10 American remake TV series that surpassed the originals

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Sometimes, talented adaptation makes the story better.

September 21 on Netflix came the series "Maniac" from the author of "True Detective" Carey Fukunaga. This is a remake of the 2014 Norwegian project of the same name. Considering that the original consisted of only 11 episodes, and the Americans starring famous actors, there is every chance that the new version will be much more popular than the original.

It is not the first time for US television crews to shoot remakes of serials. And many of them often outstrip the primary sources in popularity.

1. House of Cards

• USA, 2013.
• Drama, political thriller.
• Duration: 5 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 9.

American politician Frank Underwood is trying to get to the very top of power by all legal and illegal means. First, he wants to become the US secretary of state, then he swings to the post of vice president. And then he wants to lead the whole state.

From the eponymous British mini-series of the early 1990s, in the new version, only the plot and appeal of the protagonist directly to the audience remained. And what could the Americans have to copy, if in the original “House of Cards” had only four episodes. But the authors of the remake have already filmed five seasons and will soon release the final sixth, but without Kevin Spacey.

2. Office

• USA, 2005.
• Comedy, mock documentary, satire.
• Duration: 9 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 8.

The series tells about the everyday life of the office staff of Dunder Mifflin, a paper supplier. Each employee has his own story, problems and complexes, and all have one obnoxious boss.

The original British TV series is also very popular with the audience, however, it lasted only three seasons. In America, the story lasted until nine, but by the final, almost the entire main cast had already left the project. It is also interesting that Martin Freeman starred in the original series, and in the remake a similar role was played by John Krasinski, similar to him.

3. Shameless

• USA, 2011.
• Drama, comedy.
• Duration: 9 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 7.

The story of the life of the Gallagers family, where the father is an alcoholic, a liar and a thief, and the eldest daughter Fiona has to raise young brothers and sisters herself. Gallagers are not distinguished by their upbringing and honesty, but they are always ready to help each other.

Again, American authors took the idea from their British counterparts. The original Shameless lived for 11 seasons and only closed in 2013. But it was in the United States that the Gallagers were glorified all over the world. Perhaps because the British characters were not so charming, or the series was simply filmed too cheaply. Now the ninth season of the remake is coming out with great success. But the sequel is in question: the leading role, Emmy Rossum, announced that she was leaving the project.

4. Homeland

• USA, 2011.
• Psychological thriller, political thriller, spy thriller.
• Duration: 7 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

US Marine Corps Sergeant Nicholas Brody returns home after spending eight years in captivity in Iraq. But CIA officer Carrie Matheson suspects that he is in fact recruited by terrorists and is preparing an attack on America.

Homeland is based on the Israeli TV series Prisoners of War, and the plot looks very similar: two Israeli soldiers return home after 17 years in Syrian captivity. Everyone considers them national heroes, but the secret services suspect that they are hiding a lot. The original lasted three years on the screens, while the remake is only now being released for the final eighth season.

5. A good doctor

• USA, 2017.
• Medical drama.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Young surgeon Sean Murphy with autism and savant syndrome gets a job in the prestigious surgical department of the San Bonaventure hospital. It is difficult for him to communicate with people, but he uses his abilities to help the most difficult patients.

The author of the legendary "House Doctor" David Shore decided to return to television with a new medical project. But this time he released a remake of the 2013 South Korean drama The Good Doctor. Fans of the original complain that in the American version the hero does not look very much like an autist and the essence of savant syndrome is poorly revealed. Still, the first season of the American version was a huge success, and now the sequel to "The Good Doctor" has started.

6. Murder

• USA, 2011.
• Drama, detective.
• Duration: 4 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

The series shows the same murder from three different points of view: detectives, the family of the deceased girl, and the suspects. More and more intrigues related to the investigation, local politicians and other persons involved in the case are gradually being revealed.

The series is a remake of a Danish project called "Crime", which has been released since 2007. The Americans conveyed the beginning of the story quite accurately, but further in the series, more and more discrepancies begin. It is noteworthy that in one of the episodes of "Murder" an actress appeared briefly, who played the main role in the original.

7. Patients

• USA, 2008.
• Drama.
• Duration: 3 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Psychotherapist Paul Weston does his best to help his patients. However, not everything is going smoothly in his life either, because he is the same person, with the most common problems and experiences.

The unusual format of the chamber Israeli TV series "On Treatment" has allowed authors around the world to make their own remakes. But the most famous is still the American version. In almost all episodes, the action takes place in one room, there are only two actors in the frame, and the action is built only on conversations. In addition to the Americans, remakes were made in more than 10 countries, including Russia.

8. Wilfred

• USA, 2011.
• Buddy movie, black comedy.
• Duration: 4 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

The indecisive young man Ryan's life is not going well. He tries to commit suicide, but even that he fails. And from that moment on, he begins to see in the neighbor's dog Wilfred a man dressed in a dog costume. Wilfred tries to motivate Ryan to make changes in his life, and at the same time to bring him with his pretty mistress.

Compared to the Australian original, the remake has one major plus - Elijah Wood in the title role. He added to the story of purely human charm, and therefore many loved the new version more. In addition, the authors treated Wilfred himself very ironically: he was left with an Australian accent.

9. Bridge

• USA, 2013.
• Crime drama.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

A corpse is found on the US-Mexican border. To investigate the murder, the police of two states at once take up the case. Sonia Cross from El Paso and Marco Ruise from Chihuahua have to learn how to work together, although their methods differ greatly.

In this case, it cannot be said that the remake has overtaken the original: there are a lot of fans of the Swedish-Danish "Bridge" in the world, and it came out longer. But the American version also got its share of popularity. It is even more interesting that after that an Anglo-French remake of "Tunnel", a Russian-Estonian "Bridge" appeared, and a Singapore-Malaysian version is expected soon.

10. Low winter sun

• USA, 2013.
• Crime drama.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

The story begins with the murder of a colleague by two police officers. But, perhaps, they are not villains, because further the plot becomes more and more twisted, and in the world of crime, the line between law and crime is very blurred.

The only season of the American series is based on a two-part Scottish television movie. Moreover, this is a rare case when the same actor, Mark Strong, plays in both versions. However, Strong managed to show really different characters, albeit in similar plots. Alas, the series went unnoticed due to the fact that its premiere coincided with the Breaking Bad finale.