# I just realized--{blank} and {blank} are basically the same show! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 26, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101 "2009-06-26T19:46:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/1 "2009-06-26T19:46:22Z")
I’ll start with NCIS and House. Totally the same idea in different settings. Brilliant, curmudgeonly boss leading a time of investigators in solving a different mystery each way, involving lots of dubious science, snappy patter, and ridiculous schemes. Ducky = Wilson. The three junior agents = House’s diagnostic team. Neither lead gets along with the boss, though I don’t think Gibbs wants to sleep with the Rocky Carroll, and if he does I prefer not to know about it. The biggest difference is that NCIS rarely takes itself seriously, and, of course, the fact that Gibbs, however grumpy, is neither insane nor an asshole. Anybody else? ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/2 "2009-06-26T19:56:05Z")
King of Queens/According to Jim/Everybody Loves Raymond ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/3 "2009-06-26T19:58:17Z")
Just about every Norman Lear 1970’s sitcom. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/4 "2009-06-26T20:17:08Z")
Knight Rider and the Dukes of Hazard. A couple of guys in a car that makes cool jumps, acting just sort of outside of the law, mentored by an old guy and helped by a hot girl that isn’t quite romantically involved with either of the guys. The only difference is that in Knight Rider, one of the guys is permanently built into the car. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/5 "2009-06-26T20:19:15Z")
The Honeymooners / The Flintstones ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/6 "2009-06-26T20:22:24Z")
Oh and I’ve always been fond of the _Quantum Leap_-style shows like _The Pretender_ and _New Edition_, where the former was a genius who could assume any role (surgeon, pilot, etc.) to help people out, and the latter got tomorrow’s newspaper one day early so he could try to change the outcome of bad events. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/7 "2009-06-26T20:26:12Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > The Honeymooners / The Flintstones The Honeymooners / The Flintstones/The Jetsons ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/8 "2009-06-26T20:31:15Z")
Leverage and The A Team ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/9 "2009-06-26T20:36:06Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I’ll start with NCIS and House. Neither lead gets along with the boss, though I don’t think Gibbs wants to sleep with the Rocky Carroll, and if he does I prefer not to know about it. But he did sleep (had slept?) with the previous boss (played by Lauren Holly). I’ll add _Mental_ to this list, although they’re not even trying to make it look like it’s not House 2.0. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/10 "2009-06-26T20:39:04Z")
Royal Payne and Burn Notice - I’ve never seen either one, but the promos make them look very similar in concept – Guy gets fired, has to make a new career aided by wacky sidekicks – and style. Cold Case/Without a Trace/Close to Home - three ensemble cop shows with a very similar feel. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/11 "2009-06-26T20:47:46Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Cold Case/Without a Trace/Close to Home - three ensemble cop shows with a very similar feel. A couple years prior to Cold Case, there was a Canadian TV show called Cold Squad. Identical premise. And at least two of the detectives ended up on BSG. Cold Squad ran 1998-2005, and Cold Case started in 2003. I also found _The Profiler_ to be near identical to another show of that same time frame, but I can’t remember what it was. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Norse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/big_norse/32/9954_2.png) [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/12 "2009-06-26T20:51:07Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > Oh and I’ve always been fond of the _Quantum Leap_-style shows like _The Pretender_ and _New Edition_, where the former was a genius who could assume any role (surgeon, pilot, etc.) to help people out, and the latter got tomorrow’s newspaper one day early so he could try to change the outcome of bad events. _ **Early** Edition_ (I love me some Kyle Chandler) ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/13 "2009-06-26T20:53:45Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Knight Rider and the Dukes of Hazard. A couple of guys in a car that makes cool jumps, acting just sort of outside of the law, mentored by an old guy and helped by a hot girl that isn’t quite romantically involved with either of the guys. The only difference is that in Knight Rider, one of the guys is permanently built into the car. The Highwayman was Knight Rider – with a truck. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/14 "2009-06-26T21:09:20Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > King of Queens/According to Jim/Everybody Loves Raymond I would say that According To Jim and Everybody Loves Raymond are more similar to Still Standing (and each other) than any of them are to King Of Queens— Jims, Raymonds, and Still Standings families all revolve around children, where King Of Queens has no kids (instead of a kid K.O.Q. has the most annoying old man ever, played by Jerry Stiller) Maybe my loathing for Stiller and the characters he plays is clouding my vision, but despite how much I would like to see him slowly beaten to death (both as a TV character and in real life) I still like King Of Queens more than the other three shows, which all have children in the cast… ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/15 "2009-06-26T21:16:04Z")
> [@Big\_Norse](#): > > _ **Early** Edition_ (I love me some Kyle Chandler) Ah, of course. I stand corrected! I must’ve been thinking of the 80s boy band… ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/16 "2009-06-26T21:22:45Z")
Street Hawk was Airwolf on a motorcycle. There was another high tech crime fighting vehicle show in there too that I can’t think of. Not Knight Rider or Automan. Simpsons is like Family Dad except funny. Joan of Arcadia and Wonderfalls were similar, but different enough that Fox execs shouldn’t have flipped out over Wonderfalls like they did. Ark II and Damnation Alley both had similar vehicles. Tales of the Gold Monkey and Bring 'Em Back Alive both debuted after the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/17 "2009-06-26T21:23:25Z")
There was a recent blog post stating that [_30 Rock_ is basically the same as _The Muppet Show_](http://bloglynch.blogspot.com/2009/06/30-rock-is-rip-off-of-muppet-show.html). _Entertainment Weekly_ responded to this by commenting that it has a lot of parallels with a lot of shows, and compared it to _Murphy Brown_ as an example, apparently not realizing [Liz Lemon actually is a Muppet](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlLv268-JhE). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/18 "2009-06-26T21:25:57Z")
_Deal or No Deal_ = _Let’s Make a Deal_ - Silly Costumes - Doors + Ridiculously Over-Hyped “Drama” _$x,000 Pyramid_ = (_Password_ \* 7) - Secret Puzzle Category + Multiple Clues _Family Feud_ = (_Match Game_’s Super Match round - Celebrities) \* 5 ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/19 "2009-06-26T21:44:31Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Simpsons is like Family Dad except funny. _Dinosaurs_ was SO much like _The Simpsons_ that one Simpson’s episode has Homer complaining that nothing was on TV “except a bunch of dinosaurs trying to be us.” ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/20 "2009-06-26T21:47:13Z")
Cleopatra 2525 and…hmmm, what was that other one called…? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101.md?page=2)