History DuelingShows / LiveActionTV

|| ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' (1993) || ''VRTroopers'' (1994), ''MaskedRider'' (1995), ''Series/{{Beetleborgs}}'' (1996) || Adaptations of Japanese {{tokusatsu}} (live-action superheroics) with new footage with American actors. Of the many ''Rangers'' [[FollowTheLeader knockoffs of the time]], these three shows were the most prominent; being by ''Rangers'' producers SabanEntertainment and two aired with ''Rangers'' on FoxKids (''Troopers'' was syndicated instead). Yes, [[SelfPlagiarism it is possible to self-duel]]. || ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' is based on the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' franchise, ''MaskedRider'' on ''Franchise/KamenRider'' (specifically, ''KamenRiderBlackRX''), and the other two on various ''MetalHeroes'' series (''VRTroopers'' on unrelated shows ''ChoujinkiMetalder'', ''JikuuSenshiSpielban'' and ''SpaceSheriffShaider''; ''Series/{{Beetleborgs}}'' on ''{{Juukou B-Fighter}}'' and its sequel ''{{B-Fighter Kabuto}}''). || Despite [[UnCancelled a few close calls]], ''Power Rangers'' has continued nearly unbroken for coming up on twenty years now. ''VRTroopers'' and ''Series/{{Beetleborgs}}'' each lasted two seasons before running out of usable footage. ''MaskedRider'' tanked, causing the franchise to be [[StillbornFranchise stillborn]] in the West. ||

|| ''BigBrother'' || ''GlassHouse'' || Reality series putting young, attractive, and occasionally psychopathic strangers into a house sealed off from the outside world. The last person standing wins big. || For the most part, ''Glass House'' is ''Big Brother'', with one twist - the audience is able to tell the residents what to do. Otherwise, you could say ''Glass House'' copied from the ''Big Brother'' template. And so can Creator/{{CBS}}, which sued Creator/{{ABC}}, as ABC hired many ex-''Big Brother'' staffers for the new show. || ''Big Brother'' started the reality TV craze. ''Glass House'' has been all but cancelled due to extremely low ratings. ||

|| ''TheXFactor'' || ''Series/TheVoice'' || ''AmericanIdol''-esque musical talent shows || ''TheXFactor'' was made by former ''Idol'' judge and record producer Simon Cowell, and is an adaptation of his British show of the same name (which was, in turn, the successor to ''Pop Idol'', the show that spun off ''AI'' in the first place). || So far, ''Series/TheVoice'' is trouncing Cowell's show in both ratings and critical respect, and is standing toe to toe with ''Idol.'' However, The X Factor has a stronger following on social media and is a spin-off of a show that launched [[Music/OneDirection what is arguably the most popular musical act among its core demographic of teenage girls.]] ||

|| ''RowanAndMartinsLaughIn'' || ''Turn-On'' || Comedy/variety show produced by George Schlatter || ''Laugh-In'' was the #1 show at the time for NBC. ABC decided to get in on the action by making their own irreverent sketch show that pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable at the time. || ''Laugh-In'' won, both with critics and in the ratings. ''Turn-On'', in contrast, was so bad that it either got [[BannedInChina banned from being aired]], was canceled ten minutes into its first episode, or aired in its entirety... and never shown again.
|| ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (1975) || ''Series/{{Fridays}}'' (1980) || SketchComedy VarietyShow || Creator/{{ABC}}'s ''Fridays'' started out as the crude and disgusting "Cracked" to SNL's "MAD" magazine. When ''SNL'' went through SeasonalRot in the early 1980s, ''Fridays'' came out on top as the edgy sketch show that had a young cast of CrazyAwesome comedians and the best in popular music. || While ''Fridays'' did prove to be better than ''SNL'' was at the time in terms of writing and acting, ''Fridays'' ended up [[ScrewedByTheNetwork getting screwed by ABC]] when the network moved it to midnight to make room for ''Nightline''. It also doesn't help that by 1982, ''SNL'' was slowly, but surely, turning itself around with a better cast and better writers. ''Fridays'' ended up getting canceled after ABC got the brilliant idea to make it a primetime sketch show -- and it tanked in the ratings thanks to ''Dallas'' (which was ''the'' show of the early 1980s). ||
|| ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (1975) || ''Series/TheNewShow'' (1984) || SketchComedy VarietyShow || Both shows have guests and musical guests and were produced by Lorne Michaels. || ''SNL'' won, of course. '' The New Show'' failed to capture an audience of its own. Only lasting for 9 episodes, broadcast over the course of two months (January-March, 1984). Its ratings were among the lowest of the season. It did so bad that it prompted LorneMichaels to return to ''SaturdayNightLive'' in 1985.||
|| ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' (1975) || ''{{MADtv}}'' (1995) || SketchComedy VarietyShow. || The first is a classic of the genre, despite its many highs and lows. The other is pretty much the same, only it's taped, an hour long, and comes off the heels of ''InLivingColor'' being cancelled after five years and ''House of Buggin'' and ''Saturday Night Special'' being taken off the air due to bad reviews and worse ratings. || Though both shows held their own (and have fans who will forever fight over which show is most superior), the winner is ''SaturdayNightLive'', owing its win to the WGA strike of 2007-2008, its surge in popularity during the 2008 election, and FOX once again demonstrating that it is the patron saint of [[ScrewedByTheNetwork screwing over anything that's remotely entertaining]], whether it's a primetime show or a late-night one. ''SNL'' also wins in the "Which Show Lasted Longer in Syndication" category because, while ''MADtv'' hasn't been rerun on TV since 2010 (on ComedyCentral), ''SNL'' (who was once kicked off Comedy Central in favor of its brash FOX rival) now has a home in syndication on VH1 and VH1-Classic. ||

