Some of the most successful U.S. comedy series of the past few decades have one surprising thing in common - they’re remakes ofUK TV shows.The Officetook a bleak British workplace comedy and turned it into one of the most beloved U.S. sitcoms of all time, whileShamelesstransformed a gritty Manchester council estate into the rough-and-ready streets of Chicago. With so much crossover success, it’s easy to see why fans and networks alike are constantly on the lookout for British comedy shows that need U.S. remakes. However, not every UK comedy translates well.
Many viewers in the UK (such as myself) aren’t surprised when a U.S. remake of one of our series fails.SkinsandThe Inbetweenersboth floppedin the U.S. because their charm was inseparable from their deeply British sensibilities. However, there are plenty of other UK sitcoms that have untapped potential that could thrive with a U.S. makeover. These are shows that don’t justsurvivea transition - they could evolve into something even stronger, just likeThe Office, Shameless,andGhosts.
Fresh Meatfollows six mismatched university students who move into a shared house during their first year - and the result is a mix of cringe, chaos, and genuine heart. In the UK version, characters like posh Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie) and socially awkward JP (Jack Whitehall) navigate a low-key campus experience full of passive-aggressive banter and minor disasters. It’s funny, but it’s also very British in how quietly things tend to spiral.
A U.S. remake could unlock the full potential ofFresh Meatbysetting it in a high-energy American college. Frat parties, dorm pranks, campus politics, and massive homecoming events offer a backdrop with way more social minefields to mine for comedy. A U.S. version wouldn’t just be about awkward students learning to grow up - it could lean into the heightened emotional chaos of freshman year, where the stakes alwaysfeellife or death. With the right cast, a U.S. remake ofFresh Meatcouldbe the nextCommunityorUndeclared.
Idealis one ofthose brilliant UK sitcomsthat somehow still flies under the radar. It stars Moz (Johnny Vegas), a lazy, small-time cannabis dealer whose Manchester apartment is constantly visited by an insane cast of oddballs, stoners, and criminals. The entire show is mostly set in one room, but it builds an absurdly rich world full of dark humor and quirky character arcs. A U.S. remake ofIdealcould be even better, especially with cannabis now legalized in many American states.
Instead of a dodgy dealer’s flat,set it in a modern dispensary in Colorado or California, with Moz reimagined as a reluctant store owner forced to navigate business licenses, entitled customers, rival dispensaries, and nosy local politicians. This would broaden the story while keeping the same eccentric, character-driven comedy that made the original so beloved. With U.S. audiences embracing shows likeHigh MaintenanceandWeeds,Idealfeels like an obvious choice for a British comedy show that woudl work as a U.S. remake.
Victoria Wood’sDinnerladieswas set in the canteen of a Manchester factory and followed a tight-knit group of food service workers through their daily routines, love lives, and personal dramas. It’s a warm-hearted sitcom with a classic ensemble feel - thinkCheersmeetsAre You Being Served?, only with more baked beans and Yorkshire puddings. The core premise is universally relatable: working a monotonous job while bonding with coworkers who become a second family.
A U.S. versioncould reimagineDinnerladiesin a Midwest manufacturing plant, focusing on the cafeteria staff dealing with medical insurance mishaps, HR complaints, and tension between corporate and union reps. These are elements mostly absent in the UK version but deeply embedded in American workplace culture.With shows likeSuperstoreandThe Bearproving audiences love a good workplace dynamic, a U.S remake ofDinnerladiescould bring the British comedy back with the extra bite it always needed.
Brassicfollows a gang of misfit friends in a rundown Northern village as they scrape together cash through a series of increasingly stupid schemes. Led by Vinnie (Joseph Gilgun), who battles mental health issues alongside his criminal impulses, the show balances dark comedy with surprisingly heartfelt moments, much like early seasons of theUK version ofShameless.
In fact,Brassicfeels like the natural spiritual successor toShameless, and that’s exactly why a U.S. remake would work.Relocating the story to a struggling Rust Belt town or forgotten Southern communitywould give the series a distinct American identity while preserving its tone. The chaotic camaraderie, the high-stakes hijinks, the emotional breakdowns - they’d all land even harder in a setting with different cultural pressures and economic struggles. Of all modern British comedy shows,Brassicstands out for being more than ready to travel stateside for a U.S. remake.
