# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/41 "2009-06-27T03:09:38Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Also _Sgt. Bilko_ and _Top Cat._ It didn’t reduce the confusion that Maurice Gosfeld played the same character on both shows. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/42 "2009-06-27T03:09:46Z")
Welcome Back Kotter/ Head of the Class ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/43 "2009-06-27T03:22:25Z")
This is pretty obvious, since they were inspired by the same show from overseas: _Don’t Forget the Lyrics_ and _The Singing Bee_ _SuperNanny_ and _Nanny 911_ Oh sure, they tweak each show a tad to try and make them different, but they’re still the same freakin’ show (well, the pairs of them are; not all four of them together). ---
**Author:** ![drpepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@drpepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drpepper)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/44 "2009-06-27T03:31:31Z")
At the risk of getting skewered, I think the following shows are pretty much the same fundamental concept, [covers ass] _in spite of having outstanding acting, scripting, cinematography, pacing, plotting, and dialogue_. The formula is: “They’re just your average, run-of-the-mill suburban American family, with 2 cars, 2.5 kids, problems with the kids, conflict, struggles, hopes and dreams just like yours, **except for “X”**!” X= something totally outrageous and / or outside the average viewer’s experience, thus making it seem exotic, such as [pick one]: - Dad is a high level mafioso - Mom sells marijuana - Dad manufactures meth - They’re Mormon, and therefore bigamist - it takes place in a stylized, 1950’s atmosphere with a lot of unstated tensions and undercurrents which are highlighted by the period-piece political/social events and mores of the time which now seem quaint/strange/hopelessly unenlightened but yet manage to be in sharp focus in every episode. - The family runs a funeral home - I’m sure there’s one or two I’ve missed. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/45 "2009-06-27T04:11:37Z")
So I just watched an episode of Gilligan’s island with the _ **Attackkids** _. Jack is the Professor, Hurley is Gilligan (but with Mr. Howell’s money), Jin and Sun Kwon are the Howells (in that they are the married dyad, and Sun had money), Kate is Ginger, the seductress, and Claire is Maryanne the wholesome one. Sayid with his combat experience and general competence is the Skipper. Ben and Desmond and the others are the natives and visitors who come to the island and cause trouble and near rescues. ---
**Author:** ![Jilaad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jilaad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jilaad)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/46 "2009-06-27T05:03:36Z")
If you want movies that are the same, Dances With Wolves and The Last Samurai are the exact same movie. Exact. Same. Movie. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/47 "2009-06-27T05:08:10Z")
Heh, shows follow archetypal patterns, news at 11. I don’t think it means that they are the same show. ‘Lie to Me’, fits your criteria in the OP and I don’t think it’s the same show as House even though it’s about a curmudgeonly boss who is brilliant and solves problems. People fall into a few basic roles and Pop Culture pulls from these ideas, just as Carl Jung or his puppy Joseph Campbell. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/48 "2009-06-27T07:51:03Z")
This one is for the old-timers: _77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Bourbon Street Beat_, and _Surfside 6_ were basically the same show, created by the same people, produced by the same company, and often utilizing the same actors. For the youngsters, this was the late '50s & early '60s - these shows were in black & white, so you wouldn’t be interested. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/49 "2009-06-27T09:31:33Z")
> [@](#): > > TNT (I think it’s TNT…) has a show called “The Closer” that has Keyra Sedwick as a “tough as nails older, blond, chick cop who doesn’t take no guff from nobody!” > > TNT has another show called “Saving Grace” that has Holly Hunter as a “tough as nails older, blond, chick cop who doesn’t take no guff from nobody!” > > USA has a show called “In Plain Sight” that has Mary McCormack as a “tough as nails older, blond, chick cop US Marshal who doesn’t take no guff from nobody!” That’s why I was annoyed when they cancelled _Karen Sisco_. Carla Gugino played a “tough as nails older, **brunette** , chick cop who doesn’t take no guff from nobody!” It was nice to have an original character for a change. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/50 "2009-06-27T10:57:15Z")
> [@drpepper](#): > > At the risk of getting skewered, I think the following shows are pretty much the same fundamental concept, [covers ass] _in spite of having outstanding acting, scripting, cinematography, pacing, plotting, and dialogue_. The formula is: > > “They’re just your average, run-of-the-mill suburban American family, with 2 cars, 2.5 kids, problems with the kids, conflict, struggles, hopes and dreams just like yours, **except for “X”**!” > > X= something totally outrageous and / or outside the average viewer’s experience, thus making it seem exotic, such as [pick one]: > > - Dad is a high level mafioso > - Mom sells marijuana > - Dad manufactures meth > - They’re Mormon, and therefore bigamist > - it takes place in a stylized, 1950’s atmosphere with a lot of unstated tensions and undercurrents which are highlighted by the period-piece political/social events and mores of the time which now seem quaint/strange/hopelessly unenlightened but yet manage to be in sharp focus in every episode. > - The family runs a funeral home > - I’m sure there’s one or two I’ve missed. You forgot to actually list any titles. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/51 "2009-06-27T11:14:04Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > You missed an obvious one: Airwolf was pretty much a knockoff of [Blue Thunder](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086671/episodes) I love how both shows totally ditched the ethical angle that was, y’know, the whole point of the seminal movie. Kinda like how Rambo went from “veteran comes back a suicidal schyzo, war is hell” to “Boom ! Ratatatata ! America, fuck yeah !” 😃 [QUOTE=Jilaad] If you want movies that are the same, Dances With Wolves and The Last Samurai are the exact same movie. Exact. Same. Movie. [/QUOTE] Except Costner doesn’t end the movie a better Indian than the \*actual \*Indians. Tom Cruise, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/52 "2009-06-27T11:19:30Z")
