I concur.

Here's hoping all the critics are right and this gets much better as it goes along.

I didn't really like the first episode of the UK version, but I am glad that I stayed with it, since it really was a terrific series. I didn't really like this episode, but I am not as hopeful for this series.

I never saw the UK version, and I really liked this pilot. Steve Carrel was hilarious. They're going to need to pick up the pace of the show if it's going to last. I'm really glad they didn't use a laugh track.

I never saw the UK version either, and I laughed quite a bit last night. "I'm your biggest flan", "Take him into custardy"

No laugh track =
I hate those fucking things.

I knew nothing about this show goign into it, but my wife had it on (she was watching the apprentice) and I was feeding my newborn son, so i was pretty much handcuffed. We watched about the first 10 minutes or so and had to turn it. Worst show on TV.

Those panties. Take 'em off. Squeal like a piggy!

Oh, sorry.

The Office Complete Collection at DDD yesterday: $38.85
The Office Complete Collection at DDD today: $43.16

Hilarious. I think they did great with the casting unlike Coupling - US. I've never seen the UK version of The Office though. I think we have 3 kinds of people here

1) Fan of UK version and this won't stand up
2) Never seen the UK version and love this because it's new to them
3) Never seen UK and hated this. I would bet they would hate the UK version too.

I had been planning on watching the UK version eventually. It's on my Blockbuster list to be mailed out. Wondering if I should not watch that if I want this to stay fresh. I'll have to find out how close the 2 are in future episodes.

You forgot one, because it's where I fall:
4) Fan of the UK version and plan on giving this one every chance.

As for future episodes, from what I've read: the two shows are nothing like each other after the pilot.

Very difficult watching that first ep, when I remember so much from the BBC one.

Not crazy about the casting, but I will defintely give this some time. There is so much material to mine from here, if we give this some time, it could be what BBC did to coupling. Take Friends and make it into Coupling a better funnier edgier version.

I hope they find there own footing and this show can exist.

in a brutal time slot though, Veronica Mars, Amazing Race and House. Ugh, couldn;t they find another time slot??

Crap, is that really the timeslot they are putting this into? Well, there goes my plans to watch this then. DVR'ing 4 stuff at once just isn't possible for me.

I thought the boss was by far the best one and Gareth by FAR the worst--totally unbearable. With the boss, though, I kept picturing David Brent being the one saying the lines, so maybe that made it more funny.

I also actually liked the awkward silences, a tool vastly underused in American comedy but oh-so-effective when done right.

I'll give this one time (if I can just get past the Gareth/Dwight character...)

Are you comparing the casting to the characters on the UK version? The reason I ask is I thought the casting seems brilliant so far.

It's moving to Tuesday nights starting next week.

I thought it was decent. I like Steven Carrell alot, so I'll continue to watch this.

Agreed -- he made this show. I thought it was hilarious.

"Hey, you big queen!"

In addition to the speaker phone, the meeting where he says he "protects all his children"

It was better then I expected. I like that they kept the style of the show, though the contrast from the apprentice was pretty stark, this is definitely a pacing and format that american audiences aren't used to. The only casting problem I had was "Jim", he seems to have a bit of a Keanu complex going there; I thought the others had potential though. Gareth was a lot better then I was fearing, he plays the part slightly different then the BBC version, and obviously he looks different, but everyone on the cast seems to do that as well, which could be a good thing.

I liked this pilot really well. The UK version has been one of my favorite shows since it originally aired. I like to think of this more like a Curb Your Enthusiasm to the original Seinfeld type thing. Different shows from the same sort of mold. Both good in their own way. I'll continue to give US The Office a chance.

I fall into this category.

I liked it, and I'll probably continue watching it since its in "Committed"s time slot and I have nothing to watch there now.

I loved the stuff in Jell-O and the awkward silences.

... and the secretary Mary(?) is a great actress.

Steve Carrell is the only reason I will continue to watch this show if I do so. I have seen him in Anchorman and his Daily Show bits and the guy is flat out hilarious.

I never saw the UK version and I thought this was VERY funny.

On the casting of the boss...the UK clips showed me a more understated performance from the boss, BUT I would argue that the US boss character fits more in a US office...the British are known for understatement, us Americans are the loudmouth 'toilet humor' types.

Where some here are saying that the UK boss was awkward but didnt know it, the Steve Corell character is obnoxious, but his sence of power leads him to believe it really doesnt mater. He's sort of the retarted jock in HS, he wasnt cool or funny, but he didnt have to be.

I fucking agree. If I have to read one more: "This was horrible compared to the BBC version. Person X is a horrible choice for character Y" I am going to puke. As a standalone show, this first episode was hilarious.

"Does the carpet match the drapes?" LOL!