As a huge fan of the British version and the fabulous Mr. Brent played by Ricky Gervais, I was hesitant to try this retread. After all, “Coupling” – another favorite – was a huge failure in translation. After waffling for half a season, I found a night with nothing to do and gave the show a shot and instantly fell for this very differently done show. There are parralels, of course, but across the board both versions are just great shows. I listened to the commentary available in Season One and could appreciate that the Michael Scott character was able to set the tone for the other actors on the show (SC had one seen 30 minutes of the Brit version and knew he couldn’t watch anymore lest he be a bad imitation).

One thing that really surprised me was how many of the writers on the show are also actors. I now can’t wait to see Season 2 to find out why they morphed the characters as they did. Very worth watching if you have a few hours to spare.