You might not realize it, but many beloved TV shows from the U.S. actually aren’t created here, and are instead stolen from foreign countries due to a lack of American ingenuity. Here are the international origins behind some of your favorite television programs.
America’s Funniest Home Videos
America wanted to top the Japanese version of the show to prove that no country’s citizens are better at getting hit in the nuts than us.
Dancing With The Stars
The U.K. hit Strictly Come Dancing was quickly adapted for American viewers after an angry mob stormed ABC headquarters in 2004 demanding more horseshit programming be added to the primetime lineup.
Dawson’s Creek
Heavily censored for American audiences, this hit WB drama’s source material was a series of Finnish sexual education programs.
Teletubbies
American children loved this magical fantasy show in idyllic Teletubbyland, but originally it was created for a Burmese religious cult for their hyper-secretive ritual to achieve true spiritual euphoria.
Ice Road Truckers
This American reality TV series was adapted from Russia’s daily local traffic reports.
Homeland
When you learn that it was based on an Israeli show, the many scenes where they bulldoze neighborhoods and build settlements make a lot more sense.
Ugly Betty
After seeing the success of the Colombian telenovela Yo Soy Betty La Fea, American producers thought it was time to take a gamble on having an average-looking woman on national TV.
Oy Mate, Wot Are You Sodding Off About?
Though some may be surprised, the popular American quiz show is actually adapted from a British show of the same name.
Friends
Originally a show from the Soviet Union titled Comrades depicting the bleak absurdities of existing in a post-socialist urban bloc.
Love Island
Turns out American audiences enjoy watching horny hot people too.
Letterkenny
Originally a Canadian sitcom, this series was remade for American audiences by simply replacing half of the apologies with swears.
Trading Spaces
The home renovation smash hit has its origins in the British series We Made Your Flat Worse.
All In The Family
Despite being a massive hit, controversy plagued this sitcom when disappointed audiences discovered Archie Bunker wasn’t nearly as racist as his counterpart in the U.K. progenitor, Till Death Do Us Part.
Cash Cab
Based on a British game show of the same name, the American version of Cash Cab was marred by several accidents during the first season as host Ben Bailey was instructed to drive on the left side of the road.
Fear Factor
The show based in the Netherlands was easily made American when it showed the horrors of what people eat when there’s not a McDonald’s within a mile of a person’s home.
Three’s Company
When you think about it, every American sitcom is really just an adaptation of ancient Greek comedy.
The Voice
No one in the United States had ever thought of a singing competition show until this adaptation of The Voice of Holland.
Big Brother
The popular show is originally from the Netherlands and was later brought to American producers realizing this can be another way to monetize the citizen surveillance they were already doing.
