Neil Patrick Harris brought Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway to the USA last night as Best Time Ever (yeah, we're not too sure about the title either) made its debut on NBC.

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The new variety show – based on Ant and Dec’s winning Saturday night formula, with the Geordie pair acting as exec producers – kicked off with a bang with Reese Witherspoon in the famous announcer’s booth and Nicole Scherzinger on hand to take on the supporting presenter role usually played by fellow former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts in the UK

And it certainly looks as though NPH and his US producers are sticking to the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” formula when it comes to the show itself. This should come as no surprise with Ant & Dec the ones who pitched the format, before travelling stateside to oversee the first show.

There was an undercover prank…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS_mbwD47ec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjUWEBcnQz0

A very familiar looking head-to-head challenge hosted by a former Pussycat Doll…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jceA9kqGxu4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGeq7zDZ4H4

Some unsuspecting audience members got a right shock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_mAoOzrihs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsIQsr-y61g

There was a Grab The Ads style contest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVqScwWAfdc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrUWQfdqMGk

A little Neil Patrick Harris a la Little Ant and Dec, and even an End of The Show Show featuring the Geordie duo themselves…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5xzr7XkbbY

All in all, it was a pretty flattering production, but it’ll never beat the original.

There's only one Ant and Dec after all (or should that be two…?)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjXZmtg7GwI

Authors

Sarah Doran
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