Knock Off

I was so very, very impressed (and I still am) with the fabulous Netflix series House of Cards and was in awe of the brilliance of the writers. Who came up with such riveting plots, insidious sub-plots and tangled webs of deceit?

Yesterday I viewed the first four episodes of the BBC House of Cards and I got my answer. The BBC drama debuted in 1990, twenty-four years ago. AHA! Although brilliantly re-imagined and crafted for today's audiences, the Americanized House of Cards is basically a knock-off!

As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Homeland, Showtime's mega-hit, has its roots in Israel's Prisoners of War. In the 80's every girl tried to style her hair like Farrah Fawcett's (good luck with that). Lawsuits between companies for pilfering technology abound. I remember the tiny company that invented spray-on shower cleaner was trampled on by Big Companies stealing their idea (and formula too?)

It's getting harder these days to separate the pretenders from The Real Deal, people as well as handbags.

I, of course, am an original! Only one of me!

;-)