Still Gameis a Scottish sitcom about lifelong friends Jack (Ford Kiernan) and Victor (Greg Hemphill), two pensioners living in a Glasgow tower block who struggle to understand - and survive - the fast-changing modern world. It’s equal parts touching and hilarious, with much of the humor coming from the pair’s confusion over everything from smartphones to social media.
A U.S. version couldplace two similarly cranky retirees in a small-town Southern setting, battling self-checkout machines and feuding with Gen Z grandkids. ThinkKing of the HillmeetsThe Kominsky Method, but with more swearing and more lawn chairs. The themes of aging, friendship, and resisting change are universal, but there’s huge potential to give it a fresh American spin. Withshows likeGrace and Frankiealready paving the way,Still Gameis one of those British comedy shows for which a U.S. remake could easily become a sleeper hit.
Plebswas a cult British sitcomset in Ancient Rome, starring Marcus (Tom Rosenthal), Stylax (Joel Fry), and their slave Grumio (Ryan Sampson) as they navigated jobs, dating, and parties - all while behaving like modern-day twenty-somethings. It was a clever mashup of historical setting and contemporary humor, but the British sensibilities often undercut the potential for broader comedy.
An AmericanPlebswould be riotous. Imagine the sameRoman setting but populated with characters speaking in Valley Girl accents or New Yorker sarcasm. The U.S. version could lean harder into absurdity, making the city feel like a modern-day L.A. or Vegas with togas. ThinkIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but with gladiators and emperors. The potential for satire, cultural references, and bold storytelling is immense. This is one of the British comedy shows that needs a U.S. remake not just because it could work, but because it couldfinallyfulfill the promise of its premise.
Bad Educationrevolves around Alfie Wickers (Jack Whitehall), an inept and lazy teacher who somehow ends up inspiring his misfit class despite his best efforts to do the opposite. The UK version thrived on Alfie’s absurdity and the students’ ridiculous antics, but it was still rooted in the UK’s quieter school system structure. Now imagine this same show transplanted into a high-octane American high school environment.
A U.S. remake wouldbe the perfect middle ground betweenAbbott ElementaryandVice Principals, delivering laugh-out-loud moments with a sharper, louder tone. Homecoming drama, hall monitors on power trips, and teacher lounge politics would take the show’s stakes and comedy to the next level.Bad Educationis exactly the kind of British comedy show that would work incredibly well in a U.S. setting, becausethe American education systemwould be a unique comedy goldmine.
Set inNorthern Ireland during The Troubles,Derry Girlsfollowed Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Orla (Louisa Harland), Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), and “the wee English fella” James (Dylan Llewellyn) as they faced exams, boys, and nuns -all while the world around them occasionally exploded, literally and metaphorically. The contrast between youthful oblivion and historical gravity made the show a standout.
A U.S. remake ofDerry Girlscouldreplicate that formula in a setting like 1960s Detroit, 1990s L.A., or even post-9/11 New York. There are countless moments in recent U.S. history where a group of teenagers could provide a similar lens into national unrest. With the right creative team, the result could be as funny, poignant, and resonant as the original.Derry Girlsis one of the most daring British comedy shows, and if a U.S. remake were done right, it could be a revelation.
Blackadderreinvented itself each season, leaping through history with a new version of Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) and his dimwitted sidekick Baldrick (Tony Robinson) in each era. From the Middle Ages to WWI, it delivered razor-sharp satire and some of the funniest dialogue in UK sitcom history.
ABlackadderU.S. remake could easily follow the same format, with an American actor playinggenerations of a Blackadder-esque figure through major events in U.S. history- the Revolutionary War, the Roaring Twenties, the Wild West, or even Watergate. With a smart writers’ room and a bold lead, this could be the comedyanswer to theYellowstonespinoffs.Blackadderisn’t just one of the British comedy shows that needs a U.S. remake - it’s the one that might actually improve on the original.
The Thick Of Itis the sharpest political satire the UK has ever produced. WithPeter Capaldi’s Malcolm Tuckerhurling insults and spinning chaos behind the scenes of government, it laid bare the absurd dysfunction of modern politics, and inspired the Oscar-nominated U.S. spin-off filmIn The Loop. However, a full U.S. series in the same mold has yet to emerge, and it’s long overdue.
With a political climate that’s somehow even more volatile than the UK’s, theopportunities for scathing humor in a U.S. remake ofThe Thick Of Itare endless. With the right cast, this could be the nextVeep- but nastier, bleaker, and funnier. Of all theBritish comedy showsthat would benefit from a U.S. remake,The Thick Of Itseems the ripest for an American reinterpretation.
