Steve carell's daring bet pays off in nbc's the office

When the idea of remaking a recent hit first surfaces, the reactions are always the same: 'Why bother?', 'It's unnecessary', or 'It's a terrible idea'. The US remake of The Office was no exception, with a disastrous pilot episode nearly sending it down the drain.

A less than stellar start

Even Steve Carell, who went on to star as Michael Scott, wasn't initially sold on the project. In a recent episode of Amy Poehler's podcast Good Hang, Carell recalled the NBC announcement, saying, 'It's a terrible idea. Nobody can be as good as Ricky Gervais, nobody can do that show.' With Virgin at 40 still a work in progress, Carell had considered auditioning for the US Office, but his co-stars, including Paul Rudd, urged him not to pursue it, as Rudd told him, 'Don't do it, man. Don't go to the audition.' 'I thought,