|| ''Series/InspectorMorse'' || ''The Ruth Rendell Mysteries'' || Series of respected novels about middle aged culturally literate detectives solving crimes through thinking instead of fisticuffs adapted for TV || Inspector Morse premiered in January 1987. The Ruth Rendell mysteries (featuring Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford' premiered in August 1987. Both series lasted until 2000 with Inspector Morse ending definitively with the death of the titular character, while Wexford ending less definitively and future episodes were only finally prevented by the death of star George Baker in 2011. || Both series were long runners and thanks to a combination of BritishBrevity and good source material, both managed to keep up the quality until the end. However, it is undeniable that InspectorMorse had the greater cultural impact and has spawned two spinoffs; Lewis and Endeavour ||

|| ''Series/PawnStars'' (History Channel) || ''Hardcore Pawn'' ([=TruTV=]) || ''Series/AntiquesRoadshow'' [[XMeetsy meets]] ''Series/AmericanChopper'' || ''Stars'' tends to focus more on the customers and items being sold. ''Hardcore'' focuses more on the ''Series/AmericanChopper''-style conflicts. || So far, the winner seems to be ''Pawn Stars''. Not only are they one of the most successful reality shows on cable television, but they have managed to capitalize on that fame by turning their shop into a new Las Vegas tourist spot as well as start their own line of merchandise. ''Hardcore Pawn'', while still a good show, doesn't seem to reach anywhere near the universal appeal ''Pawn Stars'' has. However, both shows have been successful enough to warrant their own spinoffs. ||

||''BluePeter''||''Magpie''||Magazine programme with wholesome and informative fun for British kids, with charitable appeals and badges awarded for achievement.||''BluePeter'' (BBC) began as a rather staid and studio-bound affair (suits, ties etc.) but moved towards a livelier presentation with more outdoor locations following the arrival of John Noakes in 1965. ''Magpie'' (ITV) copied ''Blue Peter''’s format from the start, while employing more hip language and graphics.||No contest. ''BluePeter'' (1958-present) is longest running children’s show ever, its badges respected and good for free entry to various places. ''Magpie'' ran 1968-80, badges crop up on eBay etc occasionally[[labelnote:*]]a large number having been "liberated" when the show ended[[/labelnote]].||

|| ''Food Feuds'' (Food Network) || ''Food Wars'' (Travel Channel) || Local restaurants with the same signature dish go head to head to see who's version is better. || Three main diffenences: The hosts ("Feuds" boasts IronChef Michael Symon, "Wars" has stage actress Camille Ford), the judging (Symon does the judging on "Feuds", "Wars" has a panel of 2-4 judges) and the focus ("Wars" features the local culture the rival eateries. "Feuds" focuses on the cooking and ingredients) || Too early to call. But "Feuds" does itself no favors by featuring (in its promos) locations already covered by "Wars." ||

|| ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'' (NBC) || ''BatesMotel'' (A&E) || Shows based on classic [[Film/{{Psycho}} psycho]][[TheSilenceOfTheLambs logical]] horror films. || ''Hannibal'' is a prequel, while ''Bates Motel'' is a re-magined OriginStory about Norman's [[TeensAreMonsters formative years]]. Both are set in the present day. || TBA. ||

|| ''Series/KnightRider'' || ''Street Hawk'' || An injured police officer is given a new secret identity and a super vehicle to fight crime with. || This time ABC tries to follow NBC's lead on a motorcycle ''without'' a mind of its own. Remote-controlled by the Government. || How many people have actually even ''heard'' of ''Street Hawk''?

