Drama and Comedy programmes (while by far the most frequently to be adapted) are not the only programmes to make a crossover to the US. In recent times it hasn't been unheard of for Gameshows to make the crossover. This is something which has been happening for years in reverse - the American game show Wheel of Fortune, for example, has been adapted for the Australian market as well as in Britain.

Unlike drama and comedy programmes, television companies generally sell their game show formats worldwide. This means that the game show generally doesn't change a great deal when it is adapted for other countries. The hosts usually change (although even this is less of an occurrence than it used to be) but otherwise the format of game shows remains generally intact.

Following are some examples of these programmes, and comparisons between them.

The Weakest Link

The Weakest Link (2000-2012)

This game show, featuring Anne Robinson as host, was well received when it first aired in 2000.

A general quiz show format crossed with a little bit of reality TV, it featured a group of contestants who would answer quick-fire questions from Robinson. At the end of each round they were allowed to "vote off" one of the others, until finally there are only two remaining and they go into the final cash round.

An overriding reason for its success was Robinson herself, who had just the sort of biting persona needed to make it work. Her catchphrase when contestants were voted off – 'You are the Weakest Link, Goodbye' - became well known and has even been used once or twice in Parliament.

The Weakest Link USA (2001-2003)

The sets and rules remained the same on the US adaptation, and Robinson herself even made the crossover in its initial season as the host. After the first season, she was replaced with George Gray. Among the other countries worldwide to make an adaptions was Australia, where host Cornelia Frances was doing a deliberate impersonation of both Robinson's look and act on the UK version.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (1998-2014)

This Channel Four game show featuring Chris Tarrant as the host exploded onto our screens, becoming incredibly popular with viewers.

Contestants sat directly opposite Tarrant as he asked questions that rose in difficulty as the amount of money they are worth rises. Contestants who have not answered a question wrong may leave at any time, and take the money they have earned so far, and there were two 'safe spots' where they are able to keep this minimum amount of money. Contestants also had lifelines which could potentially assist them. The questions become harder as the money reward increases. There was an element of gambling to the programme whereupon you can take a stab at the question and possibly get it wrong or get it right and make your way up the ladder to £1 Million.

The 'dramatic background music' adapts itself as per the conditions, with a heartbeat being added as the questions get harder and harder. This adds to the drama of the situation, giving the programme something more than most game shows have.

A famous scandal in 2001 saw a contestant's friends and family in the audience using 'cough signals' to let the contestant know the answer.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire? - US Version (1999+)

Almost exactly the same programme, the sets and background music remained identical to the British version. There have been different hosts, however, beginning with Morning Chat Show host Regis Philbin. There have been a greater number of contestants on this version who have won the $1 Million than on the UK original.

Whose Line is it Anyway?

Undoubtedly one of the greatest improvisational comedy shows ever, this was a successful television show both sides of the Atlantic.

Whose Line is it Anyway? (1988-1999)

Whose Line is it Anyway was a borderline gameshow/improvisational entertainment programme that appeared on our screens courtesy of Channel Four television in 1988. This one's odd, as it is in itself an adaptation of the 1988 BBC Radio series of the same name that featured host Clive Anderson moderating the antics of such performers as Stephen Fry and John Sessions. When it was adapted to television, Anderson and Sessions remained but the format got a complete makeover to become more digestible to the televised medium.

The idea of the series is that in each half hour episode Anderson would introduce four contestants, normally with at least one regular who appears on every programme while the others rotate and change. Anderson would introduce various 'games' and situations where the performers were given the basic idea or task and told to improvise something from it. Audience participation in the games was also important, as it allowed the performers to be thrown off guard by the suggestions.

As the years went on, many performers on the programme became famous in the UK because of it (including Sessions, Paul Merton and Tony Slattery) and it eventually survived a full 10 years, finishing its British run in 1998. The regular ending of each programme featured Clive 'Picking a winner' of the contestants and their task was to read the end credits in a particular style, given by Anderson. This was a holdover from the Radio version, where obviously they needed somebody to read the credits at the end.

Many performers from across the Atlantic were regulars, especially Scottish-Canadian Colin Mochrie, Canadian-American Ryan Stiles and American Greg Proops¹. This gave it quite a transatlantic flavour anyway and in some extreme cases Clive Anderson was the only British performer in a particular show.

The final season (1998) was filmed in Hollywood and featured the basic line-up of the proposed US version of the programme. Clive still hosted, but Richard Vranch, who had provided the improvised music since 1988, was replaced by his American counterpart Laura Hall. Anderson admitted that the last year was basically a hybrid programme to show American producers what the format was like to help it become successful in the United States.

Whose Line is it Anyway? - US version (1998-2007)

Starting its first season as the UK version finished, the US version simply carried on where the UK one ended. The set was the same, with many principle performers (ie Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie and frequent guest Greg Proops) having previously appeared on the British version. The biggest difference to the initial format was that it featured American comedian Drew Carey as the host instead of Clive Anderson.

There were some other changes to the format. Carey himself participated a lot more, especially at the end of every programme when the winner performs a sketch with him. This replaced the radio legacy of having the winner alone reading the credits². Clive Anderson later commented that he would have liked to have done this himself from time to time.

Another minor change to the format was that the performers did not rotate as often as they had in the British version. Stiles, Mochrie and Wayne Brady appeared on every show, as did musician Laura Hall who, in later seasons, was joined by her band. This left a single guest, who was often either Greg Proops or Brad Sherwood. Celebrity guest performers have included Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg.