Name Some Transplanted UK Shows That You Like

[appleye1]

From the UK General Chit-Chat forum:

The US have a habit of latching on to a really good UK programme - and then making a mess of it.

I won't list them here as there is a limit on the size of the post.

Is that true? Have we trashed that many good UK shows? I can't remember any flops myself but I can remember a few shows based on UK shows that I really liked, like All In The Family, Sanford and Son, and Welcome Back Kotter. And of course The Office, but maybe we shouldn't count that one since the same Brits that created the UK show are producing the US one.

Wikipedia has a list of UK shows remade in the US (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_television_series_remade_for_the_US_market). I'm not sure how comprehensive it is but I was surprised there were so few shows listed. I've only seen a handful of the shows so I can't really say if the majority of them were a "mess", but many can be considered successful simply because they ran for multiple seasons. (But of course in the US that doesn't mean they were any good!)

What UK shows that jumped the pond have you enjoyed? (In other words, shows that you wouldn't consider a mess!)

[Wilhite]

Antiques Roadshow

[MrGreg]

Didn't we have a failed version of Coupling?

[classicsat]

Yes, Coupling. I liked both the UK and and US versions. It was kind of fun watching an almost verbatim UK script performed by the US cast, which I had already seen performed by the UK cast.

[TonyTheTiger]

The list is highly innaccurate. There is no mention of American Idol (Pop Idol) or America's Got Talent (Britain's Got Talent) and many others.

Apparently there is a show called Gear in production based on Top Gear (destined to fail).

One Foot in the Grave is NOT a precursor to Cosby. They are totally different shows.

I could go on, but as the OP quoted, there is a limit to the size of the post (that would still remain worthy of reading!).

[BobB]

What UK shows that jumped the pond have you enjoyed? (In other words, shows that you wouldn't consider a mess!)

The Office crossed over pretty well. Coupling, on the other hand was a great UK show that was turned into a pile of dog vomit in its US incarnation (and thankfully only lasted a few episodes).

[Gunnyman]

I liked Life on Mars last week.
The Office is also awesome.

[LoadStar]

Apparently there is a show called Gear in production based on Top Gear (destined to fail).

As far as I know, it's still going to be called Top Gear here as well. And as for destined to fail, most people said that until the reports came out from those who attended the filming of the first episode, which were almost universally positive reports.

[TonyTheTiger]

As far as I know, it's still going to be called Top Gear here as well. And as for destined to fail, most people said that until the reports came out from those who attended the filming of the first episode, which were almost universally positive reports.

I'll wait to see it before forming an opinion, but I don't hold out too much hope without Clarkson, Hammond and May (even if Clarkson DID have a head-on collision last week - he's ok though).

[Cainebj]

All in the Family was based on a UK sitcom.

[Ment]

The Office and JunkYard Wars are standout crossovers for me.

[Alfer]

The Office

[LoadStar]

(even if Clarkson DID have a head-on collision last week - he's ok though).

Wow. I hadn't heard about that. All we need now is Captain Slow to get into a major accident to complete the trifecta. :)

[TonyTheTiger]

Wow. I hadn't heard about that. All we need now is Captain Slow to get into a major accident to complete the trifecta. :)

Here's the story (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/13/clarkson-injured-in-head-on-crash-during-filming/).

[Ruth]

Coupling
What Not To Wear

[taronga]

The Office - I die from shared embarrassment whenever I try to watch the UK version. The US version is slightly easier for me to watch - and much funnier to boot. If only it had Martin Freeman..

Little Britain - I am not a LB fan. Heaven knows why I suffered through all three UK series of it. Hype, I guess. I've only seen one episode of the American version, and it did look promising, but my TV schedule is too packed to waste more time on it.

Touching Evil - Ok, here's one that I absolutely loved and feel is entirely superior to the original.

Footballers Wives/MVP - This one is Canadian but, you know, close enough. ;) They're quite different in tone and sport (one is soccer, the other hockey) so it may not count as a remake, but I enjoyed both equally.

Blackpool/Viva Laughlin - Well, I was willing to give it more of a shot. :p

[mattack]

Umm, AFAIaIMDBK(*), Welcome Back Kotter has no relation to a British show.

(*) As far as I and IMDB know.

[appleye1]

Umm, AFAIaIMDBK(*), Welcome Back Kotter has no relation to a British show.

(*) As far as I and IMDB know.The British show was Please Sir, and while the WBK producers never admitted it, the timing is right, and there are too many similarities to ignore. Basically WBK was a rip-off.

One of many sources: http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/pleasesir.htm

[RonDawg]

I'll wait to see it before forming an opinion, but I don't hold out too much hope without Clarkson, Hammond and May (even if Clarkson DID have a head-on collision last week - he's ok though).

+1. The Americanized/Americanised Top Gear may turn out to be a good show, but the chemistry/bickering among Clarkson/Hammond/May is a big reason why the UK version is such a hit, and I'm not sure that can be duplicated with other people, regardless of nationality.

I'm not sure if a US version would be able to do the same outrageous stunts as well. For example, would American media lawyers allow the hosts to strap an outboard motor on a pickup truck and go across a large body of water, the way the UK hosts crossed the English channel with a Nissan pickup?

And while I certainly don't condone vandalism or other criminal acts, Jeremy ramming the tree and doing other destructive acts around Bristol with a Toyota 4x4 pickup would have likely netted him criminal charges if done here in the US.

[TonyTheTiger]

...not to mention upsetting the car manufacturers and losing ad revenue!

[phox_mulder]

+1. The Americanized/Americanised Top Gear may turn out to be a good show, but the chemistry/bickering among Clarkson/Hammond/May is a big reason why the UK version is such a hit, and I'm not sure that can be duplicated with other people, regardless of nationality.

I've watched 3 episodes of Top Gear Australia, and am not impressed.
It is the same format, same graphics, even the set looks pretty much identical, but the hosts just don't do it for me.

IIRC, the current incarnation of Top Gear took a few episodes to hit it's stride.


phox

[SnakeEyes]

One Foot in the Grave is NOT a precursor to Cosby. They are totally different shows.

Actually it was supposed to be originally but got changed very quickly. The pilot episode is a recreation of the original, including a cremated turtle.

[SnakeEyes]

As for the shows I've watched:

Airline
Coupling
All in the Family
Three's Company
Too Close for Comfort
Men Behaving Badly
Office
Cosby
Idol
Sanford and Son
DWTS
Millionaire
WLIIA

[Sparty99]

Can the people who liked the US version of Coupling please tell me how many blows to the head you took prior to watching the shows? I can understand how the shows might be seen as moderately comical after viewing a single episode on their own, but when compared to the British version it's borderline insulting that the US version even got to air.

[gastrof]

The saddest example I can think of regarding remaking a British show in the States was Fawlty Towers.

John Larroquette took the John Cleese role, and the series was called "Payne".

I think it lasted maybe one airing before being cancelled.

The original was SO good, despite some cultural hiccups (Americans "getting it") there's no way an American version could have been done as well, let alone better.

Apparently they didn't try, and so everyone ended up NOT in Payne? *grin*

EDIT:
Just found out there'd been an earlier American version of FT, starring Bea Arthur in a gender-reversed situation. It was called "Amanda's" and lasted all of 10 episodes before being canned. I'd recommend checking out the British version, and not even remembering either American version.