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Some of the most well-known American television shows are remakes of British shows. In some cases, they have surpassed the fame and success of the original British show, while in other cases, both have enjoyed good runs and plenty of fans. Here are just a few British shows that spawned American remakes. Watch your favorites and discover some more British shows with TV from www.directstartv.com.

1. The Office.

This is probably the most well-known of all the American shows that came from British origins. The original British show starred Ricky Gervais as obnoxious boss David Brent. The show is set up as a fake documentary that follows the everyday workings of the fictional paper company Wernham Hogg. In the American version, Steve Carell took over the role.

2. Pop Idol.

Pop Idol began the Idol franchise that swept the world, creating spin-offs like American Idol, Canadian Idol, Vietnam Idol, Indian Idol and Australian Idol. The original Pop Idol ran for two years, crowning Will Young and Michelle McManus as the winners. Simon Cowell, who went on to be a judge on American Idol for several years, was one of the original judges on Pop Idol during its two-year run.

3. Whose Line Is It Anyway?

This beloved comedy show pitted comedians against each other to play improv games, individually and in groups. Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, and Wayne Brady were regulars on both the British and American versions. Other guests on the British version were Stephen Fry, John Sessions, Sandi Toksvig, Josie Lawrence and Paul Merton. Clive Anderson hosted the show, divvying up points and refereeing the games.

4. Fawlty Towers.

This 1970s sitcom starring John Cleese as an irritable hotel owner is one of the UK's most loved shows, so it's no surprise that it spawned not just one but three American remakes: Chateau Snaveley, Amanda's, and Payne. None of them lasted a full season, though, as none of them quite matched the outrageous humor of the original.

With the growing popularity of British shows like Doctor Who and Sherlock, perhaps more people will be open to watching the British versions of the American shows they love and discover some new favorites.

There are many British films produced every year. Some of them are highly viewed and others are skipped right over. One of best British films would have to be the harry potter series.

This series originally started out as a book series. Many people rushed to midnight book sales to make sure that they got a copy of the new harry potter book that was being released. This book series was so successful that they ended up making movies about the books. This line of movies was great for any family movie night out. Many people would go see the movies the night they came out. When these movies were released they were typically sold out of the first couple showings. This series was highly anticipated and did not let down. They made a film for every book that got written. Some people argue that the films were even better than the books.

The happy potter movies were a great success. Many people were upset that they were done when they ran out of books to make movies about. If you have not yet seen these movies then you will want to go out and do just that. So next time you have the opportunity to watch the harry potter films do not pass it up!

British cinema has long been a stand-alone when it comes to modern movies. As the birth place of cinema so to speak, the United Kingdom has long since been the center of the cinematic world. The first moving picture was created on celluloid in Hyde Park, in London in the year 1889 by William Friese Greene. In the early years of cinema British films stood alone in content, style, and subject area but as the film industry grew, it seems that British cinema lost a bit of its personal identity. When you think of British Cinema many people think of stuffy historical dramas, period films, and other generally unappealing films.

Though there is a preconception about British cinema, some of the most successful films of all time originated in the UK; the Harry Potter franchise, the James Bond franchise, and many more all have roots in British cinema and although they do have the mark of American producers and directors on them, they still have a decidedly British flare. Many British films are characterized by dry humor, multidimensional characters, and sweeping views. Though British cinema has come into the modern age, there is still a certain something that sets it apart from the rest of the cinematic world.

From William Friese-Greene, who invented the first celluloid film in 1889, to early British cinema in 1908, we see much change! George Albert Smith's new color system was dubbed, Kinemacolor!

By the middle 1920's the British experienced a lull in the film industry due to lack of funds and British interest in American films. Several rising British stars including Ronald Coleman and Charles Laughton came on the scene offering help and hope. Blackmail, by Alfred Hitchcock is thought to be the first British production with sound!

The thirties saw films with color, the development of British film censors, a film institute, a national film archive and amazing movies including, Wings of the Morning, Don Juan and Rembrandt.

Documentaries of everyday life, comedies and war films were a treat for the British during the 1940's and 1950's. This Happy Breed, The Red Shoes and The Lavender Hill Mob were quite popular! Stars, Richard Burton, Christopher Lee and Peter Finch, among others were up and coming.

The period between 1950-1960 brought films with grit, the James Bond series and Oliver! Rising stars included Julie Christy, Richard Harris and Peter sellers. During the decade, British productions proudly won four best picture Academy Awards!

The ethnic minority in British cinema is one thing that does not get nearly enough attention. However, the truth is that there are some good ethnic minority actors in British cinema. When you are looking for good ethnic minority actors, you should always start by looking at the Ethnic channels. You can also go online and search for ethnic minorities in the British cinema. This will give you a good idea about some of the ethnic minority actors in this industry.

There are a few ethnic minorities in British cinema that have contributed to masterpieces. You never know who you will find. It can even be a fun search because you can learn something while you are doing a search on the topic.

The advantage of learning a little about this subject is that you will have more knowledge in this area. Then when people ask you about ethnic minorities in the British cinema, you will be able to tell them about who the best actors are in this field. It is a rewarding field that will build your confidence as you research the ethnic actors of British cinema. You can have an amazing time when you are doing it.

British cinema has always had a love/hate relationship with Hollywood. Although England has some phenomenal studios, most notably Pinewood Studios, the above the line talent, such as writers, directors, and actors, generally work in Hollywood for the better wages, but stay in England for to gain reputation in their field. This has applied to the movies themselves; British movies tend to do well critically, but tend to do better box office when they are re-made into Hollywood movies.

Curiously, British actors have no problem with this. There is an advantage to being able to know that your work in one area will be taken seriously, and then turn around and get paid well for your work in another.I found some more information here. If nothing else, it does not dilute the value of your work; it just makes it easier to notice. There is also the perception that you can have fun with the Hollywood roles, as they do not matter as much, while putting all of your effort into the other. From a Hollywood producer's perspective this also works well: You get great talent that enhances the prestige of your movie, and thus its box office. In short, by keeping the two spheres separate, all sides gain.