DR Jennifer, re the US vs UK HOUSE OF CARDS:
the story is BASICALLY the same, ie, ruthless and ambitious politician is climbing the ladder, "assisted" by a young female reporter and also his "understanding" wife. But the two are very different. The US vs UK venues dictate many changes, plus the characters are quite different. Kevin Spacey and Ian Richardson play the leads with subtle but significant slants. I would not say that if you've seen one there's no point to seeing the other. Quite the contrary, I find the two takes very interesting.
Vixmom may wish to chime in here, as I know she's seen them both.