# Shows where the British version was way better than the American version **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 2, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218 "2012-08-02T20:59:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/1 "2012-08-02T20:59:05Z")
If this has been done before, I apologize. My google-fu was turning up nothing! I love Kitchen Nightmares and Top Gear. I watch them whenever they’re on BBC Canada. Their respective American spinoffs, however, suck. Adam Ferrara looks a little like Richard Hammond, but the show lacks all of the fun of the original, even if the UK celebrities are (sometimes) lost on me…😕 Similarly, Kitchen Nightmares U.S. has too much cheesy casio keyboard music, and is all about having Ramsay get into a yelling match with whomever is the restaurant manager; I learn nothing about preparing a menu or running a front of house like you do in the British version. At least UK Kitchen Nightmares is cooking-esque. The US one is cheap melodrama. Are there any other show spinoffs which got sucky across the pond? I never regularly watched the Office or Millionaire, so I can’t judge. Whose line is it anyway? Something else I hadn’t considered? ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/2 "2012-08-02T21:00:09Z")
Coupling ---
**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:** [August 2, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/3 "2012-08-02T21:05:44Z")
Skins. And I complete agree about Top Gear. The American version is no fun at all. And if it helps to jog someone’s memory, here is a [Wikipedia list of American television series based on British television series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_television_series_based_on_British_television_series). ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/4 "2012-08-02T21:12:53Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Skins. And I complete agree about Top Gear. The American version is no fun at all. And if it helps to jog someone’s memory, here is a [Wikipedia list of American television series based on British television series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_television_series_based_on_British_television_series). It’s amazing how much of the crap that is on televeision we can point to the UK and say “This is all YOUR fault!”. 🙂 The Office was better in the UK version and did not drag on long past the point it had died. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/5 "2012-08-02T21:19:30Z")
Prime Suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/6 "2012-08-02T21:36:33Z")
All of them ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/7 "2012-08-02T21:37:28Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Skins. And I complete agree about Top Gear. The American version is no fun at all. And if it helps to jog someone’s memory, here is a [Wikipedia list of American television series based on British television series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_television_series_based_on_British_television_series). Skins was my top pick on reading the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/8 "2012-08-02T21:38:07Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > All of them I have to agree. We do a very poor job over here adapting them. The two that immediately came to mind were Coupling and The Office. I understand there was a time when Absolutely Fabulous was going to be remade here, and I was horrified at what might have been done to it. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/9 "2012-08-02T21:53:32Z")
Who’s Line Is It Anyway ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/10 "2012-08-02T22:06:08Z")
Cracker. Though I like Robert Pastorelli as an actor, he never stood a chance trying to reprise Robby Coltrane’s excellent Fitz. I think I would have liked to have seen Oliver Platt take a swing at that role though. ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/11 "2012-08-02T22:07:24Z")
One more. Life on Mars Why did they even bother? ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/12 "2012-08-02T22:08:40Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > All of them +1 My preferred example is [Cracker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_(UK_TV_series)). The original UK version was 10 kinds of excellent fused together to make awesome. The US version was a limp, pale, invalid of a show looking for someone to push its bathchair over to a sunny spot so it could take a nap. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/13 "2012-08-02T22:15:13Z")
I think \*All in the Family \*and \*Sanford and Son \*did pretty well. I didn’t see a lot of the original episodes for those though. Otherwise I’m not fond of the remakes. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/14 "2012-08-02T22:43:11Z")
> [@campp](#): > > Who’s Line Is It Anyway Good grief… NO. I like the Brit version of Whose line,but the American version is far,far superior. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/15 "2012-08-02T22:54:52Z")
I can only vouch for the Office, as that’s the only one I’ve seen both versions of. > [@Smeghead](#): > > All of them This seems to be the general concensus. Perhaps this thread should be “American remakes that are better than the British original” ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/16 "2012-08-02T23:01:55Z")
“Upstairs Downstairs” vs “Beacon Hill.” ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/17 "2012-08-02T23:16:51Z")
I just thank Og that the American versions of _Fawlty Towers_ and _Red Dwarf_ never got off the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/18 "2012-08-02T23:28:48Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > I just thank Og that the American versions of _Fawlty Towers_ and _Red Dwarf_ never got off the ground. American Red Dwarf Pilot… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/A1uTqA9jWWE/maxresdefault.jpg "Red Dwarf - US Pilot - Part 1") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1uTqA9jWWE) ---
**Author:** ![LaurenIpsum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@LaurenIpsum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaurenIpsum)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/19 "2012-08-02T23:41:25Z")
I think the British version of “Whose Line is it Anyway” was way better. It had more variety, because there was a rotating cast. Near the end, it was always the same two people (Ryan and Colin), but at least with two rotating spots there was a bit more variety and it wasn’t the same skits every week. Plus, the UK version didn’t have the host getting involved in the improv. With the American version, it was always the same three people, and the fourth person of the week was barely given anything to do. Every week it was the same: they’d play “party quirks” with the fourth person as the host, which requires no effort. Then Ryan and Colin would do a skit as the two infomercial salesmen. Then they’d give Wayne a song to sing and he’d dance around and shake his ass to make the women in the audience scream - and I don’t deny that Wayne was a talented singer and good looking, but it just got so formulaic. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218/20 "2012-08-02T23:43:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Skins. And I complete agree about Top Gear. The American version is no fun at all. And if it helps to jog someone’s memory, here is a [Wikipedia list of American television series based on British television series](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_television_series_based_on_British_television_series). Hmm-have the Brits ever based something on an American series? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-where-the-british-version-was-way-better-than-the-american-version/630218.md?page=2)