I'll admit it. I'm a bit of an anglophile. Two of my favorite comedies in recent years just happen to be the handiwork of the BBC and I'm fine with that. If you have ever caught the brilliance of Coupling or The Office, you might even agree with me on that front. Yet if you were one of the unfortunate ones to see General Electric's
NBC has been struggling in recent years to fill the void left behind by Friends, Seinfeld, and Frasier, and that hole has only darkened as its rivals have strengthened. Viacom's
While NBC hasn't been exactly asleep at the wheel -- The Apprentice proved to be a huge hit -- the network could use another blockbuster. After cynically watching over a dozen clips of NBC's latest import, I think The Office may be the sitcom hit that NBC has been longing for.
Now, I realize that office-based comedies are usually a recipe for network disaster. Dilbert and Andy Richter Controls the Universe are but two shows that failed to attract an audience even while the movie Office Space grew to become a cult hit. The Office, which can best be described as one dash Dilbert, two scoops Office Space served dry -- very dry -- will be given a fair chance to succeed. It has a strong lead-in as it will air after The Apprentice tonight.
The original version, which is available on Netflix
For more viewing:
- There are six stocks for the six stars of NBC's now mothballed Friends.
- Our own Dayana Yochim would make for a great Trump apprentice.
- Chat up The Office in our British Invasion discussion board.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz will be tuning in, even though he thinks it will be hard for the new cast to top the brilliant ensemble that Ricky Gervais assembled for the original. He owns shares in Disney and Netflix. The Fool has a disclosure policy. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.