10 Amazing TV Shows That Began As Mid-Season Replacements

7. The Office

When NBC decided to create a remake of the famous English show The Office, they had to tread lightly - British shows remade for American audiences didn't exactly have the best track record, you understand. Everyone at NBC still remembered that time when they tried to make an American version of Coupling and it was pretty much the worst thing ever; best to be cautious rather than pour a ton of advertising money into an embarrassing failure. Luckily for NBC, they didn't really have to worry too much about that with The Office. After a halting first season where they struggled to create their own unique identity separate from their predecessor, the show really came into its own and became a massive hit. A couple seasons into the show and it became much more of a legitimate question as to whether or not the remake had surpassed the original. Regardless of which was better (which is a pointless argument - both versions of The Office were awesome), it's undeniable that NBC had a winner on their hands. While the show experienced a minor slump later on in the series, it finished on a high note after nine seasons.