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List of American television series based on British television series

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Many successful British television shows (particularly sitcoms and reality shows) have been remade for the American market. The amount of reworking varies, with some shows (such as All in the Family) keeping the basic situation and then adding many original features, while others have taken complete scripts verbatim (such as Amanda's).

There are relatively few examples of American shows remade for the British market (the majority of these being game shows), and the British television audience are very accepting of the American originals while being much less accepting of British remakes (see, for instance, the failure of The Brighton Belles, the British remake of The Golden Girls). The U.S. remakes have sometimes been imported back into the UK. By contrast, original British programmes are rarely seen on the major U.S. networks in modern times (in the 1960s the airing of UK-produced programs such as The Avengers and Fireball XL5 on U.S. network TV occurred frequently) and are usually broadcast only on the Public Broadcasting Service and on cable television, especially BBC America, with only a few purely British shows having gained mainstream popularity in the United States. This list includes a number of pilots not subsequently made into series.

UK original US remake Notes
The 1900 House Frontier House Reality. Frontier House broadcast in the UK on Channel 4.
Absolutely Fabulous AbFab Two pilots attempts, one by Roseanne Barr, another by Jennifer Saunders (who created the UK version). Both were passed over.
Agony The Lucie Arnaz Show
Airline Airline British version renamed Airline UK in the U.S.
Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon Gameshow Marathon Game show.
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris
Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Reality.
Are You Being Served? Beane's of Boston Comedy. Unaired pilot.
As If As If U.S. remake canceled after two episodes on UPN.
Bad Education An American Education Unaired pilot for ABC.
Balls of Steel Balls of Steel
Ballykissangel Hope Island
Being Human Being Human Sci-fi drama on Syfy.
Benidorm The Big Package Yet to air as of 2022.
Big Star's Little Star Big Star Little Star
Birds of a Feather Stand by Your Man
Blackpool Viva Laughlin U.S. remake canceled after two episodes.
Brat Camp Brat Camp USA
Broadchurch Gracepoint Crime drama. Cancelled after one season.
Cannonball Cannonball
Cash Cab Cash Cab Game show.
Cash in the Attic Cash in the Attic Reality.
CD:UK CD USA
Celebrity Fit Club Celebrity Fit Club Reality competition. Both versions featured former US Marine Harvey Walden IV.
Celebrity Gogglebox Celebrity Watch Party U.S. version was broadcast in the UK as Celebrity Gogglebox USA.
Changing Rooms Trading Spaces Reality.
The Chase The Chase Game show. Until 2021, the U.S. version only used one Chaser, Mark Labbett (a.k.a. "The Beast"), who was brought over from the UK to participate.
The Circle The Circle U.S. version known in the UK as The Circle US.
Cold Feet Cold Feet
Cracker Cracker U.S. remake is known as Fitz in the UK.
Coupling Coupling Comedy. U.S. remake was canceled after four episodes.
Cuckoo Cuckoo Sitcom. NBC ordered a pilot in 2013.
Da Ali G Show Da Ali G Show
Dad's Army The Rear Guard Pilot episode only.
Dancing on Ice Skating with Celebrities Reality.
Dear John Dear John Known as Dear John USA in the UK.
Distraction Distraction Game show. Same host (Jimmy Carr).
Dog Eat Dog Dog Eat Dog Game show. U.S. version hosted by Brooke Burns.
Don't Forget Your Toothbrush Don't Forget Your Toothbrush Game show. U.S. edition aired on Comedy Central and was hosted by actor Mark Curry.
Eleventh Hour Eleventh Hour Drama.
Ex on the Beach Ex on the Beach Reality.
Faking It Faking It Reality game show.
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin Reggie
Farmer Wants a Wife Farmer Wants a Wife
Fawlty Towers Chateau Snavely Comedy. Pilot episode only with Harvey Korman and Betty White.
Amanda's Starring Beatrice Arthur.
Payne Starring John Larroquette.
For the Love of Ada A Touch of Grace American sitcom starring Shirley Booth.
Footballers' Wives Football Wives Drama. Confirmed pilot.
Four Weddings Four Weddings Reality, British original is known as Four Weddings UK.