|| ''Series/BeakmansWorld'' (1992) || ''BillNyeTheScienceGuy'' (1993) || Kids shows that focus on learning science, often in goofy and irreverent ways || Whereas Beakman was a fictional character, Bill was an actual scientist (an engineer to be more precise). Whereas Bill stuck with one topic throughout an episode, Beakman switched topics frequently. Whereas Bill focused on the science almost exclusively (if imaginatively), Beakman also had a small, wacky recurring cast and a little non-science-related zaniness. || Both lasted about 100 episodes, were equally epic and awesome, and were worthy of being Don "Mr. Wizard" Herbert's heir to the throne. Bill might get an edge in that he's still active in promoting science and enviromentalism, but the real winners are kids' report cards. ||

|| ''BigBrother'' (1999) || ''Series/{{Survivor}}'' (2000) || Musical Chairs RealityShow || CountryMouse vs. CityMouse. It should be noted that, in the United States, both shows are "on the same side" since [[Creator/{{CBS}} one network]] airs them both. The ''Big Brother'' franchise started in 1999 with the Dutch version, while the American version debuted in 2000. Survivor as a franchise name is an American original, though the concept is a reworking of the Swedish ''Expedition Robinson'' (1997) || In the US? ''Survivor''. Outside the US? Arguably ''BigBrother''. ||

|| ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'' || ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie'' || SitCom in which a guy tries to live an ordinary life despite having a long-term relationship with [[MagicalGirlfriend a blonde with magical powers]]. || ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'' had Elizabeth Montgomery, Agnes Moorehead and TheOtherDarrin. ''IDreamOfJeannie'' had JR Ewing and [[MsFanservice Barbara Eden in revealing clothing]]. Actually, if you like 1960s sitcoms, these are both pretty good. || Both won -- and so did viewers. Though to be fair, Bewitched had 3 more seasons. ||

|| ''Series/LivingSingle'' || ''{{Friends}}'' || A group of twenty-something friends/roommates living in New York City || The most obvious difference was the main cast: ''Single's'' black, female-dominated cast vs. ''Friends'' ' white, gender-balanced cast. ''Living Single'' also tended less soap opera-ish and slightly more reality-based and avoided ''Friends''' mass-{{Flanderization}}. || ''Friends'' lasted ten seasons. ''Living Single'' lasted only five, though the rerun appeal of both programs remain high. ''Friends'' was a huge success internationally, while ''Living Single'' didn't have much appeal on the international syndication level. Also, ''Friends'' spawned a (not very successful) spin-off. ||

|| ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' || ''Series/WhiteCollar'' || Skilled and rather flamboyant thief/thieves are recruited by the good guys to create some {{Asshole Victim}}s. ||The difference is with their employers - ''Leverage''[='=]s Nate is initially out for {{revenge}} and then takes up the charge to fight evil himself while ''White Collar''[='=]s ConMan is employed by the government. || ''White Collar'' - ''Leverage'' was cancelled at the end of it fifth season. ||

|| ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' || ''Series/WhiteCollar'' || Skilled and rather flamboyant thief/thieves are recruited by the good guys to create some {{Asshole Victim}}s. ||The difference is with their employers - ''Leverage''[='=]s Nate is initially out for {{revenge}} and then takes up the charge to fight evil himself while ''White Collar''[='=]s ConMan is employed by the government. || So far seems to be a draw. Both series are wildly popular on their respective networks with multiple seasons to their name. ''Leverage'' outpaces ''White Collar'' by a couple of seasons since it started first. ||

|| ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' || ''OliverBeene'' || {{Sitcom}} about a DysfunctionalFamily that raises a boy who [[NoFourthWall frequently breaks the fourth wall]]. || Another example of dueling shows created by the same network. ''Oliver Beene'' had the same style of humor and direction, but set in a version of the 1960s that basically [[AnachronismStew came off as the 2000s in vintage clothing]]. || ''Oliver Beene'', a MidseasonReplacement, failed to last even the rest of the season (mostly because critics and viewers saw the show as a knock-off of ''Malcolm'' and were pissed that FOX chose to air ''Oliver Beene'' rather than, say, give ''Futurama'' a stable timeslot), while ''Malcolm'' lasted seven. ||

