The British TV Invasion

CHICAGO (CBS) -- So, what makes British TV so good?  Tracy Smith takes us behind the scenes:

You may remember Norman Lear's "All in the Family" as an American TV classic. But you may not know the show that inspired it. Six years before Archie Bunker, the show "Till Death Us Do Part," was already a hit in the U.K., complete with the bickering dad and son-in-law.

Surprised? Don't be: For the past few decades, dozens of British TV shows – or at least the ideas for them – have crossed the Atlantic to become big hits here in the colonies.

For instance, "Steptoe and Son," a sitcom about two London junkmen, was the inspiration behind "Sanford and Son." But Redd Foxx made it his own.

Then there's "The Office" – Ricky Gervais helped make it big in Britain; the American version, starring Steve Carell, was a pretty big hit as well.

And when the reality show "Strictly Come Dancing" waltzed away with top ratings in Great Britain, an American version – "Dancing With the Stars" – soon followed its lead.