Free Agents Free Agents Comedy starring Hank Azaria. U.S. remake cancelled after four episodes.
Friday Night Dinner Dinner with the Parents Sitcom. Released on Freevee after three previously failed attempts.
Gavin & Stacey Us & Them Comedy.
George and Mildred The Ropers
Getting On Getting On Sitcom. After a successful pilot episode, HBO ordered a six-episode run in 2013, with a second season airing in 2014.
Ghosts Ghosts Sitcom.
Gogglebox The People's Couch Observational documentary picked up by Bravo. First aired in 2013.
The Great British Bake Off The Great American Baking Show UK version known in the U.S. as The Great British Baking Show.
The Grimleys The Grubbs[1]
Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen Reality competition. American version broadcast in the UK as Hell's Kitchen USA on ITV2. Gordon Ramsay appears in both series.
Hit Me Baby One More Time Hit Me Baby One More Time Same host (Vernon Kay).
Holding the Baby Holding the Baby
Home to Roost You Again? Elizabeth Bennett appears in both versions.
Honey, We're Killing the Kids Honey We're Killing the Kids
House of Cards House of Cards Same premise, though British version was a short series.
How Clean Is Your House? Kim and Aggie Clean Up America
Hunted Hunted
I'd Do Anything I'd Do Anything George Gray hosted U.S. version on ESPN, his third U.S. version of a British show.
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Reality.
The Inbetweeners The Inbetweeners Comedy. Cancelled after one series.
The IT Crowd The IT Crowd Pilot canceled in 2008.
It's Me or the Dog It's Me or the Dog
The Jeremy Kyle Show The Jeremy Kyle Show Chat show. U.S. version ended in 2013 after two seasons.
Junior MasterChef MasterChef Junior
Just for Laughs Just for Laughs U.S. version was a repackaged version of the Canadian version.
Keep it in the Family Too Close for Comfort Final season of U.S. version initially aired as The Ted Knight Show.
The Krypton Factor The Krypton Factor
A League of Their Own Game On!
Life on Mars Life on Mars Sci-fi drama.
Little Britain Little Britain USA Comedy. A full series was made and gained popularity after various repeats. HBO ordered more, but makers and stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas declined.
Love Island Love Island Reality.
Love Thy Neighbour Love Thy Neighbor
Mad Dogs Mad Dogs Drama/Thriller. Remake that reused one of the original British actors (Ben Chaplin).
Man About the House Three's Company Comedy.
MasterChef MasterChef USA
MasterChef Reality.
Match of the Day Match of the Day
Max Headroom Max Headroom Sci-fi.
Men Behaving Badly Men Behaving Badly Comedy series. Aired for two seasons on NBC.
The Million Pound Drop Live Million Dollar Money Drop Game show. The U.S. remake was cancelled in 2011.
The Million Pound Hoax $25 Million Dollar Hoax
Mind Your Language What a Country!
Miranda Call Me Kat
Mistresses Mistresses Drama series.
Mr. Men and Little Miss The Mr. Men Show
Never Mind the Buzzcocks Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Not the Nine O'Clock News Not Necessarily the News The Daily Show, especially in its earlier incarnation under Craig Kilborn, also owes a great deal to this show.
The Office The Office Comedy. U.S. version is broadcast in the UK as The Office: An American Workplace, The Office USA, or The US Office.
On the Buses Lotsa Luck
One Foot in the Grave Cosby Many differences.
Outnumbered Outnumbered Picked up by Fox.
Pop Idol American Idol Reality competition. Simon Cowell was a judge on both versions.
Porridge On the Rocks
Prime Suspect Prime Suspect
Pulling Pulling Pilot with creative input from Sharon Horgan.
Pyjama Party Pajama Party Same presenter (Katie Puckrik).
Queer as Folk Queer as Folk Drama.
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares Kitchen Nightmares Reality. Both versions feature Gordon Ramsay as host. U.S. version broadcast in the UK on Channel 4 as Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA.
Red Dwarf Red Dwarf USA Two un-aired pilots. The second pilot is titled Red Dwarf USA.
Robin's Nest Three's a Crowd Comedy.
Robot Wars Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors was filmed alongside the UK show in 2001 and 2002.
Nickelodeon Robot Wars
Scrapheap Challenge Junkyard Wars Scrapheap and Junkyard have gone head-to-head in transatlantic challenges in the UK.[2]
The Secret Millionaire Secret Millionaire
Shameless Shameless U.S. version starring William H. Macy.
