Why do Americans always have to create their own versions of British TV shows?

Question

I'm not referring to reality TV, I'm referring to shows like The Office, The IT Crowd, Shameless etc.

We already speak the same language, the British have managed to get their heads around shows like Friends without having to remake them.

Answer 1

You do realise this happens in most countries.......and in fact we do this here too.....it's not just America that does it!



Sometimes a remake can be better and gain higher ratings.....it can include some subtle cultural differences.........there may also be a financial benefit to remake it, rather than just using it........!



And it is the higher form of compliment....!

Answer 2

If the question is "why don't they show the British made ones", it's because a US version makes more money and gets a bigger audience. I think you'll find the British versions of shows still air over there, but on a minority channel with fewer viewers.



It's not just British shows in the US. American TV doesn't get a prime time slot over here in the UK either. Friends was on C4 which is a minority channel, and all of the shows that get high viewing figures in Britain are British made shows.



(Just checked the viewing figures for 2 weeks ago, and CSI New York on Channel 5 was the most watched American made show in the UK, with 1.9 million viewers. This compares to New Tricks on BBC1 with 8.65 million, and Coronation St on ITV with 8.57 million. So the American made shows don't get the audience British made shows do.)



If the question is "why remake shows instead of inventing their own original ones" it's easy, because it's cheaper and (usually) it works. The success of the US version of the Office has massively eclipsed the original UK series.

Answer 3

There have been plenty of British shows remade from American shows. Golden Girls, Mad About You, Married With Children... to name a few. So it's a two way street that one.



Aside from some of the obvious answers I always that part of the reason was because the average American will never see the British Version of the TV shows.

Answer 4

Yes, I remember back to Sanford and Son in the 70s based on Steptoe and Son. Americans take credit for things other people created. Many Americans have no idea the original programs are English. Americans think they originated everything. They are very insular but changing.



Maybe the English are more imaginative? I think it is that they have more information about the world and better education to write original scripts.



Many British shows could never be Americanized. On the other hand, BBC America only depicts the working class English person in its shows. There is less and less of the King's English spoken on British TV programs.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Works both ways. But in the main the product is sold by the UK owners as an idea. It needs to be set up for the US audience, certain jokes don't go down in the US the same way they do here. It really is a business and we make money off it.



One example is a film with the line "stone the crows" in it had to be edited as the test audience started to look for crows.



On the flip side there an awful lot of US shows on UK TV and the standard has rocketed in the last decade. I would say the tide has turned and the UK are now the the bigger importer.

Answer 7

Probably to accomodate any references that Americans may not be aware of, and because the British sometimes say things that Americans don't know anything about and even though we all speak the same language the British have a way of saying things that Americans are not used to, like the word telly, as just one example I found here.

Answer 8

People like Gervais furthered his career by helping make an American version of The Office. There is a lot of money selling a show abroad, Top Gear has many different versions including Australian.

Answer 9

It's true: our telly is crap! It all began in 1971 when we took "For Better or Worse" and turned it into "All in the Family."



Remember: we're the culture that envisioned mothers getting out of bed in perfect make-up, perfectly coifed hair and one or two other things.



We also invented canned laughter, one of the most obnoxious things I can think of, right now.



Your programs are superior in every way, particularly in technical aspects.



You can't even find a decent American nature documentary anymore.



So, rather than be annoyed, remember what they say about imitation being the "sincerest form of flattery."

Answer 10

I'm an American and I find that really annoying. But the American television industry like the movies has become lazy. They keep churning out these remakes and it's just awful. I thought that Friends was based on a British show, Coupling. I could name you a dozen shows that American television has ruined. Being Human, Life on Mars, Inbetweeners, I could go on and on.

Answer 11

Any successful TV format is copied - whether its by the US/UK or anywhere else.



Its remade for local consumption/understanding and appeal - once something makes money - every TV company wants a share of that financial profit making pie.



With whats offered on TV now adays - its just a copy of 'exactly' the same thing....2 guys sharing with a girl - 2 girls sharing with a guy - the whole thing becomes entirely predictable and boring....even 'Friends' after a long and hugely successful run....crashed and burned because of....same old-same old - the 'Big Bang Theory' (US) will go the same way eventually.!!

Answer 12

All of the UK TV channels are available to watch live streaming and on demand catchup when you are abroad if you have a VPN installed on your device. ITV, BBC, CH4, SKY & US TV stuff aswell like HULU will all start to work. HULU great for free movies. VPN switches your ip address to any country you like so you appear your are there, pretty neat.

Answer 13

You simply misunderstand how tv works. When it comes to TV shows that might have American versions of it, or vice versa, when American show might get a UK version (Law & Order UK? unless it was British first, but I think it was American from the start) The tv executives in UK and United States are always in contact with one another and it is not like they compete necessarily. Often the show is owned by the same corporation and they would give permission to make a localized version of the show if someone showed that there may be high ratings and that viewers want it.

I mean, obviously you guys in UK have a lot of shows to choose from, so you can choose to avoid watching anything American if you don't want to.

Personally I do not think UK people or United States people can claim any sort of cultural ownership to any shows so why would anyone become upset in the first place if a show is "copied"

Wikipedia actually has a list of both, US shows based on UK shows, and UK shows based on US shows. Here is a link of UK shows which were based on US shows.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_television_series_based_on_American_television_series

Answer 14

It works both ways and in all directions - there are remakes of The Killing, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and other programmes and movies.

Answer 15

There's clearly some sense of humour difference.

Otherwise why would they have to remake them? Same language etc..

Unless there's some other underlying issue.

Answer 16

That's so irritating... The American version of The Inbetweeners is such an abomination, I can't see why they wouldn't want to watch a British programme, is our culture so awful they can't stand it :p It's probably just to make money, if a British show proves to be a hit over there then maybe the producers think they make a profit by putting out another series



this pretty much sums up my feelings towards american attitudes like that: http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkpabeHKzF1qjbg9do1_500.gif

Answer 17

America is a free country, if a show has good potential for success, naturally it is aired in the US but the same goes for American TV shows aired in England or in any other country they see a successful market for it. What was the question again? Business is business man. How about all those magnificent American Movies?

Answer 18

the answer is quite simple



your premise is incorrect

just because we share the same language, we are all the same ? wow



many of the replies appear to suffer from the little islander disease



travel broadens the mind

many travellers are blinkered and order fish and chips



many who claim to be right wing, clearly are commerce illiterate



With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone

Answer 19

Most Americans dont really understand British sense of humour. If they did these shows wouldnt have to be remade for american audiences.

Answer 20

maybe some day brits will get over losing the colonies and stop being mad at americans...

Answer 21

Many nations do this not just the USA.

We do it in the UK with variations on quiz shows

and other lightweight broadcasts.

Answer 22

I regret I don't watch such programs who-ever makes them ! But they say imitation is the greatest flattery ?

Answer 23

Because it's easy.

Why work hard to be original when you can steal or is that borrow, an idea?

Answer 24

Because they can't pluck anything as good from their own arses if they tried

Answer 25

I deeply apologize from all americans to british that you had to deal with friends and it being released there on tele.

Answer 26

To make the people more attractive.

Answer 27

they can as long as they are not shown over here

as they are so boring

Answer 28

American telly is crap, simple,, canned laughter crap

Answer 29

Because they lack originality.