reliance on a gut instinct, and I think that’s a pity. And ulti mately, I think it’s a mistake,” said Beryl, a producer on both the U.S. and U.K. versions of “Coupling.” Whatever happens to “Coupling” in the United States, British television is still providing fodder for new American shows. “The Office,” a mockumentary about a smarmy, pompous middle manager and his team of brow beaten drones, also is being con verted into an American sitcom. The show recently began its sec ond season on BBC America and a DVD of its first season became available Oct. 7. Ricky Gervais, the British star of “The Office,” who co-wrote and directed the series, pointed out that the working styles of British show business and the more elab orate Hollywood industry make it hard to replicate each other’s hits. The U.S. version of “The Office” will be high-risk if it turns up on a network. Gervais predicted one big change for the lead role — a sex symbol. Petty, Jackson among honorees at 2003 Radio Music Awards BY CHRISTINA ALMEIDA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS VEGAS •*- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received the Legend Award on Monday at the 2003 Radio Music Awards. Stevie Nicks presented the award to the group in front of thousands of cheering fans at the Aladdin ho Petty tel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip. “He not only started out as my greatest musi cal influence, but today he’s still my greatest musical influence,” Nicks said. The group performed two songs, “I’m Crying” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” Petty thanked radio stations for tak ing a chance on an “unknown band.” Beyonce opened the show with her sultry single, “Baby Boy,” which the diva belted out surrounded by a ring of fire. Other superstars included Jewel, Avril Lavigne and Michelle Branch. Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee hit the stage and sang “Shake Ya Tailfeather.” The hit won best driving song. -The two-hour show broad cast live on NBC also honored Michael Jackson, who took home the Humanitarian Award. “Thank you for your love, your support, all that you’ve done,” Jackson said. Casey Kasem received the Radio Icon Award. Justin Timberlake bagged the Artist of the Year/Top 40 Radio Award, while Tim McGraw won the Artist of the Year Award in the country cat egory. “I thought I Timberlake was just coming here to present an award,” Timberlake said. “I get to take one home.” ' Brooke Burns of NBC’s “Dog Eat Dog” and “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest hosted the show. The nominees in each catego ry were based on radio’s top playing songs. Radio program and music di rectors nationwide voted on the winners. I-1 higher = test scores ~ guaranteed - or your money back Attend all required classes or make-up sessions, complete all scheduled tests, and do your homework. If your score doesn t improve on test day from your Kaplan diagnostic or a prior official test score, you can choose to repeat our program for free or get a full refund of your tuition?* It s that simple. ♦Test name* are registered trademarks of their respect** owners. **To be eligible for this offer, you must be enrolled in Kaplan s full classroom, tutoring, or online courses. In addition, you must present a copy of your official score report and your course materials within 90 days. World Leader In Test Prep and Admissions 1 -800-KflP-TEST kaptest.com t( fowtfy Quick, Healthy and Fresh! Burritos, Tacos, Salads, and Soups! Affordable, so saddle up... 934 Harden Street / Five Points 765-2188 The Fire Theft CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 while it pursues more grandiose and orchestral textures, the songs aren’t as watered-down. Enigk, while tempering his po etically obscure lyrics, blares his vocals with sincerity. On “Uncle Mountain,” he humbly sings, “1 want God/ If God wants me,” and then lets his voice build into a des perate scream. “Oceans Apart” opens with Enigk harmonizing with himself — and uncannily sounding like Jon Anderson of Yes. Enigk’s voice, however, can sound either like a human sym phony or a grating magpie de pending on who is listening. Either way, he is at the forefront of The Fire Theft’s debut. While the drums and bass are textural ly colorful, they only paint the backdrop for the vocals. Sometimes the guitars even sound like an afterthought. But for those who like Enigk, he is on full dis play here, and he majestically car ries each song. “Heaven,” the album’s most beautiful song, is enough to set lis teners afloat on the clouds. Hearing Enigk’s brilliant tenor voice sing “Falling in love with you” is enough to make anyone want to fall in love or have a reli gious experience. Even though the drums and bass mainly serve as the frame work for these lush compositions, Goldsmith works in an interest ing drum fill every now and then. Mendel, who also plays with the Foo Fighters, continues his role as one of rock’s most creative bassists — he doesn’t just ape what the guitar player is playing, and his bass lines always add an other dimension to the music. Despite the vocals’ prominence, three instrumentals are scattered throughout the album as segues. They are slightly more experi mental and feature backward tape effects as well as a piano bathed in reverb. One instrumental, “Rubber Bands,” is probably the album’s purest guitar-rock song, but at about four minutes, it goes on too long. The Fire Theft is far from a Sunny Day Real Estate reunion. Many fans want another leg endary album such as “Diary,” and that remains unlikely, given, these guys’ moodiness — Sunny Day was an emo band, after all. The Fire Theft doesn’t try to be Sunny Day Real Estate, but it does succeed at creating beautiful, hon est music that redeems Sunny Day’s flaky, overproduced final al bum. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com , ' ■. I Phat. Phones« Nokia 3560 full-color scree Motorola v6oi Nokia 6360 '■ V 1 fb . 0 with sweet games. 0 voice dialing. 0 custom ringtones. 0 check out our cool calling plans, too. starting as low as $30 a month. | AW Wireless WeGetlt. SunCom I Member of the A1ST Wireless Network ISUNCOM STORE LOCATIONS STORE HOURS: M-f 9A-7P WEEKEND HOURS: SAT lOA^P I . i- - -i i • nl_ T..» BJ . ...... . ru>*iCT<\U fT limi-Aii _ Five Points $39 Harden St (comer of Harden St and Blossom) 803-261-7510 umui11 cvicji la C.C11 t (near Parisian) 100 Columbiana Circle 803-261-7570, 803-407-7738 (M-Sat ioa-9p. Sun i:30-6p) 388888*$*$ ,?v. 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