|| ''Series/KnightRider'' || ''Street Hawk'' || An injured police officer is given a new secret identity and a super vehicle to fight crime with. || This time ABC tries to follow NBC's lead on a motorcycle ''without'' a mind of its own. Remote-controlled by the Government. || How many people have actually even ''heard'' of ''Street Hawk''? [[note]] Many Indians do. Street Hawk was introduced 'before' satellite television AND Knight Rider. A GI Joe motorcycle and Snake-Eyes toy package were retooled and packaged as a Street Hawk package- before Knight Rider was aired.[[/note]] ||

|| ''AceOfCakes'' || ''CakeBoss'' || Reality TV show about creative bakers making cakes. || The two leads are RedOniBlueOni: Duff is usually very relaxed and surrounded by friends while Buddy is a bit more agitated and surrounded by relatives and ''his four older sisters.'' Ace Of Cakes'' makes cakes on the extremely decorative side while ''Cake Boss'' forgoes a bit on the fondant for both delicious and decorative cakes. || Both are/were successful, but ''Ace'' by a small margin. ''Ace'' had 10 seasons and landed the Food Network some of its highest ratings ever. ''CakeBoss'' is still running, has had 4 seasons, and got its own spinoff "The Next Great Baker".

|| ''AceOfCakes'' || ''CakeBoss'' || Reality TV show about creative bakers making cakes. || The two leads are RedOniBlueOni: Duff is usually very relaxed and surrounded by friends while Buddy is a bit more agitated and surrounded by relatives and ''his four older sisters.'' || ''Ace Of Cakes'' makes cakes on the extremely decorative side while ''Cake Boss'' forgoes a bit on the fondant for both delicious and decorative cakes. || ''Ace'' by a small margin. ''Ace'' had 10 seasons and landed the Food Network some of its highest ratings ever. ''CakeBoss'' is still running, has had 4 seasons, and got its own spinoff "The Next Great Baker".

|| ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' || ''Series/HowToRock'' || Two Kid Coms, one about a girl at a performing arts school, the other about an AlphaBitch who [[FallenPrincess loses her popularity]] and joins a pop-rock group at her school. || Like the above, both shows usually involve wacky situations. As mentioned, Victorious often involves singing, plays, and other various skits, while How To Rock mostly features music and devotes the non-musical scenes to exploring the TrueCompanions relationship between the members of Gravity 5 and Kacey's struggling not to fall back into her old ways. This time, ''both'' shows are on the same network, Nickelodeon.||Victorious has experience on it's side, but some fans feel that the show is starting to slip. How To Rock is relatively new, but has consistently pulled in strong ratings. It looks like ''Victorious'' will win by default with its larger backlog of seasons; both shows have been abruptly canceled by Nickelodeon. ||

|| ''JonAndKatePlusEight'' || ''NineteenKidsAndCounting'' || Cameras film the complicated lives of families with a larger-than usual amount of children on Creator/{{TLC}}. || ''Jon and Kate'''s lives have sadly become ''[[DisappearedDad a]]'' ''[[ParentalAbandonment lot]]'' more complicated than the Duggars'... || Pretty much subjective to how you feel about shows featuring large families; there is no middle ground here. ||
|| ''AceOfCakes'' || ''CakeBoss'' || Reality TV show about creative bakers making cakes. || The two leads are RedOniBlueOni: Duff is usually very relaxed and surrounded by friends while Buddy is a bit more agitated and surrounded by relatives and ''his four older sisters.'' || ''Ace Of Cakes'' makes cakes on the extremely decorative side while ''Cake Boss'' forgoes a bit on the fondant for both delicous and decorative cakes. ||

|| ''DogWhisperer'' || ''It's Me Or The Dog'' || Renowned dog trainers visit troublesome dogs and train not only the animals but their owners as well. || Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan has a rougher approach to being a pack leader than the cruelty-free endorsing Victoria. || ''Dog Whisperer'', for now. Cesar has had more criticism for his techniques though. ||