Sirens Sirens Comedy drama. Cancelled after two seasons by The USA Network.
The Sketch Show The Sketch Show U.S. version featured Kelsey Grammer.
Skins Skins Ran for one season only in 2011. UK version shown on BBC America.
Small Fortune Small Fortune U.S. version hosted by Lil Rel Howery. US version shown on NBC.
Spaced Spaced Only a pilot episode was made.
Spitting Image D.C. Follies Loose adaptation.
Spotless Keep It Spotless Competition.
Spy Spy Situation comedy. ABC ordered a remake in 2013.
Steptoe and Son Sanford and Son Comedy. Relied on race as well as class.
Strictly Come Dancing Dancing with the Stars Reality competition. Former UK judges Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli are also judges on Dancing with the Stars.
Supernanny Supernanny Reality. British episodes shown along with U.S. episodes. Same host (Jo Frost).
Taskmaster Taskmaster
Teachers Teachers Canceled after six episodes.
That Was the Week That Was That Was The Week That Was Satire. Both versions hosted by David Frost.
The Thick of It The Thick of It Unaired pilot made for ABC.
Veep HBO series produced by Armando Iannucci and the same team of writers as the British version.
This Country Welcome to Flatch
This Life First Years[3]
Till Death Us Do Part All in the Family Comedy. Coincidentally, the All in the Family spinoff Maude was remade in the UK as Nobody's Perfect, and the Maude spinoff Good Times was remade as The Fosters. None of the UK series were connected to each other or to Till Death Us Do Part.
Top Gear Top Gear Reality.
Top Gear America
Top of the Pops Top of the Pops Sometimes aired performances recorded by its BBC counterpart. Aired as part of CBS Late Night.
Touching Evil Touching Evil Drama.
Trigger Happy TV Trigger Happy TV Dom Joly appears in both versions of the show, despite the U.S. version having a mostly new cast — Joly was the only on screen star in the UK Version. The American version is known as Trigger Happy USA when aired in the UK.
Trisha Goddard Trisha Chat show. U.S. version ended in 2014 after two seasons.
Two's Company The Two of Us Comedy.
Undercover Boss Undercover Boss Reality.
Upstairs, Downstairs Beacon Hill Drama.
Utopia Utopia
The Vicar of Dibley The Minister of Divine Comedy. Pilot episode only.
The Weakest Link Weakest Link Game show. Anne Robinson hosted both the UK version and the original U.S. prime time series. Subsequent U.S. syndicated series were hosted by George Gray. Currently hosted by Jane Lynch on NBC.
What Not to Wear What Not to Wear Reality.
The Wheel The Wheel Game show. Both versions are hosted by Michael McIntyre who also created the show.
White Van Man Family Tools Comedy sitcom. Picked up by ABC for a full series in 2012.
Who Do You Think You Are? Who Do You Think You Are?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Game show.
Whose Line Is It Anyway? Whose Line Is It Anyway? Improvisational sketch comedy. Both used panelists Wayne Brady, Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie, among others. Last episodes of UK version were produced in the U.S.
Wife Swap Wife Swap Reality.
Trading Spouses
Wild at Heart Life Is Wild U.S. version cancelled after thirteen episodes.
The World's Strictest Parents World's Strictest Parents
The Worst Week of My Life Worst Week Comedy.
Would I Lie to You? Would I Lie to You?
The X Factor The X Factor Reality competition. Same executive producer/judge (Simon Cowell) and production company (Syco TV). Cheryl Cole was also a judge on the U.S. version but was dropped following the audition stage. US edition cancelled after three seasons.
The Young Ones Oh No Not THEM! Unsuccessful pilot; Nigel Planer was the only cast member from the original.
The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star[4]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Grubbs". IMDb.
  2. ^ The original show for Channel 4 was called Scrapheap, but renamed Scrapheap Challenge starting from series two. When shown in the U.S. this reverted to Scrapheap. When the program started to use U.S. teams and a U.S. presenter it was re-titled Junkyard Wars for both U.S. and UK audiences. In the UK episodes involving UK teams remain under the title Scrapheap Challenge.
  3. ^ "First Years". IMDb. 19 March 2001.
  4. ^ "My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star". IMDb. 14 March 2002.

See also

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