For years, the UK and the US have swapped TV formats around as a simple way of gaining new ideas and building on established successes. Just recently weve seen HBO and Armando Iannucci putting a presidential spin on The Thick of It with Veep, while John Leguizamo is all set for a cushty role as Del Boy in an upcoming remake of Only Fools and Horses. While many UK to US remakes have managed to successfully avoid being lost in translation, others have sadly proved that sometimes you simply cant recapture the same magic twice. Join us as we take a look at the 5 best and the 5 worst, US TV remakes.
The Best
5. Shameless When it was first announced that Paul Abbots gritty council estate drama was making the jump to the US, no one could quite believe how any remake could successfully replicate the same mix of kitchen-sink drama and depraved humour. Thankfully, with Paul Abbot on board as a producer, as well as the freedom to be as offensive as possible on Showtime, the US remake of Shameless turned out better than most fans had initially imagined. Keeping the working class roots of the UK show in check, Shameless US sees the Gallagher family moved from Manchester to Chicagos Canaryville neighborhood, still scraping their way through a life of squalor and poverty. Replacing David Threlfall as the alcoholic patriarch Frank Gallagher is the excellent William H. Macy - delivering an enjoyably different take on the character. Shameless US has recently been renewed for its third season and continues to earn positive critical reception and numerous awards.