"The (American) Office is good" a.k.a. that's what he said

"The (American) Office is good" a.k.a. that's what he said

I automatically assume that across the pond versions of British TV serials are usually atrocious and not really worth a watch (refer the disastrous Coupling effort). Thankfully, that's not the case with The Office. The American remake of the cult British sitcom is quite good, and much should be attributed to the presence of Gervais and Merchant in proceedings.

In fact, I found the American version to be a tad more accessible. The British one was far more edgier and I would gape at it in sad horror - what horrible lives they (and by reflection, us) lead. Not disbelief, mind you, as I had personally seen a Brent-like character. The similarities were spooky. There was very little redemption or escape for any of those characters, and I didn't laugh out as much. It still was very funny, though. The American version lets you chuckle a lot more, and if I may confess, the actors are a lot more good-looking without sacrificing the crazy realism of the original.

By now, we know what Steve Carell (here as the manager, "Michael Scott") is capable of, and he is backed up by a very good ensemble, a couple of whom are also involved in the writing and production side. So cast aside any trepidations, and have a look, especially if you liked the original one.