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Author Topic: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...  (Read 16307 times)

mmb5

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Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« on: April 22, 2026, 06:58:31 PM »
What the subject says.  Two that immediately come to mind are Lingo (big in Netherlands) and Catch Phrase (big in the UK).
Portions of this post not affecting the outcome have been edited or recreated.

Chelsea Thrasher

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2026, 07:20:49 PM »
Blockbusters did eighteen months in the states, then got exported to the UK and did twelve years. (with several successor series thereafter).

Casey Buck

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2026, 07:24:11 PM »
Wipeout; lasted one season in the US, and 9 seasons in the UK.

thomas_meighan

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2026, 07:49:32 PM »
“Hot Streak” only did 13 weeks in the US (not a big surprise, given it was airing against TPIR and WOF), but it was a 12-year hit in Germany as “Ruck Zuck,” has also done nicely in Greece, and had staying power in Russia and Indonesia.

“Child’s Play” is another that has been drastically more successful in overseas markets, especially Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, than the 52-week original would lead one to think.




PYLclark86

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2026, 07:53:25 PM »
While not as foxy as some of the other hits Keynotes couldn't get picked up here in the states and did five series in the UK.
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BrandonFG

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2026, 08:01:42 PM »
$1M Chance of a Lifetime came out the gate hot, then fizzled out after 18 months. It ran for a few years in the UK as All Clued Up. I think it does all right here if they don't try to make it Million Dollar Keyboard of Fortune.

IIRC, Knockout (Odd One Out) and Every Second Counts had decent runs in the UK.
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vtown7

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2026, 08:03:03 PM »
While I wouldn't say bombed, Fun House USA got two solid syndie series + "26 weeks" on FOX and then got 11 series on CITV in the UK.

SuperMatch93

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2026, 08:19:57 PM »
Identity only ran a few months here, but has had loads of international versions. It was most successful in Italy, with three separate runs from 2007-25.
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tomobrien

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2026, 08:25:04 PM »
Call My Bluff ran for less than a year here in 1965, but ran on and off in the UK from 1965 to 2005.

tvwxman

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2026, 06:16:47 AM »
Hasn't Million Dollar Mind Game been on Russian TV for awhile?
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parliboy

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2026, 08:31:46 AM »
Hasn't Million Dollar Mind Game been on Russian TV for awhile?

Yes, but I think you may be misunderstanding OP.  MDMG wasn't created here.  It was adapted from the Russian show, so it wouldn't qualify.
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Marc412

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2026, 10:37:18 AM »
Run for the Money didn't sell in the US, but it enjoyed a long run in Britain as Going for Gold and is still going in France as Questions pour un Champion, though recently QPUC was reduced from a daily show to a weekend one.

chris319

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #12 on: April 23, 2026, 04:32:15 PM »
Blockbusters did eighteen months in the states, then got exported to the UK and did twelve years. (with several successor series thereafter).

I doubt Steve Ryan sees a dime from this, even though he created Blockbusters.

PYLdude

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #13 on: April 23, 2026, 04:49:37 PM »
Strike it Rich in the UK ought to be another big example. One season here, thirteen overseas.
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DoItRockapella

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Re: Created here and bombed, became an international hit...
« Reply #14 on: April 23, 2026, 06:10:49 PM »
While I wouldn't say bombed, Fun House USA got two solid syndie series + "26 weeks" on FOX and then got 11 series on CITV in the UK.

Finders Keepers, then? 2ish years in the US between Nickelodeon and syndication, 5ish years and a 2006 revival on CITV. I wouldn't call either of those a bomb or a megahit, but still.