I Liked It When I Saw It The First Time, Entries Beginning with D

This page is inspired by the comedy of David Spade. Yes, David Spade. During his stay on Saturday Night Live, he would occasionally put things down that seemed to copy things before them by saying something like "I liked 'Black Sheep' the first time I saw it, when it was called 'Tommy Boy'". So this is my attempt at ranking on the movies and television programs of the nineties (and present) by pointing out what they copied from the eighties. Since there always seems to be a lot or unoriginal ideas in Hollywood, this should be an easy page to fill up quickly.

This page currently edited by: Indy Gent. Past editor: Banasy



I liked "DVD" when it was called VHS
Even though VHS still exists, DVD will probably eventually make VHS go obsolete. And for those of you who own a whole wall of prerecorded VHS videos like I do, you would hate to reinvest all the money spent on your prerecorded videos for the same material on DVD--plus a DVD player.
I liked "DVD" when it was called Capacitance Electronic Discs (CED)
I remember these old players and how cool they were. You put the disc holder in the front, it would pop back out and your movie would play!
I liked "DVD" when it was called Beta Tapes
I liked "DVD-R" when it was called Blank tapes
Both useful to tape stuff on tv.
I liked "Daft Punk" when it was called Kraftwerk
They both make electronic music and provide a "robotic" look from those bands (plus, they are both European).
I liked "The Daily Show " when it was called Not The Nine O'Clock News
For those interested, "Not Necessarily the News" was a rip off of the British show, "Not the Nine O'Clock News".
I liked "Dale Earnhardt Jr." when it was called Dale Earnhardt Sr.
I liked "Dale Earnhardt, Jr" when it was called Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Dale Earnhardt JUNIOR was NEVER known as "Dale Earnhardt Sr". Dale Earnhardt (the elder) was NEVER known as Dale Earnhardt SENIOR. The doofusses who took over the sport formerly known as NASCAR penned the term because it seemed easier than saying Dale Earnhardt and Junior. Well, now that Dale Earnhardt is gone, I guess there's no confusion. :\
I liked "Dan Dickerson and Jim Price" when it was called Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey
Detroit Tigers radio announcers
I liked "Dance 360" when it was called Dance Fever
I liked "Dance Dance Revolution" when it was called Nintendo Power Pad
The Power Pad was an NES periphrial that never really caught on (pretty much the only reason most people had one was that it came bundled with their console). Yet nearly a decade later, Konami introduces "Dance Dance Revolution" (DDR to most), which uses the same concept, and it's a hit!
I liked "Danny Phantom" when it was called Ghostbusters
They both involve catching ghosts.
I liked "Dave Chapelle" when it was called Eddie Murphy
I liked "David Beckham" when it was called Pele
Top international soccer stars ending their careers in a US pro league and making an impact to the nation (Beckham with the MLS, Pele with the NASL). Let's hope that the MLS will still be around in the next generation.
I liked "David Gallagher from 7th Heaven" when it was called Chad Allen from Our House
Both are decent actors, but they looked eerily similar, and these two shows followed on the same premise. However, Chad Allen became gay, didn't he?
I liked "David Spade" when it was called Eddie Murphy
I liked "Dawson's Creek" when it was called The Waltons
The only difference: The Walton kids never had sex with each other (or anyone else).
I liked "Dawson's Creek" when it was called Saved by the Bell
I liked "Dawson's Creek" when it was called 90210
I liked "Dawsons Creek" when it was called The Wonder Years
They have basically the same charaters and the Years was a funny show.
I liked "DeWayne Wade" when it was called Joe Dumars
I liked "DeWayne Wade" when it was called Jpe Dumars
I liked "Dead Silence" when it was called Child's Play
I liked "Deal Or No Deal" when it was called Treasure Hunt
Two game shows with a similar concept, though "Deal or No Deal" has contestants of both genders unlike "Treasure Hunt" which only ever had female contestants for some reasons.
I liked "Deborah Gibson" when it was called Debbie Gibson
Unfortunately, most people still look at her as the cute pop princess from the past than the talented artist she is now. "Debbie Gibson" was a cute pop princess with hits like "Only In My Dreams" & "Lost In Your Eyes" and them grew up as "Deborah Gibson", which she stated that she never liked the name 'Debbie', who's a beautiful stage actress and still puts out great music, though not as famous than her "Electric Youth".
I liked "Deep Blue Sea" when it was called Jaws
Who wants to watch it all over again?
I liked "Degrassi The New Generation" when it was called Degrassi Junior High
I liked "Degrassi: The Next Generation" when it was called Degrassi Junior High
I liked "Derek Jeter" when it was called Ozzie Smith
Entertaining infielders
I liked "Desperate Housewives" when it was called Dynasty
The only difference is that the characters on "Desperate Housewives" are middle class. The rest is mostly the same cliches from any prime time drama.
I liked "Detroit Red Wings" when it was called Edmonton Oilers
I liked "Dharma and Greg" when it was called Family Ties
Family ties had liberal parents (and Berkeley graduates) with conservative kids. Dharma comes from a liberal family (she herself is a Berkeley grad, I think) but her husband is conservative from a conservative family.
I liked "Diagnosis Murder" when it was called Quincy
I liked "Diary Of A Mad Black Woman" when it was called The Color Purple
I liked "Dirk Nowitzki" when it was called Detlef Schrempf
I liked "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" when it was called Dirty Dancing
"Havana Nights" wasn't quite as sexy.
I liked "The Disney Channel" when it was called Nickelodeon
The Disney Channel is now a network aimed towards kids & tweens, much like Nickelodeon, instead of a "Family Channel" knockoff it was in the '80's/'90's with shows aimed towards toddlers in the day time, original cartoons, and kiddie sitcoms. The only difference is that Nickelodeon also aired classic shows (other than from Nick at Nite) and game shows.
I liked "Disturbed's Shout" when it was called Tears For Fears' Shout
I don't even like this cover very much. I mean if you're going to cover a poppy kind of techno song you might as well be good at singing it.
I liked "The Division" when it was called Cagney and Lacey
I liked "Don't Forget The Lyrics" when it was called Name That Tune
Although I still prefer Wayne Brady over Kathie Lee Gifford (who was Kathie Lee Johnson when she sang on Name That Tune).
I liked "Donovan McNabb" when it was called Warren Moon
Both quarterbacks are good, but Warren Moon had a stronger arm than Donovan McNabb.
I liked "Dontrelle Willis" when it was called Fernando Valenzuela
I liked "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" when it was called Little House on the Prairie
I liked "Drake and Josh" when it was called Kenan and Kel
Series that was a spin off to a popular TV show.
I liked "Drawn Together" when it was called The Real World
Like "Fatherhood" to "The Cosby Show", "Drawn Together" ia an animated version of "The Real World". But with more crass humour.
I liked "Dude, Where's My Car?" when it was called Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
Both feature slacker-types with a ton of modern slang on a ridiculous adventure!
I liked "Dukes Of Hazzard" when it was called Smokey & The Bandit
I know "Dukes Of Hazzard" is a remake of the TV show, but the original TV show was based from movies like "Smokey & The Bandit", therefore "The Dukes of Hazzard" movie is sort of like a rip off from a TV show that has a similar premise of a popular movie.
I liked "Dungeons & Dragons" when it was called The Princess Bride
I liked "Dwayne Wade" when it was called Isiah Thomas


What else can you think of that is ripped off from the 80s?

Please check out the Liked It When It Was Called submission page.