|| ''Series/ToddlersAndTiaras'' (TLC) || ''Little Miss Perfect'' (WE tv), ''DanceMoms'' (Lifetime) || Reality shows that premiered in 2009 about young girls in beauty pageants or dance competitions, and their {{Stage Mom}}s. || ''Toddlers and Tiaras'' has more girls from 1-5, whereas ''Little Miss Perfect'' is about girls from 5-10. ''Dance Moms'' is about preteen dancers in Abby Lee's dance studio. || So far, ''Toddlers and Tiaras'' seems to be more popular and gets clips shown on news networks, and has had 4 season as opposed to ''Little Miss Perfect'', which had only two. It's too early to tell with ''Dance Moms''. ||

|| ''TowerPrep'' (2010), ''Series/HouseOfAnubis'' (2011) || ''Series/BlackHoleHigh'' (2002) || Kids shows about a group of teenagers trying to find out the secrets of their rather creepy BoardingSchool. || The students of ''Tower Prep'' all have some type of supernatural ability to help them escape, whereas ''Anubis'' is more like a whodunit to find out why their friend Joy disappeared. Simply, ''Tower'' is like a LighterAndSofter ''Series/PrisonBreak,'' while ''Anubis'' has a mystery arc like ''TwinPeaks''. Also, while ''Tower'' debuted first, ''Anubis'' is based on Dutch show '' Het Huis Anubis'' (2006-2009) that aired before either of them. Finally, ''Black Hole High'' aired before anything and ran on half-hour episodes . A {{Dramedy}} with an emphasis more on comedy that incorporated science-fiction. || ''Black Hole High'' ran for four seasons, has been shown internationally, had the last three episodes adapted into a movie, and won two emmys for "Oustanding Children's Show" and "Outstanding Writing". ''Anubis'' is still running, been well received, and has 190 episodes under its belt. In terms of longevity, Anubis over fourfold. In terms of notoriety, ''Black Hole'' (for the present). ''Tower'' got cancelled after one season and was not very well liked. ||

|| ''TowerPrep'' (2010) || ''Series/HouseOfAnubis'' (2011) || Kids shows about a group of teenagers trying to find out the secrets of their rather creepy BoardingSchool. || The students of ''Tower Prep'' all have some type of supernatural ability to help them escape, whereas ''Anubis'' is more like a whodunit to find out why their friend Joy disappeared. Simply, ''Tower'' is like a LighterAndSofter ''Series/PrisonBreak,'' while ''Anubis'' has a mystery arc like ''TwinPeaks''. Also, while ''Tower'' debuted first, ''Anubis'' is based on Dutch show '' Het Huis Anubis'' (2006-2009) that aired before either of them. || ''Anubis'' was a {{ratings}} winner and was given a second season, while ''Tower'' wasn't. ||

|| ''Series/{{Unsung}}'' (2008, TV One) || ''Series/BehindTheMusic'' (2009, {{VH-1}}) || In-depth looks at the early lives and careers of famous musical acts, featuring commentary from friends, family and co-workers wherever possible. || The revived ''BTM'' skews more towards the {{TMZ}} crowd in its subjects (Music/JenniferLopez, Music/MissyElliott), as opposed to the previous series where the focus was mostly on legendary music acts. ''Unsung'' focuses on the ContemporaryRAndB/Music/{{Soul}} and GenreMotif/HipHop worlds, as well as skewing far more obscure than ''BTW'' (TV One being geared for a far older audience) || To early to tell a winner, but ''BTW'' has a massive advantage in both audience (VH-1 being in far more homes than TV One) and name recognition. ||

|| ''RowanAndMartinsLaughIn'' || ''Turn-On'' || Comedy/variety show produced by George Schlatter || ''Laugh-In'' was the #1 show at the time for NBC. ABC decided to get in on the action by making their own irreverent sketch show that pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable at the time. || ''Laugh-In'' won, both with critics and in the ratings. ''Turn-On'', in contrast, was so bad that it either got [[BannedInChina banned from being aired]], was canceled ten minutes into its first episode, or aired in its entirety, and never rerun.

|| ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'' (NBC) || ''BatesMotel'' (A&E) || Shows based on classic [[Film/{{Psycho}} psycho]][[TheSilenceOfTheLambs logical]] horror films. || ''Hannibal'' is a prequel set in the Eighties (presumably) while ''Bates Motel'' is a re-magined OriginStory about Norman's [[TeensAreMonsters formative years]] in the present day. || TBA. ||