NBC's Americanized take on the already classic Britcom The Office premieres tonight (following The Apprentice and opposite the premiere of Fox's weak-looking new comedy Life on a Stick).
Assuming what airs tonight is the same as the pilot I saw several months ago the first episode sticks to the script of the British pilot. It will be a weird viewing experience for obsessive fans (are there any other kind?) of the British series. It's a bit like watching a very good play with a cast that just isn't quite as good as the original Broadway troupe.
Steve Carell headlines the cast and he's an inspired choice. Although some of his mannerisms mimic Ricky Gervais too closely, Carell manages to put his own spin on the character which should only grow over time. Former Six Feet Under nutcase Rainn Wilson is also a good choice as the American version of Gareth. The actors stepping in for Martin Freeman's Tim and Lucy Davis' Dawn aren't known for much of anything, and have big shoes to fill. (So far John Krasinski as "Jim" suffers the most in comparison to his predecessor.)
Things will get more interesting next week when the American version starts to introduce original storylines (in its regular post-Scrubs Tuesday timeslot). The American TV landscape could use a smart workplace comedy these days and The Office might fit that need. But it's hard to imagine mass audiences embracing even a watered down version of such an absurd, bitter and offbeat show. And what NBC needs now more than anything is a big fat hit, especially a big fat hit comedy.
Luckily, the network is currently in such a complete state of desperation that it will likely have the patience to air all six episodes of the show, which will either develop into something really interesting or simply go down in TV history as an unfortunate oddity.
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