Remakes The Best American Versions of British Shows  

Ranker TV
1.1k votes 205 voters 5k views 41 items

List Rules Vote up the best US series that were originally adaptations or remakes of UK shows.

This list contains information on the best American versions of British shows, ranked from best to worst by user votes. Over the years, several great U.S shows have been developed from hit UK television. Many of the greatest adapted UK TV shows are reality competitions, but many U.S. versions of UK shows are hilarious comedies.

What kinds of wonderful television programming will you find on this best American versions of British shows list? The Office appears near the top of this list. This hilarious U.S. sitcom was created by Ricky Gervais, who also starred in the original UK version. House of Cards is another good U.S. series adapted from a British show.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was very popular in the U.S. after its initial success in the UK. Other good American versions of UK shows include Dancing with the Stars, Undercover Boss, and Kitchen Nightmares.

Which adapted British series do you think are the greatest? Vote the best shows up to the top of this list and share some of your favorite episodes in the comments section.
list ordered by

1
67 17
The Office is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer 2005 adaptation of UK series The Office (2001 - 2003) The Office is an American television comedy series that aired on NBC from March 24, 2005 to May 16, 2013. It is an adaptation of the BBC series of the same name. The Office was adapted for ...more

2
47 14
Whose Line Is It Anyway? is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Wayne Brady 1998 adaptation of UK series Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988 - 1999) Whose Line Is It Anyway? (The CW, 1998) is an American improvisational comedy show adapted from the British show. Hosted by Aisha Tyler, the show features Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, Wayne ...more

3
37 13
Shameless is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy, Ethan Cutkosky 2011 adaptation of UK series Shameless (2004 - 2013) Shameless is an American television comedy-drama which airs on Showtime. This remake of the award-winning British series is set in Chicago's Canaryville neighborhood on the South Side, although ...more

4
38 15
House of Cards is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Kevin Spacey, Michel Gill, Robin Wright 2013 adaptation of UK series House of Cards (1990) House of Cards is an American political drama television series developed and produced by Beau Willimon. It is an adaptation of the BBC's mini-series of the same name and is based on the novel ...more

5
22 10
Kitchen Nightmares is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Gordon Ramsay 2007 adaptation of UK series Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (2004 - 2014) Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 2007) is an American reality television series based on the British show. Chef Gordon Ramsay is invited by the owners to spend a week with a failing restaurant in an ...more

6
22 11
Hell's Kitchen is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Gordon Ramsay, Jean Philippe Susilovic, Scott Leibfried 2005 adaptation of UK series Hell's Kitchen (2004 - 2009) Hell's Kitchen (Fox, 2005) is an American reality competition television series based on the British series. World renowned chef Gordon Ramsay puts aspiring young chefs through rigorous cooking ...more

7
23 12
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?... is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Meredith Vieira, Terry Crews, Cedric the Entertainer 1999 adaptation of UK series Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1998 - 2014) Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television quiz show based upon the British program of the same title, which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering a series of ...more

8
19 10
Sanford and Son is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, LaWanda Page 1972 adaptation of UK series Steptoe and Son (1962 - 1974) Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. Known for its edgy racial humor, ...more

9
22 13
All in the Family is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner 1971 adaptation of UK series Till Death Us Do Part (1972 - 1975) All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, ...more

10
18 10
Three's Company is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, Suzanne Somers 1977 adaptation of UK series Man About the House (1973 - 1976) Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977 to September 18, 1984 on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom Man About the House. The story revolves around three single ...more

11
19 11
Cash Cab is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
2005 adaptation of UK series Cash Cab (2005) Cash Cab is an American game show that began airing on the Discovery Channel on December 5, 2005. The program was hosted by stand-up comedian Ben Bailey. It is part of the global Cash Cab ...more

12
15 8
MasterChef is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot, Joe Bastianich 2010 adaptation of UK series MasterChef (1990 - present) MasterChef (Fox, 2010) is an American competitive cooking reality show based on the original British series. A nationwide search for the best home cooks in America where one of 50 hopefuls will ...more

