American version of the acclaimed BBC sitcom, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. At the Dunder Mifflin paper company, a documentary crew are making a programme looking behind the scenes at modern working practice. Clueless manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell) considers himself a business genius and an all-round entertainer - unaware that, to his workers, he's an insufferable idiot. In this series, a consultant is hired to teach the staff about racial diversity, Michael tries to organise a morale-boosting party, and Jim (John Krasinski) upstages Pam's (Jenna Fischer) fiance Dwight (Rainn Wilson) during an office basketball game. Episodes are: 'Pilot'; 'Diversity Day'; 'Health Care'; 'The Alliance'; 'Basketball'; and 'Hot Girl'. From Office manager Michael Scott (, The Daily Show, The 40 Year-Old Virgin) believes he's the beloved leader of the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of a paper products company--but his relentless and painfully forced efforts at comedy creep out everyone around him, including paranoid Dwight (, who had a memorable recurring role on Six Feet Under), nervous receptionist Pam (, LolliLove), and aimless salesman Jim (, A New Wave), who's smitten with the already engaged Pam. The pilot episode suffers from closely replicating the British pilot, but after that The Office finds its own footing, turning diversity training, an office birthday party, and a basketball game into excruciating yet hypnotically funny rituals of humiliation. Carell, though clearly talented, can't match Ricky Gervais' unique performance as the aggressively needy British manager (it's hard to imagine that anyone could); as a result, the supporting roles become more prominent, and Wilson, Fischer, and Krasinski quickly create a rapport that matches and may even exceed that of their British counterparts. Be sure to watch the deleted scenes; remarkably, they're as good as the material that made it on the air in this six-episode season. -- Bret Fetzer Synopsis Based on the popular British comedy of the same name, The Office uses the same mockumentary style and humour derived from awkward social situations. However, it has managed to establish its own fan base and identity apart from the shadow of the original. At the Dunder Miffin Paper Company, manager Michael Scott believes himself beloved by his employees for his jokey nature. What he doesn't realise is that most of them resent and even despise him, except for sycophantic Dwight. Meanwhile, Jim woos engaged receptionist Pam, while both navigate the office politics and 'humour' of boss Scott. The Office may be a remake, but it has charms of its very own. Series One includes the first six episodes.