US plans to remake comedy

American TV is planning to make its own version of The Office.

Former Channel 4 chief executive Michael Jackson, who now works in the US, is negotiating for the rights to Ricky Gervais's sitcom,

He said the show was a work of "sheer genius" and wants to make a US version.

In an interview with today's Media Guardian, he said he believed David Brent could easily be transferred to a Manhattan setting, and that the show;s understated humour would not be lost on an American TV audience.

Mr Jackson works for Vivendi Universal, which has its own cable channel, USA Networks, as well as making programmes for the big networks.

Jackson is already developing an American version of another successful BBC2 comedy, Coupling.

But he says there are problems. "The network buy it because they love it, but then gradually the pressure comes to make it more of a gagfest and less of a farce," he said. "And the challenge is to stop that happening."

Published: 18 Nov 2002