13
25 18
American Idol is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest 2002 adaptation of UK series Pop Idol (2001 - 2003) American Idol is an American singing competition series created by Simon Fuller and produced by 19 Entertainment, and is distributed by FremantleMedia North America. It began airing on Fox on ...more

14
18 12
Being Human is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington 2011 adaptation of UK series Being Human (2008 - 2010) Being Human is a British supernatural drama television series. It was created and written by Toby Whithouse for broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror ...more

15
16 10
The Weakest Link is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Bradley Walsh 2001 adaptation of the UK series The Weakest Link (2000 - 2012) The Weakest Link is a British television quiz show, mainly broadcast on BBC Two, but also on BBC One. It was devised by Fintan Coyle and Cathy Dunning, and developed for television by the BBC ...more

16
7 1
The Night Of is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
The Night Of Riz Ahmed, John Turturro

2016 adaptation of UK series Criminal Justice (2016)

17
18 13
Queer as Folk is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Gale Harold, Hal Sparks, Randy Harrison 2000 adaptation of UK series Queer as Folk (1999 - 2000) Queer as Folk is a drama television series. An American–Canadian co-production, the series ran between December 2000 and August 2005 and was produced for Showtime and Showcase by Cowlip ...more

18
16 11
Undercover Boss is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Mark Keller 2009 adaptation of UK series Undercover Boss (2009 - present) Undercover Boss is an American reality television series, based on the British series of the same name and produced by Studio Lambert in both countries. Each episode depicts a person who has an ...more

19
14 9
Dancing with the Stars is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Tom Bergeron, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli 2005 adaptation of UK series Strictly Come Dancing (2004 - present) Dancing with the Stars is an American dance competition show airing since 2005 on ABC in the United States, and CTV/CTV Two in Canada. The show is the American version of the British television ...more

20
13 10
What Not to Wear is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Stacy London, Clinton Kelly, Carmindy 2003 adaptation of UK series What Not to Wear (2001 - 2007) What Not to Wear was an American makeover reality television series based on the British show of the same name. The program premiered in 2003 and aired on TLC in the United States and Canada. It ...more

21
13 11
Trading Spaces is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Genevieve Gorder, Ty Pennington, Paige Davis 2000 adaptation of UK series Changing Rooms (1996 - 2004) Trading Spaces is an hour-long American television reality program that aired from 2000 to 2008 on the cable channels TLC and Discovery Home. The format of the show was based on the BBC TV ...more

22
11 11
Who Do You Think You Are? (US) is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Who Do You Think You Are? (US) Mocean Melvin 2010 adaptation of UK series Who Do You Think You Are? (2004 - present) Who Do You Think You Are? is an American genealogy documentary series that premiered on NBC on March 5, 2010, as one of the replacement shows of The Jay Leno Show. The show is an adaptation of ...more

23
11 12
Antiques Roadshow is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Bruce Parker, Angela Rippon, Arthur Negus 1987 adaptation of UK Series Antiques Roadshow (1979 - present) Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running ...more

24
10 11
Junkyard Wars is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
George Gray, Lisa Rogers, Robert Llewellyn 2001 adaptation of UK series Scrapheap Challenge (1998 - 2010) Junkyard Wars is a 1998 TV program.

25
9 10
Gracepoint is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Nick Nolte, David Tennant, Jessica Lucas 2014 adaptation of UK series Broadchurch (2013 - present) Gracepoint is an American crime drama television series created by Chris Chibnall. It is a remake of Chibnall's UK drama series Broadchurch, and also stars that series' lead, David Tennant, ...more

26
10 12
Life on Mars is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Jason O'Mara, Harvey Keitel, Jonathan Murphy 2008 adaptation of UK series Life on Mars (2006 - 2007) Life on Mars is a science fiction crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series ...more

27
16 19
Top Gear is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, James May 2010 adaptation of UK series Top Gear (2002 - present) Top Gear is an American motoring television series, based on the BBC series of the same name. The show's presenters are professional racing driver Tanner Foust, actor and comedian Adam Ferrara, ...more

