>>>One of the reasons I don't watch many TV sitcoms (none at the moment) is the ironclad convention of line, beat, counterline, canned laughter.
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>>I think The Office is very refreshing because it doesn't use that. It relies on the actual content to be funny.
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>Have you seen the original? The American version is not a bad derivation from what I have heard but the British original is classic. Rent it from Netflix and see if you don't agree.

Agree with you there, Mike. I've seen the US version. I wouldn't say the US guy just can't do it as well as Ricky Gervais but RG DID co-write it to suit his own character and stage act. i.e. it was tailor-made for him.

Have you seen the series he did after "The Office": "Extras"? It's about film extras (RG is one) and their "adventures" on and off set, meeting loads of stars. The stars play themselves in the show, and in a very bad light, e.g. they may portray themselves as greedy, avaricious, spiteful, only interested in an Oscar, very sad and suffering a break-down, etc.

Ben Stiller was in one of the first (as have other big names: inc. Dave Bowie, Kate Winslet< Sam L Jackson, Orlando Bloom, the Harry Potter kid)

Stiller enjoyed the experience so much he returned the favour and put Gervais in his latest film, "A Night in the Museum" (sadly though, playing another incarnation of David Brent)

Some clips here, I believe:

http://www.rickygervais.com/extras.php

I think you may have in on HBO over there.

http://www.hbo.com/extras/