These American TV Shows Were Based On British TV Shows, And IDK, I Had No Idea

    So similar, yet so different!

    Audrey Engvalson
    by Audrey Engvalson

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. Antiques Roadshow

    Side-by-side images of Fiona Bruce in the UK version appraising an item and an appraiser in the US version consulting someone on their item
    BBC / PBS

    The original UK series has been running on the BBC since 1979, whereas the American version has been running on PBS since 1997.

    2. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

    Side-by-side images of Chris Tarrant hosting in the UK version and Regis Philbin hosting in the UK version
    ITV / ABC

    The UK version first aired in 1998 on ITV and it was hosted by Chris Tarrant. The US version came a year later in 1999 on ABC, and it was hosted by Regis Philbin.

    3. Kitchen Nightmares

    Side-by-side images of the UK Rasmay's Kitchen Nightmares logo and the US Kitchen Nightmares logo, both with Gordon Ramsay in a chef's coat
    Channel 4 / NBC

    I knew Gordon Ramsay was British, but I had no idea his reality show first aired in the UK. The American version has nearly three times as many episodes as the British version, despite first airing a few years later.

    4. Undercover Boss

    Side-by-side images of the US and UK Undercover Boss title cards
    Channel 4 / CBS

    The UK version first aired on Channel 4 in 2009, while the US version aired the following year on CBS.

    5. American Idol

    Side-by-side images of the UK's Pop Idol judges (Pete Waterman, Simon Cowell, Nicki Chapman, and Dr. Fox) and the US's American Idol judges (Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson)
    ITV / Fox

    It was originally called Pop Idol in the UK, and Simon Cowell was a judge on both.

    6. Veep

    Side-by-side images of the characters in BBC's The Thick Of It walking, talking, and deliberating, and the characters in HBO's Veep huddled around a desk and staring at a computer
    BBC 4 / HBO

    Yup, Veep is an adaptation of The Thick of It, a British TV show that satirized the inner workings of government. Both shows were created by Armando Iannucci and shared a handful of the same writers.

    7. Cash Cab

    Side-by-side images of surprised contestants in both the US and UK versions of Cash Cab
    ITV / Discovery Channel

    The American version, hosted by Ben Bailey, takes place primarily in New York City, while the UK version, hosted by John Moody, is set in several large cities around the UK.

    8. Three's Company

    Side-by-side images of Chrissy, Jo, and Robin cooking in the UK's Man About the House and Chrissy, Janet, and Jack on the phone in the US version, Three's Company
    ITV / ABC

    It was based on the UK show Man About the House, which followed Chrissy, Jo, and Robin, two single women and a man, sharing a London flat. Three's Company and Man About the House even shared some of the same dialogue.

    9. Shameless

    Side-by-side images of David Threlfall as Frank Gallagher in the UK version of Shameless and William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher in the US version of Shameless, both with their kids in the background
    Channel 4 / Showtime

    The American version currently on Showtime and starring William H. Macy is actually a copy of the British version of the same name, which ran from 2004–2013 on Channel 4.

    10. Whose Line Is It Anyway?

    Side-by-side images of Colin Mochrie and John Slattery playing "props" on the UK version and Wayne Brady and Colin Mochrie playing "props" on the US version
    Channel 4 / ABC

    It actually started off as a BBC radio series, which made its way to TV in 1998. While both series had Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie, and Ryan Stiles on them, the UK version was hosted by Clive Anderson and the US version was hosted by Drew Carey and Aisha Tyler.

    11. Dancing with the Stars

    BBC / ABC

    It was based on the UK show Strictly Come Dancing, where celebs also partnered with professional dancers. Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli were judges for both the US and UK versions.

    12. Trading Spaces

    Side-by-side images of teams in both the UK's Changing Rooms and the US's Trading Spaces
    BBC / TLC

    The American DIY show was based on the British show Changing Rooms, which first aired in 1996. Trading Spaces first aired on TLC in 2000.

    13. Wife Swap

    Side-by-side images the Wife Swap logos in The UK and US
    Channel 4 / ABC

    Originally airing in the UK on Channel 4, Wife Swap came over the Atlantic to ABC in 2004, a year after its British counterpart first aired.

    14. Sanford and Son

    Side-by-side images of Albert and Harold Steptoe from Steptoe and Son in the UK and Fred and Lamont Sanford from Sanford and Son in the US
    BBC / NBC

    The show was based on the UK comedy Steptoe and Son, which aired in 1962. Sanford and Son premiered about a decade later for US audiences.

    15. All in the Family

    Side-by-side images of the Garnets from the UK's Till Death Do Us Part and the Bunkers from the US's All in the Family
    BBC1 / CBS

    The US show was based on Till Death Do Us Part, a UK series that first aired in 1966. Both All in the Family and Sanford and Son were adapted from their respective British counterparts by American writer Norman Lear.

    16. Who Do You Think You Are?

    Side-by-side images of the logos for the US and UK versions of Who Do You Think You Are? Both logos have an isolated tree on a grassy plain
    BBC / NBC

    The genealogical show where celebrities trace their family trees originally aired on the BBC. The American version started in 2010 on NBC.

    17. The Office

    Side-by-side images of the US and UK versions of The Office. Both images have the cast gathered together in the office with the bosses in the center and supporting employees around it. Nobody looks super thrilled their picture is being taken.
    BBC2 / NBC

    OK, OK, I know most of us ~know~ it was originally British, but I feel like you'd yell at me in the comments if I didn't include it. The UK version had 12 episodes, with Ricky Gervais playing the general manager David Brent. The American version had 201 episodes with Steve Carell as regional manager Michael Scott. The two bosses even crossed paths in Season 7 of the US version of the show.