Been meaning to look at the US version for a while and this thread meant I eventually got round to it.
The two shows are both excellent but very different beasts imo. I would argue the UK version is more ground breaking and by definition more relatable for those of us on this side of the pond. However once the US version stopped mimicking the original and developed its own storylines the writing was fantastic and benefited from a larger and extremely good ensemble cast. I know some people didn't like the later seasons but I'm sticking with it and am finding James Spader's turn as Robert California quite amusing but not sure what that days about me!