# Other countries and American television **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206 "2002-05-15T16:57:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/1 "2002-05-15T16:57:50Z")
WAG at answer to the eaten OP. Yep we get a lot of it and a lot of it sucks but then again a lot of our homegrown stuff is shite aswell. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/2 "2002-05-15T17:10:13Z")
Alright, this board is fucking pissing me off. For two hours, it takes ten minuts to load a fucking page and then it doesn’t even make accept my posts after waiting another ten minutes. And this is with high speed internet, too, not a fucking modem What the fuck SD? Anyway, the question WAS: A lot of US television is ripped off from other countries, mainly Britain. I was curious, for all the dopers out there not in America, what television shows, if any, are pulled from American programs? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/3 "2002-05-15T17:44:46Z")
In the UK we had very, very shortlived versions of **Married With Children** , **That 70s Show** and **The Golden Girls**. All were on ITV (at the time the most blatantly commercial and desperate-for-a-comedy-success channel), all starred complete D-list actors and all bombed. Good riddance. ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/4 "2002-05-15T20:46:32Z")
A couple of years ago Mexico had a series called “Una Familia con Angel”, which was a licensed, locally-produced version of “Who’s the Boss.” Almost an exact copy of characters and plot lines. They also did something similar with Martin Lawrence’s “Martin,” but that didn’t last long. U.S.-style game shows also have been increasingly popular… there’s “Atínale al Precio” which is exactly “The Price Is Right,” with very few local changes. The silliest game show copy was “Jeopardy,” which kept its name. Many adaptations were made for supposedly local tastes and broadcast customs, but these changes killed the show. I can’t imagine Alex Trebek being segued by The Jeopardy Dancers, or asking celebrity gossip or programming tie-in questions like "This singer is in jail in Brazil for contributing to the sexual amorality of minors.–¿Quién es Gloria Trevi?–“Yes, and be sure to watch the 11 o’clock news for an exclusive interview with her childhood neighbor’s piano tuner!” ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/5 "2002-05-15T21:12:46Z")
Usually in Canada, when they want an American program, they just broadcast it. And when they want one in French, they just dub it. The only time I saw a Canadian remake of foreign show was a French-language version of a British comedy, Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean. I don’t think there’s much chance of any of our local shows getting remade into American versions. We have a very distinctive film industry, but television isn’t one of our strong points. Unless America wants _Hockey Night in Canada, CBC News_, and _Road to Avonlea_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/6 "2002-05-15T21:16:46Z")
_Hogan’s Heros_ is popular in Germany. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/7 "2002-05-15T21:28:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hamish \* > \*\* The only time I saw a Canadian remake of foreign show was a French-language version of a British comedy, Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean. 😃 \*\* Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but to my recollection, Mr. Bean didn’t speak. How would a “French Language” version be any different? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/8 "2002-05-15T21:54:16Z")
He does speak occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![Tsubaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Tsubaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tsubaki)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/9 "2002-05-15T23:18:04Z")
Australia nicks a lot of the American game shows (Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, Weakest Link). But other than that I can’t think of any. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/10 "2002-05-16T02:17:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tsubaki \* > \*\*Australia nicks a lot of the American game shows (Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, Weakest Link). But other than that I can’t think of any. \*\* Weakest Link was in turn “nicked” by America from Britain. I think I just read the prime time version is being cancelled here in the States. ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/11 "2002-05-16T02:24:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by El Elvis Rojo \* > \*\* > > Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but to my recollection, Mr. Bean didn’t speak. How would a “French Language” version be any different? \*\* I thought it was a bit pointless myself 😃 The episode I saw was the Christmas episode, and there is dialogue there – a couple of words from Mr. Bean himself, and some words from his girlfriend. Nothing they couldn’t have dubbed or subtitled. Strangely, the guy playing Mr. Bean had an obviously-fake nose. I think they thought owan Atkinson’s facial features was part of the comedy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/12 "2002-05-16T11:42:59Z")
I presume you mean the format, not the actual show. Most of our less imaginative channels in the UK and Ireland show a large amount of original US material - most of it pap, though I watch Fear Factor - I especially liked the one with Ali Landry in a bikini in it. 😃 UK TV has the Wheel of Fortune, but not Jeopardy. Big Brother was originally Spanish IIRC. Most channels also have “The News”, which is a format not unlike Fox News, except with news. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/13 "2002-05-16T12:18:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > Big Brother was originally Spanish IIRC. Big Brother was originally [Dutch](http://www.expatica.com/index.asp?pad=34,35,&item_id=51). As regards the News, the BBC regularly shows a segment from ABC News as part of some commercial tie-up thay have, but it’s on at about 1am. I’ve never seen the Fear Factor, but now I wish I had ;). ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/14 "2002-05-16T12:21:19Z")
Oh, sorry Dutch people - first the general election, now this. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/other-countries-and-american-television/109206/15 "2002-05-16T12:41:47Z")
A lot of concepts in TV originate [here,](http://www.endemol.com) which is indeed a dutch company.