There is a masochistic fascination with The Inbetweeners USA for some viewers (Picture: E4)

We Brits have a fine TV comedy heritage. From Dad’s Army to The Thick Of It, we’ve churned out enough laughs to make us the envy of other comedy-producing nations, so it’s no wonder our closest cultural allies, the Americans, are always ripping off paying homage to our sitcoms by remaking them.

Sometimes, the new US versions are runaway successes. Only The Office springs to mind as an example right now, but presumably there are others. However, the UK premier of The Inbetweeners USA tonight reminds us that there have also been plenty of flops along the way, too. Plenty. Here are 10 of the most significant…

Fawlty Towers (Picture: BBC)

1. Fawlty Towers



The daddy of all sitcoms over here, it’s no surprise that the story of Basil Fawlty and his hapless efforts to run a hotel in Devon have been reinterpreted for American audiences a total of three times. Chateau Snavely, Payne and Amanda’s all attempted to recreate the magic of the goosestepping, temper-losing Basil and his shambolic Towers, but none of them made it beyond the first season.

The Vicar Of Dibley (Picture: BBC)

2. The Vicar Of Dibley

Starring Kirstie Alley as the US equivalent of the role made famous by Dawn French, the dubiously titled Minister Of The Divine was produced by Frasier stars Jane Leeves and Peri Gilpin. But it appears changing the premise so that our eponymous heroine was a former wild child and omitting the quirky characters found in the original UK version proved to be a mistake for Leeves and Gilpin. Minister Of The Divine wasn’t picked up by Fox, the network that commissioned its pilot.

The Thick Of It (Picture: BBC)

3. The Thick Of It

Funnily enough, The Thick Of It, with its exceptionally foul-mouthed characters and uniquely British cynicism, didn’t go down so well with US TV bosses and despite Arrested Development producer Mitch Hurwitz being on board, the American remake was cleaned up to such an extent that it was no longer very funny. After the pilot was rejected by ABC, Armando Iannucci was quick to distance himself from the US abomination, saying of the remake: ‘It was terrible…they took the idea and chucked out all the style. It was all conventionally shot and there was no improvisation or swearing. It didn’t get picked up, thank God.’

Are You Being Served? (Picture: BBC)

4. Are You Being Served?

Shockingly, this sexual innuendo-laden parody of the British class system just didn’t translate into Americanese, with the US version of Are You Being Served?, titled Beane’s of Boston, sinking after its pilot aired in 1979. Even being penned by the original writers of the UK series and starring big name John Hillerman could do nothing for the show and a full series never made it to air.

Coupling (Picture: BBC)

5. Coupling

A big hit in the UK, Steven Moffatt-penned sitcom Coupling was picked up by US network NBC in the hope that its comedic study of life and love in one’s thirties could replace outgoing sitcom supremo Friends. Unfortunately, the show got off to the wrong start with its admirable decision to stick to the original British version word-for-word, because it was simply too sexually explicit for US audiences. Relentlessly lambasted by the American press, it was cancelled after just four episodes had aired. Incidentally, for a more successful adaptation of Coupling, we can look to Greece, where the show ran for three whole months before being dropped.

Red Dwarf (Picture: BBC)

6. Red Dwarf



Another appearance from Jane Leeves here, who took up the role of Holly in the imaginatively titled Red Dwarf USA. The classic science fiction sitcom was rehashed for American viewers in 1992 and although it was felt that the live studio audience responded well to the recording of the pilot, NBC bosses ordered a re-shoot with a new and improved cast. Sadly, this didn’t cut the mustard either and the show was never picked up for a full season.

Dad’s Army (Picture: BBC)

7. Dad’s Army

Fortunately for British comedy fans – who tend to hold Dad’s Army in great affection – they never got to see the mess made of this beloved World War II sitcom, because American version The Rear Guard didn’t make it past its pilot episode. The 1976 ABC effort followed the story of a group of soldiers in the American Civil Defense and the pilot was a direct interpretation of Dad’s Army episode The Deadly Attachment, but was such a disaster the series was scrapped and all recordings of the show were wiped from existence.

The IT Crowd (Picture: Channel 4)

8. The IT Crowd

Father Ted scribe Graham Linehan is the comedy God behind this modern British classic and he came on board for the US version of the show too, which was very nearly aired by NBC in 2007. A pilot – in which UK star Richard Ayoade reprised his role as Moss – was made, but apparently failed to ‘spark’ with new network chief Ben Silverman and consequently, the series was shelved. In 2010, Linehan announced that there were new plans for a US remake in the works, but these have yet to materialise.

Absolutely Fabulous (Picture: BBC)

9. Absolutely Fabulous


US sitcom queen Roseanne Barr was the brains behind the first US adaptation of this Jennifer Saunders classic, but her vision – with Carrie Fisher and Barbara Carrera as Eddy and Patsy – never quite got off the ground. She did, however, incorporate key elements of the original Ab Fab into the final season of her sitcom Roseanne, with both Saunders and Jennifer Lumley appearing in the episode. In 2008, Sony and BBC Worldwide went into partnership with Fox to produce a new US version of Ab Fab and while everything looked set for an autumn 2009 broadcast, the sitcom failed to be picked up and became yet another British-to-American sitcom flop.

The Inbetweeners (Picture: Channel 4)

10. The Inbetweeners USA

The most recent homage paid to British TV by our American cousins takes the form of their very own version of The Inbetweeners, which launched in August and had been cancelled by November. Yes, it turned out MTV couldn’t work their magic on Will, Simon, Neil and Jay and as such, the phenomenal success that is The Inbetweeners UK will forever be stained by its US counterpart. On the plus side, Paramount Pictures has announced that there will be an American version of the full-length movie that was such a hit here last summer. This can only end well…