28
7 9
Getting On is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Laurie Metcalf, Alex Borstein, Niecy Nash 2013 adaptation of UK series Getting On (2009 - 2012) Getting On is a satirical British sitcom based on a geriatric ward in an NHS hospital. It is written by its core cast, Jo Brand, Vicki Pepperdine, and Joanna Scanlan. Several episodes were ...more

29
6 8
Eleventh Hour is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Rufus Sewell, Marley Shelton, Omar Benson Miller 2009 adaptation of UK series Eleventh Hour (2006) Eleventh Hour is an American science-based drama television series, which is based on the 2006 British series of the same name. The series originally ran on CBS from October 9, 2008 to April 2, ...more

30
11 14
The X Factor (U.S.) is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid 2011 adaptation of the UK series The X Factor (2004 - present) The X Factor is an American reality television music competition created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music ...more

31
10 13
Wife Swap is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
2004 adaptation of UK series Wife Swap (2003 - 2009) Wife Swap is a British reality television programme produced by independent television production company RDF Media and created by Stephen Lambert for Channel 4, first broadcast in 2003. In the ...more

32
6 9
Trading Spouses is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
2004 adaptation of UK series Wife Swap (2003 - 2009) Trading Spouses, often advertised as Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy, is a FOX reality show in which two families, usually of different social classes, swap wives or husbands for a week. ...more

33
11 15
Da Ali G Show is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Sacha Baron Cohen, Buzz Aldrin, Arthur Danto 2003 adaptation of UK series Da Ali G Show (2000) Da Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series created by and starring English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character Ali G. The first series originally aired on ...more

34
6 11
Celebrity Fit Club is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Dale Winton, Vanessa Feltz, Julie Goodyear 2005 adaptation of UK series Celebrity Fit Club (2002 - 2006) Celebrity Fit Club is a reality television series that follows eight overweight celebrities as they try to lose weight for charity. Split into two competing teams of four, each week teams are ...more

35
5 10
Secret Millionaire is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
2008 adaptation of UK series Secret Millionaire (2006 - present) The Secret Millionaire is a reality television show which originated in the UK, in which millionaires go incognito into impoverished communities and agree to give away tens of thousands of ...more

36
6 12
Little Britain USA is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Tom Baker 2008 adaptation of UK series Little Britain (2003 - 2007) Little Britain USA is an American spin-off-continuation of British sketch show, Little Britain, produced and aired by HBO. As in the British series, Matt Lucas and David Walliams play the ...more

37
4 12
Skating with Celebrities is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Jenni Meno, Tai Babilonia, Jillian Barberie 2006 adaptation of UK series Dancing on Ice (2006 - 2014) Skating with Celebrities was a celebrity reality television show that began airing on the Fox network on January 18, 2006. The show also aired in Australia on Network Ten in early 2006 and in ...more

38
5 14
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out ... is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Catalina Guirado, Peter Andre, Sheila Ferguson 2003 adaptation of UK series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (2002 - present) I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! is a reality television game show series in which up to 12 celebrities live together in a jungle environment for a few weeks. They have no luxuries, and ...more

39
5 15
Supernanny is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
2005 adaptation of UK series Supernanny (2004 - 2011) Supernanny is a reality TV programme which originated in the United Kingdom about parents struggling with their children's behaviour. The UK version has aired on Channel 4 with E4 showing ...more

40
5 16
Men Behaving Badly is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Rob Schneider, Dina Spybey-Waters, Ron Eldard 1996 adaptation of UK series Men Behaving Badly (1992 - 1998) Men Behaving Badly is a British sitcom that was created and written by Simon Nye. It follows the lives of Gary Strang and his flatmates, Dermot Povey and Tony Smart. It was first broadcast on ...more

41
4 15
Skins is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best American Versions of British Shows
Sofia Black D'Elia, Daniel Flaherty, Eleanor Zichy 2011 adaptation of UK series Skins (2007 - 2013) Skins is an American teen drama that premiered on January 17, 2011, on MTV in the United States. It is a remake of the original UK show of the same name. As with the UK series, the American ...more