Won't work unless...

We've had a few smiles in the past at the way the American public won't take a film seriously unless there's an American in a starring role (e.g. Steve McQueen in "The Great Escape") but it seems we here won't accept an adaptation of a classic book unless it's been (literally) sexed-up.  The BBC are to broadcast an adaptation of "War and Peace" and apparently the scriptwriter has included a non-existing incestuous relationship and some nudity just to attract more viewers.  When challenged, he said that he had "written one or two things that Tolstoy forgot to write".  Quite what this says about the great British viewing public, I'm not sure.