You might be surprised how many acclaimed American drama series took inspiration from shows made in another country — or even in another language. Over the years, the best streaming services and TV networks in the United States have produced remakes of projects from the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, and Israel, among others.
Limited series like the 2021 HBO retelling of “Scenes from a Marriage” — based on the Swedish 1973 drama of the same name – and long-running shows such as ABC’s “The Good Doctor” — which is influenced by a South Korean show — figure among the many examples. In some cases, audiences carefully compare an American reimagining to its overseas counterpart; other times, the majority of people aren’t even aware that the series is a remake. And while the U.S. generally makes more popular versions of foreign shows, their success tends to vary when it comes to critical consensus.
Of the many American dramas based on series from other countries, these ones stand out in particular — whether because they had audiences raving when they aired, or because they still generate fan discussions today.
High Potential
“High Potential” has aired two seasons on ABC so far, and a third is on the way. The crime drama-comedy is a remake of the Franco-Belgian show “HPI,” which stands for the French phrase “Haut Potential Intellectuel.” Aside from changing the main character’s name from Morgane Alvaro to Morgan Gillory, the American version of “High Potential” maintains the same story, following a hyper-intelligent single mom (Kaitlin Olson) who puts her talents to use by solving crimes.
“HPI” aired five seasons in France and Belgium from 2021 to 2025 and earned generally positive reviews from audiences. The original show has been adapted by Greek, Hungarian, Croatian, Czech, and Slovak TV networks as well, but ABC’s “High Potential” appears to have produced the most buzz out of all of them. It was one of ABC’s most-watched shows through its first two seasons, and, with a 98% average score on Rotten Tomatoes, it carries a lot of promise into the future.
The Killing
The AMC and Netflix drama “The Killing” garnered attention in the TV world during its first season in 2011, but it began to lose momentum soon after. AMC initially canceled the series following Season 2, but Netflix offered to revive Season 3 jointly with the network. A second cancellation led to Netflix exclusively producing “The Killing” Season 4.
A condensed and arguably more intense remake of the Danish show “Forbrydelsen” – which means “The Crime” – the American version centers on Detective Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) as she investigates a succession of murder mysteries. Like its inspiration, “The Killing” heavily focuses on interpersonal drama as well as the crime at the heart of the story.
The original Danish production is widely considered superior to the American remake, however: All three seasons of “Forbrydelsen” received rave reviews from critics and general audiences, but only the first season of “The Killing” garnered similar praise. Viewers continued to enjoy Seasons 2, 3, and 4, though critic reviews were more divided. Nonetheless, fans of the Danish series were treated to a surprise in the American remake when star Sofie Gråbøl made an appearance as District Attorney Christina Nielsen in an episode of Season 2.
House of Cards
Netflix’s first original series, “House of Cards” helped cement the platform as a leading force in the streaming world when it premiered back in 2013. But the fact that it’s based on a British show isn’t often discussed. The story of Frank (Kevin Spacey) and Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) derived its material from a four-episode serial of the same name that aired on the BBC in 1990. The U.K. version revolves around a fictionalized power struggle occurring after the end of Margaret Thatcher’s term as the country’s prime minister. Two more serials — “To Play the King” and “The Final Cut” — followed in 1993 and 1995 respectively.
Netflix’s Frank mirrored the original morally gray protagonist, Francis Urquhart (Ian Richardson), in his ruthless, manipulative style of politics. But the American show differentiated itself from its predecessor by establishing a longer and broader narrative that gave its characters more to do; for instance, Frank’s wife Claire assumed a more important role in the series than Francis’ spouse. Moreover, Netflix’s “House of Cards” leaned into drama while the BBC’s serial took on a more satirical tone.
Although the British “House of Cards” earned plenty of praise in the U.K., Netflix’s American series became even more popular globally during its six-season run. In spite of Spacey’s sexual misconduct scandal and a poorly received sixth season, the U.S. show still holds a notable place in TV history.
Euphoria
Few shows have ever matched the buzz of “Euphoria.” As a result, not many people might recognize the 2012 Israeli limited series that inspired it. Using the same title as the Hebrew-language show, HBO’s “Euphoria” utilizes broadly the same story, following a group of high schoolers who deal with sex, drugs, and crime in their day-to-day lives. The original Israeli show was partially based on true events and painted a dark portrait of young adulthood, but it received mediocre reviews and was canceled after its first season. Israel’s “Euphoria” and the American remake are also similar in that they both generated some controversy for their explicit scenes — but only the latter achieved any kind of mainstream success.
With a bigger cast that includes adults in addition to teenagers, plus a narrative that followed its characters beyond their high school years, the American-made “Euphoria” won nine Emmys and served as a career milestone for actors such as Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, and Jacob Elordi. Even though HBO’s version took a four-year-long hiatus between the end of Season 2 and the start of Season 3 — which was largely deemed a disappointment by fans and critics – the show as a whole surged beyond the limited popularity of its foreign predecessor.
Shameless
America borrowed another exciting TV concept from the Brits when Showtime remade “Shameless,” which first released under the same title in the U.K. seven years before the U.S. version premiered in 2011. Both titles revolve around the Gallagher family and aired 11 seasons, highlighting the lead characters’ relationships with each other and their community.
However, the British show features a larger ensemble cast that, in later seasons, shifts the story’s focus beyond Frank and his wife and children. Showtime also traded the original series’ Manchester setting for the South Side of Chicago and followed a more dramatic narrative than the dark comedic style of its foreign predecessor. Furthermore, the American take on “Shameless” made William H. Macy’s character, Frank, even more morally corrupt than his British counterpart.
Given that the British version of “Shameless” and the U.S. reimagining were similarly appreciated by audiences, it’s fair to say that both series remain iconic drama-comedies in their respective countries.
