10 US Adaptations Of UK TV Shows That Didn't Make It Past The Pilot
3. Are You Being Served?
Comedy TV legend David Croft had one heck of a run. Not only was he responsible for Dad's Army and 'Allo 'Allo, he also brought us the classic Are You Being Served? back in 1972.
The show ran for ten seasons, spanning 69 episodes it it's thirteen-year tenure and it still receives regular air time to this day.
It's the gold standard in comedy of that era, being one of the first to really push the limit on the innuendo and risqué visual gags. It turns out, that's exactly what the British public needed at the time as its popularity quickly skyrocketed and left an impression on British comedies for years to come.
The show gained a strong following the US, as PBS started airing reruns in the mid-Eighties. Unsurprisingly this led to CBS attempting to Americanise the show, ordering a pilot that would be titled "Beane's of Boston".
The remake got off to a terrible start, as its lead actor John Hillerman didn't even show up to the table read. As you can imagine, CBS weren't interested in picking up the show for a full run.