OK, all you pop-culture gurus: what’s **Breaking Bad** a copy/rip-off of? ---
**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 27, 2009, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/53 "2009-06-27T12:26:25Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > In this case, they were literally the same, and someone from Hanna-Barbera had either an incredible memory of old, live, broadcast once and they were gone, shows on the DuMont network, or he had access to Jackie Gleason’s safe. When the “lost” episodes of _The Honeymooners_ were broadcast it seemed like all of the plots and more than half of the dialog had been recycled on _The Flintstones._ I KNEW IT. I’ve been saying this for years and people go, ‘oh yeah, they are similar’ and I say, “no, they’re the exact same show!” I mean, Fred hollers, “WILLLLLMAAAAA!” in the exact same Jackie Gleason growl. ---
**Author:** ![mshar253](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@mshar253](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mshar253)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/54 "2009-06-27T12:58:12Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > OK, all you pop-culture gurus: what’s **Breaking Bad** a copy/rip-off of? “Weeds”? Man of the house dies/is dying, member of middle-class white family decides to get into the drug business, drug dealing suburbanite is too close with someone who works for the D.E.A., drug dealer might be getting in over his/her head … ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/55 "2009-06-27T13:33:48Z")
TLC has a bunch of shows that are clones of British shows , 1 example is What Not To Wear. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/56 "2009-06-27T14:24:11Z")
I’ve read the thread twice over and didn’t see this one, so I hope I’m not repeating! _Starsky and Hutch_ and _CHiPs_ were essentially the same. Two cops of differing physical types (so we have something for ALL the ladies!) who go all out to solve/prevent crime and who always have each other’s backs. Both shows even featured one partner who was called by a shortened version of his surname (Hutch=Hutchinson/Ponch=Poncherello). And they were always doing something unorthodox that would irritate their superiors, but would be just the thing necessary to “break the case.” > [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > The Honeymooners / The Flintstones [Quote=dropzone] In this case, they were literally the same, and someone from Hanna-Barbera had either an incredible memory of old, live, broadcast once and they were gone, shows on the DuMont network, or he had access to Jackie Gleason’s safe. When the “lost” episodes of The Honeymooners were broadcast it seemed like all of the plots and more than half of the dialog had been recycled on The Flintstones. [/quote] And in this vein, we have _Get Smart_ and _Inspector Gadget._ Gadget was even voiced by Don “Maxwell Smart” Adams. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/57 "2009-06-27T15:02:16Z")
> [@mshar253](#): > > “Weeds”? Man of the house dies/is dying, member of middle-class white family decides to get into the drug business, drug dealing suburbanite is too close with someone who works for the D.E.A., drug dealer might be getting in over his/her head … Never heard of it. But after checking it out at IMDB… fair 'nuf. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/58 "2009-06-27T15:22:24Z")
> [@Chanteuse](#): > > _Starsky and Hutch_ and _CHiPs_ were essentially the same. Two cops of differing physical types (so we have something for ALL the ladies!) who go all out to solve/prevent crime and who always have each other’s backs. Both shows even featured one partner who was called by a shortened version of his surname (Hutch=Hutchinson/Ponch=Poncherello). And they were always doing something unorthodox that would irritate their superiors, but would be just the thing necessary to “break the case.” I almost forgot–these were made into a movie called _Lethal Weapon_. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/59 "2009-06-27T15:26:13Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > I KNEW IT. I’ve been saying this for years and people go, ‘oh yeah, they are similar’ and I say, “no, they’re the exact same show!” I mean, Fred hollers, “WILLLLLMAAAAA!” in the exact same Jackie Gleason growl. The voices of Fred and Barney are intentionally meant to mimic the voices of Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. (A lot of Hanna-Barbera characters- particularly those voiced by Daws Butler- are meant to sound like celebrities, but in this case the _Honeymooners_ inspiration actually makes the fact that the characters sound like celebrities sensible.) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101/60 "2009-06-27T15:33:08Z")
Keeping in mind that Fred was voiced by Alan Reed, and Barney by Mel Blanc. I don’t know if Daws Butler worked on the show at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized-blank-and-blank-are-basically-the-same-show/501101.md?page=4)