# Have any American shows been turned into a British version?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-american-shows-been-turned-into-a-british-version/467651>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 13, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-american-shows-been-turned-into-a-british-version/467651 "2008-10-13T00:14:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-american-shows-been-turned-into-a-british-version/467651/21 "2008-10-13T21:28:19Z")

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Game shows and reality shows only really work if they’re domestic affairs, which is why there are so many shows like that on the list. Sitcoms and dramas don’t need to be translated, and indeed often suffer when they are.

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**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-american-shows-been-turned-into-a-british-version/467651/22 "2008-10-13T21:36:00Z")

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> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> Wasn’t The Office (uk) inspired by Office Space?

On one of the extra features on The Office DVD, I seem to recall Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant saying they weren’t aware of Office Space when they started the show, and that any resemblance was purely coincidental.

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-american-shows-been-turned-into-a-british-version/467651/23 "2008-10-13T21:40:14Z")

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I thought I remember seeing articles about The Office that said that the show was based on fly-on-the-wall documentaries like Airport.

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**Author:** ![vintageloveletter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@vintageloveletter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vintageloveletter)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-american-shows-been-turned-into-a-british-version/467651/24 "2008-10-14T04:06:21Z")

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Here is an episode of [The Upper Hand](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smO_CFLFw0Y&feature=related) (Who’s the Boss? remake) on youtube. Skip to 3:40 to see that the layout of the house is exactly the same as in the original.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-american-shows-been-turned-into-a-british-version/467651/25 "2008-10-14T04:09:41Z")

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> [@vintageloveletter](#):
>
> Here is an episode of [The Upper Hand](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smO_CFLFw0Y&feature=related) (Who’s the Boss? remake) on youtube. Skip to 3:40 to see that the layout of the house is exactly the same as in the original.

You can actually see at the very beginning. The kitchen’s exactly the same, too, right down to the wall texture.

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