Reviews

Maybe we were wrong. We thought the U.S. version of the BBC’s “The Office” would be dreck, but the majority of the reviewers say otherwise. In artfully hedged comments, they praise the show:

New York Times: And though it grates to admit it, the American version of “The Office” is very funny - for viewers who never saw the original series on BBC America.. . the NBC series, though it pales in comparison, is still funnier than any other new network sitcom.

San Francisco Chronicle:When NBC announced that it had secured the American rights to the brilliant BBC comedy, “The Office,” there was equal measure of wincing and guffawing. It was like Britney Spears announcing she was redoing the Billie Holiday back catalogue. Or like action director McG claiming he was going to re-envision “Citizen Kane.”. . But now, well, this is slightly embarrassing: The American version of “The Office” is not only funny, it creatively pays homage to the original (the first episode is the British version nearly verbatim) and then, in subsequent episodes, comes up with completely separate scripts that define the NBC edition as unique and audaciously clever in its own right.

Chicago Tribune: NBC’s “The Office: An American Workplace”  isn’t as good as the original British comedy that spawned it, but that’s not necessarily a dig at the NBC show. After all, the British series, titled simply “The Office,” is considered by its ferociously devoted fans to be one of the best comedies in the history of the small screen. The fact is, “The Office: An American Workplace” is not an unqualified success, but it is eminently watchable. What’s more, it does the near-impossible: It doesn’t make the viewer forget the original, but it actually inspires affection, instead of cries of “sacrilege!” from this rabid “Office” fan.
Scranton, (PA) Times: The early reviews have been positive, the English creators seem to be pleased with it (aside from some consulting, Mr. Gervais and Mr. Merchant have had little to do with the show) and NBC has given it substantial promotion. The network, which thus far has ordered six episodes of “The Office,” has also indicated that it will give the show adequate time to develop an audience.

Okay, okay. We were wrong. It airs tonight. Check local listings. The real thing is airing on the BBC America cable channel, too.