It just won't be the same, y'know?

Of this I have no doubt, as Brit and American humor can be so different in tone and flavor, but I do have faith in Carrell to make the show his own.

Cary Grant/Irene Dunne in The Awful Truth. I think they even top Nick and Nora Charles for the most witty/glamorous couple ever (at least for me).

I agree. Of course, The Awful Truth is one of my favorite all time movies. And Nick and Nora lose a few points because of the alcohol abuse. But I also like Harry/Sally and think it is one of the best modern romantic comedies (along with The Wedding Singer)

Now is the criteria "best couple" or "most chemistry"?-- because that is very different to me. I think "best couple" excludes things that don't work out in the end because of one person actually being evil (like The Postman Always Rings Twice)

It just won't be the same, y'know?

The creepy thing about the pilot is that it is the same. Same script, same pacing, same shots...American actors.

Most of whom are good enough that I'm looking forward to the eps w/ original scripts, actually. It's not a 100% successful adaptation (mostly because they've completely done away with the framing device, while keeping the mockumentary camerawork, which is just weird), but it's not the unmitigated disaster it could have been.

I am curious as to how the humour will be pulled off by Americans, and just how faithful the adaptation will be. Will I laugh as hard though, that's the question.

I do have faith in Carrell to make the show his own.

I don't think I've ever seen him in anything, but I'll take your word for it.

I dont think I've ever seen him in anything, but I'll take your word for it.

He was a Daily Show correspondant for a few years, and never failed to bring me to tears with hysterical laughter.

Jars, see Anchorman.

LOUD NOISES!

The creepy thing about the pilot is that it is the same. Same script, same pacing, same shots...American actors.

They did very nearly this with Queer as Folk, too, at least at the beginning. It was very odd to watch the UK version, after familiarizing myself so thoroughly with the US version, and realize how much they (the US writers) had copied word-for-word and shot-for-shot from the UK series.

ooh, the dreaded doublepost

Carell's hilarious, but the whole thing just reeks of gilding a lily. Gervais is so twitchily perfect as David Brent that I'm afraid Carell's going to come across too broadly. Also, the 6-episode arcs and christmas specials were almost hermetically complete. I worry that the long American season will turn the premise into an opportunity to bring in the unfunny "wacky" pratfalls and misunderstandings that dominate our sitcoms. Having a King of the Hill writer & producer on board alleviates my fear a bit, (on edit) although, now that I think about it, they took the character of Peggy Hill in some awful directions starting a few seasons ago. She was written with less attention to nuance and more out-and-out lunatic behavior with no consequences, which sucked a lot of the life out of the show.

They did very nearly this with Queer as Folk, too, at least at the beginning.

I always wondered about this. I loved the original version, but the American one never aired over here, to the best of my knowledge. Did they just write original material from the end of the UK version, or had they veered away before that?