Top 10 Rip-Off Reality Shows

Rip-Off of: “Survivor” (2000-)
Is this a rip-off, or more of a “great minds think alike” type situation? Let us know what you think! This series gathers a group of famous people and sends them out to live in the elements of the jungle or under conditions usually hostile to humans, until only one contestant remains in the end. This survival competition program was originally a British show that began in 2002, and an American version was picked up by ABC in 2003. But this made some waves with the network CBS, who claimed this was a copy of their hit show “Survivor.” CBS sued ABC and lost– as the judge ruled that they were different enough to both be on air.

Rip-Off of: “Kitchen Nightmares” (2007-14)
When you think of angry English chefs, what’s the first name that comes to mind? If it’s Gordon Ramsay, then you may think that this Food Network series is a total ripoff. Several years after Ramsay’s “Kitchen Nightmares” had hit the air– in which he tries to transform unsuccessful restaurants– the American basic cable channel began this new fixer-upper series. “Restaurant: Impossible” stars Robert Irvine, who similarly enters dining establishments with the hopes of improving their businesses. And yes, they both do quite a bit of yelling. While both are extremely close in concept, the Food Network edition has had a longer run overall.

Rip-Off of: “The Bachelor” (2002-)
Nowadays, there are so many reality dating competition shows that it’s almost impossible to keep track of all of them! However, arguably the most prominent is the “Bachelor” franchise– which began in 2002 on ABC., Fox quickly jumped on the bandwagon and came up with their own tweak to the format– releasing “Joe Millionaire” in 2003. The basic idea of the series is the same– multiple women competing over the affections of one man. However, the later show’s twist is that the titular man is an average “Joe” who pretends to be wealthy– tricking the female contestants until the very end. “Joe Millionaire” made a comeback in 2022, but with a more transparent set of rules.

Rip-Off of: “Big Brother” (2000-)
You know what they say about people in glass houses… they steal your ideas! Okay, that’s not actually what they say. But in this case, it’s true! “The Glass House” premiered on ABC in 2012, and its concept is dangerously close to that of CBS’s “Big Brother.” Folks live together in a house that is constantly being surveilled and have to face being voted out both from among themselves and the public all while hoping to win a grand cash prize . CBS filed a lawsuit against ABC for the two series’ similarities, which was eventually settled between the networks. It probably helped CBS’s case that “Glass House” did not last beyond a season!

Rip-Off of: “Survivor” (2000-) & “Big Brother” (2000-)
Maybe they should have titled this show… oddly similar worlds. This Syfy series had elements of both “Survivor” and “Big Brother,” as it entailed different teams competing in challenges while living together in a divided house. “Opposite Worlds” attempted to bring a fresh new perspective on the reality competition genre by using the themes of past and present to propel each round. They also utilized social media to rank their remaining contestants, who would then be given advantages or disadvantages based on their popularity. The show had one twelve episode season, but was never renewed for more.

Rip-Off of: “The Voice” (2011-) & “The Masked Singer” (2019-)
If we had a nickel for every singing competition series on air, we’d have… a lot of nickels. Lately, it seems the trend has been series that disguise the performer in some way in order to focus solely on their voice. “The Voice” franchise was one of the first to kick this off, having the judges face away from the contestants as they sing. Then there’s “The Masked Singer,” which has famous artists or celebrities in head-to-toe costumes so their identities are completely concealed. “I Can See Your Voice” has a premise similar to the former two, where people get up on stage – but only half of them are using their actual voices. Too similar? Probably, but folks will watch it anyway!

Rip-Off of: “The Amazing Race” (2001-)

All artists steal or borrow from others, but that doesn’t mean they’ll get away with it! The creator of “Survivor,” Mark Burnett, wanted to hop on the bandwagon of the excellent reception to CBS’s “The Amazing Race,” which began in 2011. A decade later, Burnett crafted up “Expedition Impossible” – in which teams travel across unique landscapes completing tasks as they go. Obviously, this is impossibly close to the plot of the original CBS show. The only notable difference is that Burnett’s series only takes place in one country– Morocco. At least it did, for the one season that it was on ABC.

Rip-Off of: “Wife Swap” (2004-10; 2013; 2019-20)
C’mon, this one is way too close for comfort! You have likely heard of the popular ABC reality series “Wife Swap,” but it may be news to hear that it was originally a British show that was then adapted for the US and set to air 2004. Fox however beat them to the punch and released “Trading Spouses” – which had an identical premise and comically similar title - a few months earlier. To be expected, ABC sued Fox for exactly this. However, both shows continued to air for several years– but “Wife Swap” ultimately had the longer run, and much more hype and recognition.

Rip-Off of: “Dancing with the Stars” (2005-)
Spin-off, or rip-off? In this case, a little bit of both. As a response to the great viewership of “Dancing with the Stars,” ABC thought up a new spin– pun intended! Using the same format of the original program, “Skating with the Stars” had professional figure skaters pair up with celebrities to compete each week. Seems pretty foolproof, right? But alas, this new edition of the franchise did not survive beyond its first season. We suppose this taught ABC to stick to what they know, but you can’t blame them for trying!

Rip-Off of: Each Other
We’ll be honest– these two shows were neck in neck! We’ll let you be the judge of which one was the ultimate rip-off. Another television genre that has seen countless copies of itself in all sorts of forms is the real estate home improvement series. But for these two shows, it would take a ridiculously powerful magnifying glass to parse the difference between them. Both “Flip This House” and “Flip That House” are about– you guessed it– flipping houses. And they both premiered in July 2005 on different networks within weeks of one another! Maybe one show said to the other: “You flip this house, we’ll flip that house.” And thus, harmony was achieved.