Ok, you love when we list the best TV shows and movies for you. But what will happen when we do the opposite? Let’s see on our list of five worst American remakes of British series.
When the television industry in the U.S. lacks an idea for an original TV series, they often look across the pond to get an idea from their British colleagues. Sometimes that turns out surprisingly well, and the American remake ends up being even better than the original (did someone say The Office and House of Cards?).
More often, however, the end result is a terrible television program that hardly manages to last more than few episodes. They last so little on TV that you probably forgot all about them, but here we are to remind you. So let’s immediately dig into our list of five worst American remakes of British series.
Coupling
In Great Britain, Coupling was a beloved sitcom that critics often compared to Friends and Seinfeld. This got the attention of NBC, who immediately jumped to an opportunity to do a remake, hoping it would be a successor to Friends. Things didn’t turn out the way they expected, and only four episodes were aired before the series was canceled due to poor reception.
Original:
Remake:
Men Behaving Badly
Two grown men sharing an apartment and reliving their teenage years is a recipe for great comedy in Great Britain. In the United States, not so much. While the British original lived up enough to get six seasons and two specials, the American remake managed to get to season two before getting pulled off the air due to bad ratings. The fact that it starred young Rob Schneider didn’t help as well.
Original:
Remake:
Life on Mars
BBC One’s Life on Mars had an interesting premise which revolves around a present-day police officer who gets hit by a car and ends up waking up in 1973 working the same job. The series ended up receiving praise from the critics and becoming a hit with the audience. The American remake, done by ABC, decided to go a bit more sci-fi than they should, which didn’t sit well with the U.S. viewers. The series ended up being canceled after one season.
Original:
Remake:
Skins
British teen drama Skins became a massive hit with the critics and the audience for its bold depiction of teenage life in Britain. This included incorporating lots of controversial scenes and plot lines which were mostly okay with the Britons but apparently not with the U.S. audience. When MTV decided to do an American remake, the network decided to tone it down on sex, drugs, and alcohol. This ended up still being too much, and series flopped big time, being canceled after one season.
Original:
Remake:
The Inbetweeners
Finally, we have The Inbetweeners on our list of five worst American remakes of British series. It is a similar story like with the Skins. MTV once again decided to cut down on the controversial stuff from the original and try with the softer jokes, but that backfired as well. Like with Skins, The Inbetweeners also didn’t make it past season one.
Original:
Remake:
