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Date Posted: 08:37:32 10/28/08 Tue
Author: Islandgirl
Subject:

TV deja vu

Have you ever noticed that when one TV show debuts a certain concept, and another show copycats the same formula a couple of years later, it's often the copycat that gets the "buzz" and the higher ratings. . .and sometimes even credit for being original!
One of the few breakout hits of the new fall season seems to be "The Mentalist" but anybody who watches "Psych" on the USA network will have noticed that the "fake psychic/real detective" concept was coined on that show and that "The Mentalist" is a pretty blatant ripoff.
In the mid-1990s I used to watch a show with my kids called "Brother's Keeper" that was about a man, his brother and his young son all living together. It was a "family friendly" type show and only lasted a season or two. But a couple of years later, a show with that exact same concept, but a more "adult" brand of humor called "Two and a Half Men" debuted and has had strong ratings and critical acclaim.
About all I can say is. . .this stealing of ideas isn't new. Back in the 1980s, you had "Remington Steele" and "Moonlighting" which were both shows about a man and a woman who ran detective agencies together and traded sexual innuendos and wisecracks while solving crimes. I actually enjoyed both of these, but was always puzzled by why "Moonlighting" got more "buzz" since it was the second of these shows to debut and was a pretty obvious knockoff of "Remington Steele."

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Replies:

Maybe that's why -- CW, 16:44:14 10/28/08 Tue
- I know one -- detoiured, 23:05:01 10/28/08 Tue
  - I'm too young for St. Elsewhere -- SMH, 05:44:39 10/29/08 Wed
    - Re: I'm too young for St. Elsewhere -- Islandgirl, 07:31:14 10/29/08 Wed
      - Info for Detoured on "Brother's Keeper" -- Islandgirl, 11:39:50 10/29/08 Wed
      - I love Boy Meets World! -- SMH, 11:59:57 10/29/08 Wed
        Topanga! -- detoured, 15:43:38 10/29/08 Wed
        Mentalist -- STardoe, 02:09:58 11/02/08 Sun
        Another example. . . -- Islandgirl, 09:43:56 11/04/08 Tue
        Haven't heard of Chuck -- Stardoe, 14:15:37 11/08/08 Sat