Even more shows for US version

America’s NBC network has ordered 11 more episodes of its version of The Office - eight more than originally rumoured.

The series currently airing at 9.30pm Tuesday nights is averaging eight million viewers, which is deemed reasonable, even though it's up to five million fewer than watch the preceding comedy, My Name Is Earl.

However the ratings have rallied in recent weeks, and the young, wealthy audience it attracts is attractive to advertisers.

Last week, trade newspapers in Hollywood reported that an additional three shows had been commissioned, but NBC yesterday officially announced that a full run was in the pipeline, bringing the total number of instalments in the second series to 24.

Kevin Reilly, president of NBC Entertainment, said: 'We're thrilled to extend such a viewer and critical favorite as The Office which is a breath of creative fresh air.

'We think the combination of Earl and The Office on Tuesday nights is one of the funniest hours in network television each week. It's immensely gratifying to see our faith in the show validated as viewers start to gravitate towards its quirky characters and offbeat humour.'

Executive producer Greg Daniels added: ' We used to be a cult hit, and now we're becoming an actual cult. Here's some literature we'd like you to read.'

Daniels then reeled off some viewing statistics about the show, including the fact that it's thas 'the second-highest concentration of households with incomes of $100,000 and more for any comedy on network television behind only Will & Grace'.

Apart from the first episode, which was an almost verbatim remake of a Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant script, the US production is now shooting its own storylines. However Gervais and Merchant still act as executive producers on the programme.

And My Name Is Earl has been picked up by Channel 4 to air in the UK.

Published: 8 Nov 2005