What’s a foreign TV show you’d like to see an American version of?

29 comments

1. I am in love with taskmasters. I’d like to see a good US version of it.

   I can’t decide who would be the good hosts but it’s hard to beat Little Alex Horne.

2. Can we please somehow appropriate Graham Norton?

   I don’t know if we need a CIA kidnap squad or just a large bribe, whatever is best.

3. If it were somehow possible: Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

   I don’t think even the original team, if it still existed, could pull it off, and I have a hard time believing anyone else could fill their shoes. But, that’s what I would request.

4. I don’t know for sure if Eurovision counts as a TV show, but I think it would be fun if we had an American version with all the states and territories competing

5. I think *far* more Europeans watch American TV than Americans that watch European TV. I can’t think of a single European show I’ve ever watched regularly. So I don’t know, because I don’t even know what the options are.

6. Keeping Up Appearances translates real well to America.

   I’m surprised they never tried to do an American version. I’ve definitely known a few Americans who were real-life versions of Hyacinth Bucket.

7. All I’d want is the south/ Central American weather to be reported that way in the US.

   That is global warming I could get behind. 🙂

   But seriously, they already tried it and it failed miserably : Time Team (UK)

8. I’d rather just watch the European show, since the American remake is more often than not awful. Our attempts at translating Nordic Noir have been really clunky.

9. I think something like Blackadder would translate well but I think producers would just ruin it.

10. I’d prefer to just watch the foreign version. Making an American version takes away a good portion of the appeal, though the quiz show you mentioned makes sense for the reason you stated—I just don’t watch many gameshows like that though.

11. I couldn’t really name a foreign TV show outside of the very small handful of Whovian type nonsense from the UK.

12. I’m looking forward to the Netflix adaptation of Three Body Problem. I’m watching the Chinese TV (Tencent) adaptation now and it’ll be an interesting comparison.

    The Tencent version is 30 episodes that only cover the first book and probably takes longer to watch than to read the book. I think the Netflix adaptation is just 8 episodes so typical American style it’s going to be boiled down to all action probably.

13. My favorite English shows got an American version on both sucked

14. When I was serving abroad in West Africa the was this Brazilian telenovela (“soap opera”) called “*O Clone*” that was wildly popular. Like, entire villages would crowd around the one TV to watch it.

    Once my Portuguese was good enough to understand what was going on, I kinda got hooked, too. It was a really good show, even for someone who’s not normally into that genre.

    Is like to see an English-language version of that show just so my friends can enjoy it too.

15. It absolutely would not do well here, and would probably lose all the charm if it did, but an American Only Connect would be great for me specifically.

16. I think the British Show New Tricks ‘could’ be reworked to appeal to an American audience. Cold cases, ex cops with different eccentricities, no nonsense boss….things would have to be tweaked of course, but I think if done right, it could work.

17. Great Teacher Onizuka would be a good one. See how he deals with bullying, school shootings, standardized testing, etc.

18. Countdown (British game show)

19. Ab Fab! We could use our own Eddie and Patsy.

20. An American version of Doctor Who might be pretty entertaining. Not *good*, heavens no, but *entertaining*.

21. I actually think it doesn’t always work. I watched top gear and I love the show. I’m not really into cars, but they were so funny. They made a US version. It sucked. It was just cars, not the funny stuff. To be honest, I’d rather just watch the British versions of their shows.

22. Only Connect, maybe?

23. None, I would just rather have access to the foreign version.

24. I love the English panel shows like Eight Out of Ten Cats and The Big Fat Quiz. I’d like Andy Richter to host a silly panel show.

25. I want to see an American version of *Luther* where it still stars Idris Elba, but he’s just doing his Stringer Bell voice and it’s set in Atlanta or something.

    So it’s mostly an excuse to get more of essentially the same show.

26. Torchwood

27. We’ve tried several times at a Fawlty Towers copy to no success unless you count Cheers. But I think a Fawlty Towers reboot with someone like Corey Ryan Forrester running a Bed and Breakfast in the south could be hilarious.

28. The German show “Dark” might be adaptable to small town New England or elsewhere in the US, but generally I like to watch foreign shows because they’re foreign. It’s an opportunity to learn about another culture.

29. The IT Crowd