Despite a slate of great original programs, there are times you feel like television is caught up in a copycat frenzy, whether it be reboots of classic shows (like Hawaii Five-O, and Battlestar Galactica), remakes of British/foreign shows (The Office, Queer as Folk and The Killing), adaptations of popular book series (Gossip Girl, Game of Thrones, Sherlock) or simply blatant rip-offs. It can make you feel a bit nostalgic for the days when classic television had more original programming and did not rely as much on remaking as modern television does now.
The truth is, television remakes and rip-offs have been part of the game since the very inception of the medium. Whatever old "original" shows you're thinking up right now, some of them were actually rip-offs themselves, but that does not mean they are bad shows. In fact, many of these shows are critically acclaimed, and you might have seen some of their episodes before on TV Land or other nostalgic television stations. Which shows am I talking about? The choices here will surprise you. So sit back, relax, and let's peruse through the 10 TV Shows You Never Knew Were Blatant Rip-Offs.